Population 8,442 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Fort Meade
Household size in Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.90 | 2.64 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.32 | 2.79 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.01 | 2.93 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.80 | 2.80 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.10 | +0.16 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
The typical household in Fort Meade holds 2.80 people, slightly more than the U.S. average of 2.65. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.90, a much bigger shift than nationally. Households are largest in the southwest and smallest in the east.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.2 | 40.6 | 40.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.0 | 41.4 | 42.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.6 | 41.7 | 43.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 41.8 | 40.5 | 43.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.6 | −0.1 | +2.7 | +2.3 |
Fort Meade skews a little older than the country: its median age is 41.8, against 40.1 nationally. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 39.2, as it has nationally. Residents skew youngest in the southwest and oldest in the east.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.9% | 12.7% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.9% | 13.2% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.1% | 12.7% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.3% | 13.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Fort Meade than nationally: 13.3%, against 11.6%. The picture is much the same across the Lakeland area. The single-parent share has fallen 1.6 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 Fort Meade
Renters in Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.2% | 27.9% | 30.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 28.0% | 30.4% | 33.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.2% | 31.1% | 34.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.9% | 29.5% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.8 pts | +1.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly three in ten households in Fort Meade rent their homes (28.9%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. More than half of owners (55.4%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the southwest; owners are most common in the northwest. Since 2006–10, the renter share has risen 1.8 points, in line with the national trend.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.5% | 19.0% | 17.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.3% | 20.9% | 17.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 21.8% | 19.3% | 15.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 18.5% | 14.4% | 12.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −3.0 pts | −4.6 pts | −4.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 18.5% of the housing in Fort Meade, 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. Vacancy is down 3.0 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1975 | 1985 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1986 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1987 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1981 | 1992 | 1989 | 1980 |
| Change | +6 | +7 | +5 | +6 |
The typical home in Fort Meade was built around 1981, about the same vintage as the country's housing overall (1980). Homes here are older than in the Lakeland area overall, where the median home dates to 1992. The median year built has moved up from 1975 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the northeast, while the northwest has the oldest housing.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $699 | $916 | $1,092 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $869 | $958 | $1,123 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $783 | $1,094 | $1,323 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,023 | $1,499 | $1,816 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$325 | +$583 | +$724 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Fort Meade costs $1,023 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $325 a month from 2006–10, a 46% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 38.7% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the northwest; the most affordable are in the east.
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 Fort Meade
Bachelor's degrees in Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.2% | 18.2% | 26.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.5% | 18.8% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.7% | 20.2% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.3% | 23.4% | 34.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.2 pts | +5.2 pts | +8.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Fort Meade have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 9.3%, against 35.6% nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the north and least in the west. Of the 512 Florida cities with 5,000+ people, only seven have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 68.9% | 82.1% | 85.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 76.6% | 83.3% | 86.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 79.8% | 85.0% | 88.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 78.1% | 87.7% | 90.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.2 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
More than one in five adults in Fort Meade never finished high school, well above the national share: only 78.1% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma is up 9.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Only 35 of the 512 Florida cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of high school graduates.
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 Fort Meade
| Period | Fort Meade | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 9.4% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.9% | 11.9% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.7% | 5.9% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.8% | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −9.1 pts | −4.5 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Fort Meade runs below the national rate: 3.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 9.1 points, a much bigger shift than nationally. 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).
Fort Meade 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Meade | 2.80 | 41.8 | 13.3% | 28.9% | 18.5% | 1981 | $1,023 | 9.3% | 78.1% | 3.8% |
| Pembroke | 2.95 | 40.2 | 12.1% | 23.9% | 11.9% | 1977 | $942 | 10.2% | 83.2% | 2.8% |
| Homeland | 2.59 | 46.2 | 8.6% | 33.4% | 3.7% | 1970 | $984 | 6.9% | 80.8% | 3.2% |
| Torrey | 3.63 | 30.2 | 17.7% | 37.2% | 20.8% | 1979 | $854 | 9.0% | 78.8% | 6.3% |
| Alturas | 3.25 | 33.8 | 15.4% | 14.2% | 12.5% | 2001 | $760 | 17.3% | 82.7% | 0.5% |
| Lake Garfield | 3.41 | 35.9 | 10.9% | 11.4% | 13.6% | 1997 | $913 | 7.9% | 84.1% | 3.7% |
| Bowling Green | 3.05 | 32.6 | 11.1% | 25.6% | 21.9% | 1987 | $1,044 | 12.2% | 78.6% | 6.1% |
| Pierce | 2.39 | 36.7 | 20.5% | 31.5% | 20.2% | 1975 | $958 | 2.0% | 83.6% | 0.0% |
| Hillcrest Heights | 2.33 | 47.3 | 8.4% | 15.1% | 28.2% | 1987 | $1,308 | 27.3% | 93.5% | 4.5% |
| Frostproof | 2.51 | 50.7 | 11.4% | 20.5% | 27.8% | 1986 | $964 | 16.5% | 82.3% | 4.3% |
| Bradley | 2.38 | 36.3 | 21.1% | 31.9% | 20.6% | 1974 | $946 | 1.7% | 84.0% | 0.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Rockport, MA · Mattawa, WA · Maylene, AL · Medina, NY · Rittman, OH · River Rouge, MI · Riverdale, UT · Riverside, TX · Roanoke, IN · Robertsville, NJ
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 Fort Meade. 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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