Population 39,974 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Lake Wales
Household size in Lake Wales
| Period | Lake Wales | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.40 | 2.64 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.52 | 2.79 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.70 | 2.93 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.52 | 2.80 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.13 | +0.16 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Lake Wales run a little small, averaging 2.52 people against 2.65 nationally, which usually means more singles and couples and fewer children. Household size has climbed from 2.40 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell. The biggest households, usually families with children, are concentrated in the center.
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 Lake Wales
| Period | Lake Wales | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 43.8 | 40.6 | 40.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.2 | 41.4 | 42.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.9 | 41.7 | 43.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 44.9 | 40.5 | 43.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.0 | −0.1 | +2.7 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 44.9, Lake Wales is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 43.8, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the northwest.
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 Lake Wales
| Period | Lake Wales | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.3% | 12.7% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 13.2% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.5% | 12.7% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 13.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −2.6 pts | +0.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head nearly one in eight households in Lake Wales (11.7%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are less common here than in the Lakeland area overall (13.1%). The single-parent share is down 2.6 points from 2006–10, a much bigger shift than nationally.
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 Lake Wales
Renters in Lake Wales
| Period | Lake Wales | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.2% | 27.9% | 30.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.7% | 30.4% | 33.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.5% | 31.1% | 34.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 30.2% | 29.5% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −2.0 pts | +1.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Lake Wales own their homes; 30.2% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 51.7% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the northeast. Since 2006–10, the renter share has fallen 2.0 points, even as the national share rose.
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 Lake Wales
| Period | Lake Wales | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 22.6% | 19.0% | 17.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.6% | 20.9% | 17.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 21.2% | 19.3% | 15.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.8% | 14.4% | 12.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.8 pts | −4.6 pts | −4.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Lake Wales: 17.8% of homes are empty, 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. Since 2006–10, vacancy has fallen 4.8 points, mirroring the country.
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 Lake Wales
| Period | Lake Wales | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1982 | 1985 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1982 | 1986 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1983 | 1987 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1987 | 1992 | 1989 | 1980 |
| Change | +4 | +7 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Lake Wales are newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1987, versus 1980 across the U.S. Even so, homes here are older than in the wider Lakeland area, where the median home dates to 1992. The median year built has moved up from 1982 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northwest, the oldest in the center.
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 Lake Wales
| Period | Lake Wales | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $742 | $916 | $1,092 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $778 | $958 | $1,123 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $874 | $1,094 | $1,323 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,196 | $1,499 | $1,816 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$455 | +$583 | +$724 | +$606 |
The median renter in Lake Wales pays $1,196 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $455 a month since 2006–10, up 61%, roughly in step with the nation. The typical renter here spends 35.8% 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 southeast.
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 Lake Wales
Bachelor's degrees in Lake Wales
| Period | Lake Wales | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.4% | 18.2% | 26.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.2% | 18.8% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.9% | 20.2% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.2% | 23.4% | 34.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +5.2 pts | +8.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Lake Wales have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 19.2%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 3.8 points, mirroring the country.
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 Lake Wales
| Period | Lake Wales | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 77.7% | 82.1% | 85.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 80.9% | 83.3% | 86.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.4% | 85.0% | 88.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.3% | 87.7% | 90.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.6 pts | +5.7 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in Lake Wales never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.3% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The picture is much the same across the Lakeland area. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 9.6 points, mirroring the country.
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 Lake Wales
| Period | Lake Wales | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 9.4% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 15.6% | 11.9% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.8% | 5.9% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.6% | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | −4.5 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Lake Wales than nationally: unemployment was 4.6%, against 5.4%. Unemployment is down 5.5 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Lake Wales 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Wales | 2.52 | 44.9 | 11.7% | 30.2% | 17.8% | 1987 | $1,196 | 19.2% | 87.3% | 4.6% |
| Highland Park | 2.64 | 40.6 | 15.7% | 14.1% | 17.4% | 1977 | $1,056 | 23.4% | 92.8% | 10.7% |
| Waverly | 2.82 | 32.5 | 20.3% | 47.7% | 8.2% | 2004 | $1,358 | 23.9% | 91.4% | 1.8% |
| Babson Park | 2.33 | 47.4 | 10.2% | 13.8% | 24.2% | 1981 | $1,080 | 25.6% | 89.9% | 5.9% |
| Nalcrest | 2.13 | 55.2 | 3.9% | 24.8% | 32.5% | 1984 | $1,099 | 15.1% | 87.7% | 6.0% |
| Dundee | 2.98 | 36.1 | 11.0% | 30.6% | 12.2% | 1997 | $1,723 | 13.8% | 80.7% | 2.6% |
| Alturas | 3.25 | 33.8 | 15.4% | 14.2% | 12.5% | 2001 | $760 | 17.3% | 82.7% | 0.5% |
| Loughman | 2.86 | 40.5 | 14.8% | 14.4% | 25.0% | 2004 | $1,646 | 15.3% | 90.9% | 6.9% |
| Cypress Gardens | 2.67 | 42.0 | 7.4% | 22.6% | 10.8% | 1982 | $1,344 | 34.2% | 90.3% | 2.1% |
| Lake Hamilton | 3.17 | 47.1 | 15.4% | 14.5% | 22.3% | 1979 | $1,260 | 16.4% | 81.7% | 1.2% |
| Fedhaven | 1.99 | 60.6 | 6.0% | 19.1% | 45.2% | 1981 | $1,103 | 13.0% | 88.7% | 0.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Atlantic City, NJ · Rome, NY · Schertz, TX · Shawnee, OK · Somerset, KY · Fort Washington, MD · Summit, AZ · Fairborn, OH · Villa Rica, GA · Danville, IL
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 Lake Wales. 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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