Paying your bills in Cape Coral: See where Southwest Florida city ranks among others in Florida

Mark H. Bickel, Fort Myers News-Press
·4 min read

It's one of the least looked forward things to do in life: pay the bills.

Usually, it happens only once a month if that is any consolation. And these days things have gotten a little less painful thanks to online banking. But the bottom line is whether you still write out a check and put it in the mail, or if you pay be some kind of automated transfer of your money, the bills like the mortgage or rent, auto loans and utilities must be paid!

Doxo, a third party bill pay service that enables consumers to pay and manage all their bills in one location, released a report in May providing data and rankings for 200 towns and cities Florida and who pays the most in household bills and who pays the least.

Cape Coral is the No. 32 most expensive city in Florida for household expenses, according to the doxo report. Cape Coral bills are $3,731 per year higher than the US average.

  • The average Cape Coral household pays $2,357 a month, or $28,287 a year for the 10 most common household bills compared to the state average of $2,112 and the national average of $2,046.

  • The household expenses in Cape Coral, on average, are 15.2% higher than the national average of $2,046.

  • Cape Coral households spend 46% of their income on household bills.

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Breaking the numbers down even further, the doxo report showed what Cape Coral households spend per month on specific bills.

Here is the list:

  • rent ($1,442)

  • mortgage ($1,319 per month)

  • auto insurance ($532)

  • auto loans ($472)

  • utilities ($372)

  • life insurance ($169)

  • health insurance ($95)

  • mobile phone ($93)

  • cable and internet ($90)

  • alarm and security ($77)

What about the rest of Florida?

  • The average Florida household pays $2,112 a month for the 10 most common household bills.

  • Florida’s household expenses, on average, are 3.2% higher than the national average of $2,046.

  • Florida ranks #18 out of 50 states in terms of average monthly spending.

  • Florida households spend 42% of their income on household bills.

  • Annually, Florida residents pay $188 billion in household bills.

Where is the most expensive place in Florida for household bills?

According to the study, residents of Pembroke Pines pay the highest household bills in the state of Florida, at an average of $3,035 per month. Saint Johns comes in second in the rankings, with residents paying an average of $2,782 on household expenses.

Unsurprisingly, the popular tourist destination Key West is on the list of the most expensive areas to live in the state, at number 8, and $2,709 a month. However, residents who live there seem to pay an even steeper price than those in the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd spots on the list: while residents of Pembroke Pines, Saint Johns and Windermere spend 36%, 27%, and 32% of their income on household bills, respectively, Key West residents spend a whopping 44% on them.

Where is the least expensive place in Florida for household bills?

Florida welcome sign.
Florida welcome sign.

Out of 200 cities and towns, Monticello (northeast of Tallahassee) is the most affordable place in Florida, with residents paying $1,346 on average for household bills. They spend a lower share of their income on household bills than the Florida average, too, at 35%. Avon Park is second most affordable area on the list, with residents paying an average of $1,385 on household bills. Also on the list of most affordable cities and towns in Florida are Marianna ($1,404 a month), and Bonifay ($1,421 a month).

Where is the most expensive place in the U.S. for household bills?

According to doxo data, the most expensive state for household expenses is Hawaii, where residents pay $3,070 per month.

Where is the least expensive place in the U.S. for household bills?

The most affordable state, meanwhile, is West Virginia, where residents pay $1,530 per month.

More Florida data for household bills

Florida’s household expenses, on average, are 3.2% higher than the national average of $2,046.

Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. Florida households spend 42% of their income on household costs, which is a higher share than many states where households pay more expensive bills. For example, New Jersey residents, though they live in the third most expensive state for bills, spend just 35% of household income on them.

Annually, Florida residents pay $188 billion in household bills.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Household bills data shows most, least place for paying in Florida