City safety & data profile

Lake CityFL

Lake City, FL is a 12K-resident city in Columbia County with a median household income of $56,472.

Columbia County, Florida. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Lake City, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Lake City has a population larger than 14% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $184,900, and 2 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

12K
Population
Top 86%
By size
$56,472
Median income
$184,900
Median home
19.8%
Poverty rate

The read on Lake City

Lake City posts a median household income higher than 17% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 2 hospitals serve the Lake City area.

Top 83%
by median income, US cities
2
hospitals in & near Lake City

Where Lake City income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$56,472 Bottom 17% higher than 17% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. FL $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Lake City, FL beyond the headline numbers

Lake City sits inside Columbia County, Florida, at roughly 30.19°N, -82.64°W. Population 12,161, $56,472 median household income. Median home value $184,900, median rent $1,040. Poverty rate 19.8%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Lake City's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 42.1%, then obesity at 41.4%. 2 hospitals in/around Lake City, 3/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Lake City from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
12,161
Lake City
Median Income
$56,472
-17% vs avg
Median Home Value
$184,900
-19% vs avg
Median Age
36.9
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Columbia County) - Lake City's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
72K+6%
Median Income
$59,205+56%
Median Home Value
$194,900+79%
Poverty Rate
16.7%-16%
Unemployment
5.3%-72%

Economics

Economics indicators for Lake City, FL
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,040/mo
Poverty Rate
19.8% +39% vs avg
Unemployment 2.5%
Bachelor's Degree+ 23.7%
Work From Home 6.1%
Public Transit 0%

Population

White 57.5%
African American 32.5%
Asian 1.3%
Two or More Ethnicities 4%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
42.1%
Obesity
41.4%
Short Sleep Duration
41%
Physical Inactivity
32.7%
Frequent Mental Distress
18.6%
Current Smoking
17.7%
Frequent Physical Distress
16.3%
Diabetes
16.1%
Lack of Health Insurance
15.7%
Binge Drinking
13.3%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 47.8%
Annual Checkup 78.7%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
10.8%
Coronary Heart Disease
8.4%
Stroke
4.7%

Hospitals 2 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
2
With ER
1
HCA FLORIDA LAKE CITY HOSPITAL
LAKE CITY · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Lake City, FL? ▼
Lake City, FL has a population of 12,161 people, located in Columbia County, Florida.
What is the median household income in Lake City? ▼
The median household income in Lake City, FL is $56,472 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 19.8%.
What is the median home value in Lake City? ▼
The median home value in Lake City, FL is $184,900. Median rent is $1,040/month.
What are the top health concerns in Lake City? ▼
The top health indicators in Lake City include High Blood Pressure (42.1%), Obesity (41.4%), Short Sleep Duration (41%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Lake City? ▼
Lake City has 2 hospitals with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Lake City? ▼
The median age in Lake City, FL is 36.9 years. 23.7% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Lake City, FL is located in Columbia County, Florida. With a population of 12K and a $56,472 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and obesity. Residents have access to 2 hospitals with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Lake City area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Florida

Real-time AQI for every monitored Florida location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Gainesville, FL 145K Middleburg, FL 13K Oakleaf Plantation, FL 20K Lakeside, FL 31K Bellair-Meadowbrook Terrace, FL 13K Valdosta, GA 56K Fleming Island, FL 27K Jacksonville, FL 1.0M
All cities in Florida → Compare Lake City vs Gainesville → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Lake City's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Lake City area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Lake City against Florida peers on any ranking lens. Explore Florida

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Columbia County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.