South African Population in Lee County, FL by City : 2025 Ranking & Insights

The South African population in Lee County, FL is reported at 307 residents, according to recent U.S. Census estimates. Two cities in Lee County - Fort Myers and Bonita Springs - contribute to most of the South African population. The remaining cities report zero, and the county''s total of 307 suggests additional rural presence. Below, we explore how this compares with other counties across Florida.

Top 5 cities with the largest South African population in Lee County

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  • 1
    Fort Myers
    South African population in Fort Myers is 87
    0.09% of Fort Myers population is South African
  • 2
    Bonita Springs
    South African population in Bonita Springs is 17
    0.03% of Bonita Springs population is South African
  • 3
    Cape Coral
    South African population in Cape Coral is 0
    - of Cape Coral population is South African
  • 4
    Fort Myers Beach
    South African population in Fort Myers Beach is 0
    - of Fort Myers Beach population is South African
  • 5
    Sanibel
    South African population in Sanibel is 0
    - of Sanibel population is South African

Overview of South African population in Lee County

  • Population Count and Percentage: American Community Survey data document Lee County with 307 South African residents (0.039% of 792,692 total county population), positioning the jurisdiction at the 98th percentile nationally among counties and 90th percentile within Florida for South African population concentrations, despite absolute population figures.
  • Comparison to State and National Averages: Census Bureau's ACS show Lee County's South African population of 0.039% surpassing both Florida's state average of 0.037% and the national average of 0.025%, positioning the county as a high-concentration jurisdiction exceeding demographic benchmarks across all geographic scales.
  • Share of Total State Population: Official American Community Survey data documents Lee County with 307 South African residents, representing 3.8% of Florida's total South African population of 8,105.
  • Population Density per Square Mile: U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey indicate Lee County's density of 0.39 South African Americans per square mile exceeds Florida's average of 0.15 per square mile by more than double, establishing the county as a significant concentration center for South African demographic communities.
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Lee County Cities Ranked by South African Population

View Methodology
American Community Survey data [1] indicate 87 South African residents in Fort Myers, 17 in Bonita Springs and zero residents in Cape Coral, Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel. The table below provides broader statistics, including total population figures, density measures, and demographic distributions based on current ACS data for the five incorporated cities included in this analysis*.
cities in Lee County, FL ranked by South African population count
Rank by South African Population
City
South African Population
% of Total City Population
% of Total Lee County South African Population
5 Year Rank Trend
1 Fort Myers 87 0.09% 28.34%
2 Bonita Springs 17 0.03% 5.54%
3 Cape Coral 0 - -
3 Fort Myers Beach 0 - -
3 Sanibel 0 - -
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Methodology

This ranking list is based on data from the American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS is one of the most reliable sources for understanding population trends across different locations, and it provides estimates for various racial and ethnic groups at city, county, state and all geography levels down to the Census block group.
This list ranks city in Lee County, FL by their South African population, using the most recent ACS data available.

How the Census defines South African population

The U.S. Census Bureau allows people to self-identify their ancestry, meaning individuals can write upto ancestries when responding to the survey. In this ranking, we include everyone who identifies as having South African ancestry, whether alone or in combination with another ancestry.
Here are a few important things to know about how ancestry is reported:
  • Some people identify as South African alone, while others identify as South African along with another race (such as South African and German).
  • We’ve used the “South African alone or in any combination” category unless noted otherwise, which gives a broader picture of the South African population in each area.

How We Ranked the Data

This ranking is based on the total number of people who identified as South African alone or in combination in city. To provide additional context, we’ve also included two key percentages:
  1. % of Total City Population – This shows what percentage of the total state population identifies as South African .
  2. % of Total Lee County South African Population – This tells us how much of the entire U.S. South African population lives in that state.
To keep things simple, all population numbers have been rounded to the nearest whole number, and percentages are rounded to one decimal place. Because of rounding, some percentages may not add up to exactly 100%.

Things to Keep in Mind

Like all survey-based data, ACS estimates come with some limitations. Here are a few things to be aware of:
  • In places with very small South African populations, the numbers may not be reported at all due to privacy protections or sampling variability in the survey.
  • Since the ACS is based on a sample, the numbers are estimates, not exact counts. That means they may slightly differ from other sources like the decennial U.S. Census.
  • City that don’t have any reported South African population are not included in the ranking but are listed separately below for reference.
This ranking is meant to provide a clear, data-driven look at where South African populations are most concentrated while keeping the numbers easy to understand.

Sources

  1. 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates.
  2. 2023.