One of the Gulf Coast's most beautiful cities is Naples in Collier County, FL. The Naples Florida Economy is heavily dependent on tourism, which in turn fuels the growth of retail, real estate and other business sectors. Then there's also the fact that the city and surrounding metro area are a paradise for retirees, whose heavy spending and retirement nest eggs push the economic growth even higher and help create more jobs.
The 10 miles of pristine white sand beach and other attractions and landmarks attract a huge number of visitors each year. Then there are the visitors who come here because it's so close to the Everglades. All this makes the city one of the top tourist destinations in the Sunshine State. That's no small achievement, given the intense competition from cities like Orlando and Miami that suck up all the global visitors and family vacationers.
The thing that makes this city stand apart is the beautiful beach that has been declared as America's best beach by the Travel Channel. Visitors actually can choose from among the six pristine beaches in the area. Top that off with about 80 championship golf courses which keep a lot of the residents and retirees content and happy to live here.
It's not all a fairy tale, though, because this city and every other beach community on the Gulf Coast have suffered badly in the not-so-distant past. The housing crash and the subsequent recession hit the Sunshine State really hard. Millions of properties were foreclosed and new developments came to a screeching halt. Then the BP oil spill piled on and ruined tourism for another two years.
The unemployment rate peaked at 12.2% during the worst days of the crisis in early 2010. It took some time for the area to recover from the recession and the oil spill, but the economy has been on a tear since 2012. There are more tourists than ever before, housing prices have stabilized, and obscenely wealthy retirees are once again spending their fat nest eggs buying up property and spending the rest in local shops and businesses.
As things stand now, Naples has the highest job growth rate among the country's 200 largest metro areas. The unemployment rate has dropped down to 5.4 percent, and the median household income is pegged at $56,759. The projected annual job growth rate through 2016 is an astounding 4.1 percent - the highest in the nation.
This astronomical growth and miraculous recovery didn't just happen overnight by itself. Naples Bay and the white sandy beaches with the year-round sunshine are indeed invaluable resources to have, as are the Everglades. However, this is not enough by itself to attract businesses willing to invest millions and create a boatload of jobs.
The business-friendly climate and taxation are often cited as deciding factors by companies that locate in this area. There's also the fact that local officials and organizations such as the Greater Naples Chamber work in partnership with the State to help new and existing businesses with everything they need for growing and creating jobs. Skilled talent is easy to hire and retain due to the high quality of life and the work-life balance. This means that people come here to live and work and build their careers.
The 10 miles of pristine white sand beach and other attractions and landmarks attract a huge number of visitors each year. Then there are the visitors who come here because it's so close to the Everglades. All this makes the city one of the top tourist destinations in the Sunshine State. That's no small achievement, given the intense competition from cities like Orlando and Miami that suck up all the global visitors and family vacationers.
The thing that makes this city stand apart is the beautiful beach that has been declared as America's best beach by the Travel Channel. Visitors actually can choose from among the six pristine beaches in the area. Top that off with about 80 championship golf courses which keep a lot of the residents and retirees content and happy to live here.
It's not all a fairy tale, though, because this city and every other beach community on the Gulf Coast have suffered badly in the not-so-distant past. The housing crash and the subsequent recession hit the Sunshine State really hard. Millions of properties were foreclosed and new developments came to a screeching halt. Then the BP oil spill piled on and ruined tourism for another two years.
The unemployment rate peaked at 12.2% during the worst days of the crisis in early 2010. It took some time for the area to recover from the recession and the oil spill, but the economy has been on a tear since 2012. There are more tourists than ever before, housing prices have stabilized, and obscenely wealthy retirees are once again spending their fat nest eggs buying up property and spending the rest in local shops and businesses.
As things stand now, Naples has the highest job growth rate among the country's 200 largest metro areas. The unemployment rate has dropped down to 5.4 percent, and the median household income is pegged at $56,759. The projected annual job growth rate through 2016 is an astounding 4.1 percent - the highest in the nation.
This astronomical growth and miraculous recovery didn't just happen overnight by itself. Naples Bay and the white sandy beaches with the year-round sunshine are indeed invaluable resources to have, as are the Everglades. However, this is not enough by itself to attract businesses willing to invest millions and create a boatload of jobs.
The business-friendly climate and taxation are often cited as deciding factors by companies that locate in this area. There's also the fact that local officials and organizations such as the Greater Naples Chamber work in partnership with the State to help new and existing businesses with everything they need for growing and creating jobs. Skilled talent is easy to hire and retain due to the high quality of life and the work-life balance. This means that people come here to live and work and build their careers.
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Marbella Isles is a luxury community that offers some of the best Naples Florida real estate around. Check it out.
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