Census place 1238950

Lake Wales

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Lake Wales city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Lake Wales.

According to the 2025 estimate, Lake Wales has a population of 18,650 and 919 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 176 covered Florida places are: population density is 919/sq mi, below the comparison median of 2,757/sq mi; median gross rent is $1,110, below the comparison median of $1,702; and median home value is $239,300, below the comparison median of $363,750. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

population density
919/sq mi
Below the comparison median of 2,757/sq mi
median gross rent
$1,110
Below the comparison median of $1,702
median home value
$239,300
Below the comparison median of $363,750

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Lake Wales's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
18,650
2025 estimate
Annual change
+4.9%
Population estimate
Density
919/sq mi
20.3 sq mi land area
Median age
42.7 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$56,347
Median home value
$239,300
Median gross rent
$1,110
Bachelor’s degree or higher
20.8%
Typical commute
23.9 min
Drive-alone commute
74.4%
Public transit commute
0.1%
Walked to work
0.6%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
40.8%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
67.3%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
42.1%
Unemployed residents 16+
2.7%
Working from home
8.7%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
85.6%
Homes built 2020+
0.6%
Households without a vehicle
9.9%
Households with children
25.5%
Residents with a disability
16.8%
Residents without insurance
8.6%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Polk County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
28
Hurricane declarations
16
Fire declarations
4
Tropical Storm declarations
4

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: WINTER HAVEN GILBERT AP (14 mi from place center)
Average high
84.2°F
Average low
64.9°F
Annual rainfall
46.1"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in Lake Wales.

Typical high and low °F
40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Lockhart, TX

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
18,159
Median home
$251,600

Nogales, AZ

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
19,495
Median home
$186,300

Taylor, TX

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
18,402
Median home
$285,800

Keep exploring

Compare Lake Wales with Lockhart