Matlacha ( "MAT-la-shay") is a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...

(CDP) in

Lee County, Florida Lee County is located in Southwest Florida on the Gulf Coast. As of the 2020 census, the population was 760,822. The county seat is Fort Myers (with a population of 86,395 as of the 2020 census), and the largest city is Cape Coral with an esti ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 598. It is part of the

Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area Lee County is located in Southwest Florida on the Gulf Coast. As of the 2020 census, the population was 760,822. The county seat is Fort Myers (with a population of 86,395 as of the 2020 census), and the largest city is Cape Coral with an esti ...

. Matlacha is an "Old Florida" fishing village, home to many brightly colored art galleries, island boutiques, seafood restaurants, and traditional Floridian cottages. The village was largely devastated by

Hurricane Ian Hurricane Ian was a large and destructive Category 4 Atlantic hurricane that was the deadliest hurricane to strike the state of Florida since the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. Ian caused widespread damage across western Cuba and the southeast Unit ...

in October 2022

Geography

Matlacha is located in northwestern Lee County at (26.630339, -82.073412), on West Island and Porpoise Point Island at a narrow point in Matlacha Pass, a tidal waterway separating Pine Island and Little Pine Island from the mainland. County Road 78 (Southwest Pine Island Road) crosses the waterway at Matlacha, leading southwest to

Pine Island Center Pine Island Center is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located on Pine Island in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 1,942 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metro ...

and northeast through

Cape Coral Cape Coral is a city located in Lee County, Florida, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. Founded in 1957 and developed as a planned community, the city's population has grown to 194,016 as of the 2020 Census, a rise of 26% from the 2010 Census ...

North Fort Myers North Fort Myers is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 42,719 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. Ge ...

. Matlacha is bordered to the northeast, across Matlacha Pass, by the Matlacha Isles-Matlacha Shores CDP. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the Matlacha CDP has a total area of , of which are land and , or 70.99%, are water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 735 people, 409 households, and 213 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 579 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.23%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.27% Native American, 0.27%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.68% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 0.54% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 1.36% of the population. As of the 2010 census, Matlacha's population decreased to 677 and the town's African-American population increased from 0 in 2000 to 2 in 2010. There were 409 households, out of which 6.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.9% were married couples living together, 3.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.7% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.80 and the average family size was 2.33. In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 7.3% under the age of 18, 2.4% from 18 to 24, 17.4% from 25 to 44, 34.7% from 45 to 64, and 38.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 58 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.4 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $36,417, and the median income for a family was $50,000. Males had a median income of $28,056 versus $28,750 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the CDP was $24,371. About 7.4% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

References

External links

Pine Island Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control Census-designated places in Lee County, Florida Census-designated places in Florida Populated places on Charlotte Harbor Pine Island (Lee County, Florida)