This is just about the most republican area of the state. Overdeveloped for the last 25 years. Very expensive to live,and always getting beaten up in the storm season. I thankfully fled south Florida,but stayed away from the SW area because of the storm and flooding vulnerability. I live about 70 miles N.E. from Port Charlotte,but the cost of living is at least 1/3 less here,and there is no sprawl yet.
See, if I would live in Florida (and I might for a couple years to get the expeience just despite the horrid humid summers with awful bugs), I would live inland a couple hours from the ocean. It would just be a bit of a drive to get to the beach.