Population 2,668 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Babson Park
Household size in Babson Park
| Period | Babson Park | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.50 | 2.64 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.59 | 2.79 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.71 | 2.93 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.33 | 2.80 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.17 | +0.16 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Babson Park are small: just 2.33 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.50, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Babson Park
| Period | Babson Park | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.3 | 40.6 | 40.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.0 | 41.4 | 42.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.2 | 41.7 | 43.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 47.4 | 40.5 | 43.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.1 | −0.1 | +2.7 | +2.3 |
Babson Park skews older: half of its residents are older than 47.4, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Babson Park
| Period | Babson Park | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 12.7% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 7.3% | 13.2% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 7.4% | 12.7% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.2% | 13.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Babson Park (10.2%), a little below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Babson Park
Renters in Babson Park
| Period | Babson Park | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 20.3% | 27.9% | 30.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.8% | 30.4% | 33.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 31.1% | 34.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 13.8% | 29.5% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.5 pts | +1.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 13.8% of households in Babson Park rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over six in ten owners (62.5%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Babson Park
| Period | Babson Park | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 30.5% | 19.0% | 17.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 28.6% | 20.9% | 17.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 23.8% | 19.3% | 15.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 24.2% | 14.4% | 12.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −6.3 pts | −4.6 pts | −4.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 24.2% of the housing in Babson Park, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Babson Park
| Period | Babson Park | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1985 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1980 | 1986 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1987 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1992 | 1989 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +7 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Babson Park are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1981, versus 1980 nationally. Homes here are older than in the Lakeland area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1992.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Babson Park
| Period | Babson Park | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $761 | $916 | $1,092 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $826 | $958 | $1,123 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $968 | $1,094 | $1,323 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,080 | $1,499 | $1,816 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$320 | +$583 | +$724 | +$606 |
The median renter in Babson Park pays $1,080 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 33.1% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Babson Park
Bachelor's degrees in Babson Park
| Period | Babson Park | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.9% | 18.2% | 26.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 21.2% | 18.8% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.0% | 20.2% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.6% | 23.4% | 34.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +5.2 pts | +8.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Babson Park: 25.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. That is in line with the rest of the Lakeland area.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Babson Park
| Period | Babson Park | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.3% | 82.1% | 85.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.6% | 83.3% | 86.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.0% | 85.0% | 88.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.9% | 87.7% | 90.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Babson Park have finished high school as nationally: 89.9%, against 89.3%. The rate is higher than in the Lakeland area overall (87.7%).
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Babson Park
| Period | Babson Park | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.4% | 9.4% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 11.9% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.9% | 5.9% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.9% | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −4.5 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Babson Park is close to the national rate: 5.9% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the Lakeland area as a whole (4.9%). Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Babson Park compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babson Park | 2.33 | 47.4 | 10.2% | 13.8% | 24.2% | 1981 | $1,080 | 25.6% | 89.9% | 5.9% |
| Highland Park | 2.64 | 40.6 | 15.7% | 14.1% | 17.4% | 1977 | $1,056 | 23.4% | 92.8% | 10.7% |
| Hillcrest Heights | 2.33 | 47.3 | 8.4% | 15.1% | 28.2% | 1987 | $1,308 | 27.3% | 93.5% | 4.5% |
| Nalcrest | 2.13 | 55.2 | 3.9% | 24.8% | 32.5% | 1984 | $1,099 | 15.1% | 87.7% | 6.0% |
| Lake Wales | 2.52 | 44.9 | 11.7% | 30.2% | 17.8% | 1987 | $1,196 | 19.2% | 87.3% | 4.6% |
| Frostproof | 2.51 | 50.7 | 11.4% | 20.5% | 27.8% | 1986 | $964 | 16.5% | 82.3% | 4.3% |
| Maxcy Quarters | 2.33 | 52.0 | 9.0% | 16.5% | 27.4% | 1996 | $974 | 17.3% | 96.0% | 0.5% |
| Waverly | 2.82 | 32.5 | 20.3% | 47.7% | 8.2% | 2004 | $1,358 | 23.9% | 91.4% | 1.8% |
| Fedhaven | 1.99 | 60.6 | 6.0% | 19.1% | 45.2% | 1981 | $1,103 | 13.0% | 88.7% | 0.6% |
| Alturas | 3.25 | 33.8 | 15.4% | 14.2% | 12.5% | 2001 | $760 | 17.3% | 82.7% | 0.5% |
| Indian Lake Estates | 2.40 | 54.7 | 8.4% | 12.3% | 40.2% | 1989 | $745 | 6.8% | 85.2% | 4.8% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Freer, TX · Trenton, NC · Waterville, MN · Sebree, KY · Riverside, AL · Manawa, WI · Lame Deer, MT · Belle Center, OH · Trappe, MD · Thompson Falls, MT
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Babson Park. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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