Sarasota-Bradenton, Cape Coral-Fort Myers in national boomtown report

Boomtown is in the eye of the beholder. 

That’s a key takeaway from a new report from online financial marketplace LendingTree. Its Boomtown report ranked and scored the 100 largest metros across eight unique metrics grouped into three categories: people and housing; work and earnings; and business and economy. 

Florida, and in particular three metro areas on the west coast of the state, is booming, at least statistically and in comparison to other parts of the country. Of course, that boom, while trumpeted by LendingTree in the report and celebrated by economic development leaders, has come at a cost, exacerbating affordable housing and cost of living issues in many parts of the region.