Charlotte County stands out for its blazing internet speeds, the fastest in Southwest Florida and among the top 25 counties in the nation. According to a recent study, average download speeds here hit 464.9 megabits per second. That puts Charlotte County at 21st nationally and second in Florida. Out of 66 Florida counties, Charlotte is the only one in Southwest Florida to make the state’s top ten.
Pasco County leads Florida with an average download speed of 479.8 mbps, while Holmes County lands at the bottom with 155.6 mbps, a long way from Charlotte’s numbers.
The study also highlights a gap between urban and rural counties. Metro areas in Florida average 410.8 mbps, while rural counties lag at 294.0 mbps. Still, speeds are improving statewide, climbing over 60% since early 2023. Faro, a team focused on AI readiness, conducted the study by analyzing data from over 4.5 million devices across 3,144 counties using Speedtest by Ookla.
Why do speeds vary so much? It isn’t always clear. Sometimes, living near ISP base stations or having next-generation fiber in your home makes the difference. ISPs like Comcast focus on building high-speed networks in places like Charlotte County, especially when they expect population growth. Most new homes here have fiber connectivity.
Charlotte County’s population keeps rising. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates over 212,000 residents by 2025, a jump of 16.3% since 2020. And Comcast is investing in that future, too, announcing $15 million to build and expand its high-speed network in Charlotte at the start of 2025. That’s part of a bigger push to bring faster connections to counties across Florida, including both Charlotte and Highlands.
