Cortez is a very small coastal town (i.e. on the ocean, a bay, or inlet) located in the state of Florida. With a population of 4,121 people and two associated neighborhoods, Cortez is the 304th largest community in Florida.

Housing costs in Cortez are among some of the highest in the nation, although real estate prices here don't compare to real estate prices in the most expensive communities in Florida.

One interesting thing about the economy is that relatively large numbers of people worked from their home: 12.10% of the workforce. While this number may seem small overall, as a fraction of the total workforce this is high compared to the rest of the county. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Another notable thing is that Cortez is an extremely popular destination for tourists and seasonal residents. So much of the population is seasonal such that the town’s population swells significantly during the vacation season, and drops again when the season ends. Because of this, much of the local economy is centered around tourism; some businesses may be operated only during the high season. During the low season, year-round residents will notice that the city is a substantially quieter place to live.

It is a fairly quiet town because there are relatively few of those groups of people who have a tendency to be noisy. (Children, for example, often can't help themselves from being noisy, and being parents ourselves, we know!) Cortez has relatively few families with children living at home, and is quieter because of it. Renters and college students, for their own reasons, can also be noisy. Cortez has few renters and college students. But the biggest reason it is quieter in Cortez than in most places in America, is that there are just simply fewer people living here. If you think trees make good neighbors, Cortez may be for you.

One of the nice things about Cortez is that it is nautical, which means that parts of it are somewhat historic and touch the ocean or tidal bodies of water, such as inlets and bays. Because of this, visitors and locals will often go to these areas to take in the scenery or to enjoy waterfront activities.

As is often the case in a small town, Cortez doesn't have a public transportation system that people use for their commute.

Cortez is one of the most well-educated cities in the nation. 44.78% of adults in Cortez have at least a bachelor's degree. Compare that to the average community in America, which has just 21.84% with a bachelor's degree or higher.

The per capita income in Cortez in 2022 was $55,014, which is wealthy relative to Florida and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $220,056 for a family of four. However, Cortez contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.

The people who call Cortez home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Cortez residents report their race to be White, followed by Black or African-American. Important ancestries of people in Cortez include German, English, Irish, Italian, and Polish.

The most common language spoken in Cortez is English. Other important languages spoken here include French Creole and Spanish.