City safety & data profile

Lake WalesFL

Lake Wales, FL is a 16K-resident city in Polk County with a median household income of $56,347.

Polk County, Florida. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Lake Wales, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Lake Wales has a population larger than 30% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $239,300, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

16K
Population
Top 70%
By size
$56,347
Median income
$239,300
Median home
22.4%
Poverty rate

The read on Lake Wales

Lake Wales posts a median household income higher than 17% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Lake Wales area.

Top 83%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Lake Wales

Where Lake Wales income ranks nationally

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

$56,347 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 Wales, FL beyond the headline numbers

Lake Wales sits inside Polk County, Florida, at roughly 27.90°N, -81.59°W. Population 15,541, $56,347 median household income. Median home value $239,300, median rent $1,110. Poverty rate 22.4%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Lake Wales's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 43.1%, then obesity at 42.6%. 1 hospital in/around Lake Wales, 2/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

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

Population
15,541
Lake Wales
Median Income
$56,347
-17% vs avg
Median Home Value
$239,300
+5% vs avg
Median Age
42.7
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Polk County) - Lake Wales'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
791K+30%
Median Income
$65,978+53%
Median Home Value
$266,500+139%
Poverty Rate
14.5%-20%
Unemployment
4.8%-62%

Economics

Economics indicators for Lake Wales, FL
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,110/mo
Poverty Rate
22.4% +58% vs avg
Unemployment 5.9%
Bachelor's Degree+ 20.8%
Work From Home 8.7%
Public Transit 0.1%

Population

White 50%
African American 21.8%
Asian 1.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
43.1%
Obesity
42.6%
Short Sleep Duration
42.5%
Physical Inactivity
33.3%
Lack of Health Insurance
20.3%
Frequent Physical Distress
18.6%
Frequent Mental Distress
18.1%
Diabetes
17.2%
Current Smoking
16.5%
Binge Drinking
12.4%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 51.1%
Annual Checkup 80.2%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
10.7%
Coronary Heart Disease
10.1%
Stroke
5.5%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
2/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
ADVENTHEALTH LAKE WALES
LAKE WALES · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Lake Wales, FL? ▼
Lake Wales, FL has a population of 15,541 people, located in Polk County, Florida.
What is the median household income in Lake Wales? ▼
The median household income in Lake Wales, FL is $56,347 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 22.4%.
What is the median home value in Lake Wales? ▼
The median home value in Lake Wales, FL is $239,300. Median rent is $1,110/month.
What are the top health concerns in Lake Wales? ▼
The top health indicators in Lake Wales include High Blood Pressure (43.1%), Obesity (42.6%), Short Sleep Duration (42.5%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Lake Wales? ▼
Lake Wales has 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Lake Wales? ▼
The median age in Lake Wales, FL is 42.7 years. 20.8% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Lake Wales, FL is located in Polk County, Florida. With a population of 16K and a $56,347 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and obesity. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 2/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Lake Wales 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

Eloise, FL 23K Winter Haven, FL 38K Haines City, FL 23K Bartow, FL 19K Auburndale, FL 15K Poinciana, FL 53K Highland City, FL 11K Avon Park, FL 10K
All cities in Florida → Compare Lake Wales vs Eloise → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Lake Wales'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 Wales 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 Wales 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 (Polk 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.