City safety & data profile

Winter HavenFL

Winter Haven, FL is a 38K-resident city in Polk County with a median household income of $59,648.

Polk County, Florida. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Winter Haven, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Winter Haven has a population larger than 71% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $269,800, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-20

38K
Population
Top 29%
By size
$59,648
Median income
$269,800
Median home
16.4%
Poverty rate

The read on Winter Haven

Winter Haven posts a median household income higher than 22% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Winter Haven area.

Top 78%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Winter Haven

Where Winter Haven income ranks nationally

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

$59,648 Bottom 22% higher than 22% 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 Winter Haven, FL beyond the headline numbers

Winter Haven sits inside Polk County, Florida, at roughly 28.02°N, -81.73°W. Population 37,689, $59,648 median household income. Median home value $269,800, median rent $1,246. Poverty rate 16.4%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Winter Haven's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 43.4%, then obesity at 41.5%. 1 hospital in/around Winter Haven, 3/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

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

Population
37,689
Winter Haven
Median Income
$59,648
-12% vs avg
Median Home Value
$269,800
+18% vs avg
Median Age
40.1
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Polk County) - Winter Haven'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 Winter Haven, FL
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,246/mo
Poverty Rate
16.4% +15% vs avg
Unemployment 5.1%
Bachelor's Degree+ 22%
Work From Home 9.7%
Public Transit 0.1%

Population

White 43.9%
African American 28%
Asian 1.6%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
43.4%
Obesity
41.5%
High Blood Pressure
40%
Physical Inactivity
31%
Lack of Health Insurance
18.5%
Frequent Mental Distress
18%
Frequent Physical Distress
17.2%
Current Smoking
15.6%
Diabetes
15.5%
Binge Drinking
13.5%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 51.7%
Annual Checkup 79.3%

Other Measures

Current Asthma
10.6%
Coronary Heart Disease
8.7%
Stroke
4.8%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
WINTER HAVEN HOSPITAL
WINTER HAVEN · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Winter Haven, FL? ▼
Winter Haven, FL has a population of 37,689 people, located in Polk County, Florida.
What is the median household income in Winter Haven? ▼
The median household income in Winter Haven, FL is $59,648 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 16.4%.
What is the median home value in Winter Haven? ▼
The median home value in Winter Haven, FL is $269,800. Median rent is $1,246/month.
What are the top health concerns in Winter Haven? ▼
The top health indicators in Winter Haven include Short Sleep Duration (43.4%), Obesity (41.5%), High Blood Pressure (40%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Winter Haven? ▼
Winter Haven has 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Winter Haven? ▼
The median age in Winter Haven, FL is 40.1 years. 22% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Winter Haven, FL is located in Polk County, Florida. With a population of 38K and a $59,648 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and obesity. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Winter Haven 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 Auburndale, FL 15K Haines City, FL 23K Highland City, FL 11K Bartow, FL 19K Lake Wales, FL 16K Lakeland, FL 104K Lakeland Highlands, FL 11K
All cities in Florida → Compare Winter Haven vs Eloise → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Winter Haven'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 Winter Haven 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 Winter Haven 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.