The Lakeland metro area: Polk County · Population 790,694 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of the Lakeland area: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in the Lakeland area
Household size in the Lakeland area
| Period | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.64 | 2.63 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.79 | 2.73 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.93 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.80 | 2.63 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.16 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in the Lakeland area average 2.80 people, a bit above the national 2.65, so families with children are somewhat more common here. Household size has climbed from 2.64 in 2006–10, even as the national average fell.
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 the Lakeland area
| Period | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.6 | 40.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 41.4 | 42.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 41.7 | 43.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.5 | 43.5 | 40.1 |
| Change | −0.1 | +2.7 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in the Lakeland area are younger than 40.5 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is younger than in Florida overall, where the median age is 43.5.
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 the Lakeland area
| Period | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.7% | 12.4% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 13.2% | 12.2% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.7% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.1% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in eight households in the Lakeland area (13.1%), a bit above the national share of 11.6%. The Lakeland area has a higher share of single-parent households than the great majority of large metro areas.
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 the Lakeland area
Renters in the Lakeland area
| Period | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.9% | 30.3% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.4% | 33.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 31.1% | 34.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 29.5% | 32.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | +1.6 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
About three in ten households in the Lakeland area rent their homes (29.5%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 42.7% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the west and least common in the north. The renter share is up 1.6 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 the Lakeland area
| Period | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 19.0% | 17.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.9% | 17.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.3% | 15.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.4% | 12.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −4.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 14.4% of the housing in the Lakeland area, 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 4.6 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 the Lakeland area
| Period | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1985 | 1984 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1987 | 1986 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1992 | 1989 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +5 | +6 |
The Lakeland area has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1992, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1985 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the west.
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 the Lakeland area
| Period | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $916 | $1,092 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $958 | $1,123 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,094 | $1,323 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,499 | $1,816 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$583 | +$724 | +$606 |
Rent in the Lakeland area runs $1,499 a month at the median, utilities included, close to the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents here are lower than in Florida overall ($1,816). Rent has climbed $583 a month since 2006–10, up 64%, roughly in step with the nation. Rent takes 33.6% of the typical renter's income, 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 the Lakeland area
Bachelor's degrees in the Lakeland area
| Period | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.2% | 26.4% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.8% | 27.0% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.2% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.4% | 34.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +8.2 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in the Lakeland area have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 23.4%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree has risen 5.2 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Few large metro areas have a lower share of college graduates: only four of 100.
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 the Lakeland area
| Period | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.1% | 85.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.3% | 86.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.0% | 88.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 87.7% | 90.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.7 pts | +4.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in eight adults in the Lakeland area never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 87.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 5.7 points, in line with the national trend. The Lakeland area has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five large metro areas.
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 the Lakeland area
| Period | Lakeland area | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 8.9% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 11.0% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.9% | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.4% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −4.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in the Lakeland area is close to the national rate: 4.9% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 4.5 points, as it has 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).
Largest cities in the Lakeland area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland area (all) | 2.80 | 40.5 | 13.1% | 29.5% | 14.4% | 1992 | $1,499 | 23.4% | 87.7% | 4.9% |
| Winter Haven | 2.76 | 42.0 | 13.1% | 31.0% | 15.0% | 1989 | $1,448 | 20.7% | 85.9% | 5.3% |
| Davenport | 2.98 | 37.6 | 14.6% | 26.9% | 18.8% | 2007 | $1,724 | 27.0% | 91.6% | 4.4% |
| Haines City | 2.96 | 40.8 | 13.8% | 28.7% | 16.5% | 1997 | $1,319 | 18.5% | 84.0% | 4.5% |
| Lake Wales | 2.52 | 44.9 | 11.7% | 30.2% | 17.8% | 1987 | $1,196 | 19.2% | 87.3% | 4.6% |
| Bartow | 2.86 | 37.0 | 16.1% | 29.6% | 9.5% | 1984 | $1,190 | 18.2% | 85.4% | 5.3% |
| Auburndale | 2.97 | 39.5 | 11.8% | 24.1% | 12.5% | 1991 | $1,563 | 20.8% | 87.1% | 5.2% |
| Polk City | 2.92 | 42.8 | 9.1% | 10.3% | 13.2% | 1998 | $1,410 | 18.2% | 86.0% | 5.2% |
| Mulberry | 3.10 | 37.6 | 17.1% | 32.5% | 9.3% | 1990 | $1,231 | 12.0% | 76.5% | 3.2% |
| Highland City | 2.89 | 39.6 | 8.9% | 22.2% | 8.1% | 2002 | $1,879 | 33.1% | 92.3% | 3.0% |
| Lakeland Highlands | 2.75 | 44.5 | 6.5% | 17.5% | 5.7% | 1985 | $1,651 | 44.1% | 95.3% | 2.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Winston-Salem area · Madison area · Poughkeepsie area · Akron area · Des Moines area · Little Rock area · Colorado Springs area · Fort Myers area · Boise area · Greensboro area
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 the Lakeland area. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.