All Countries
Lake Wales, FL
Full City Profile · Florida · Polk County County
2.9
/5.0
C+
Fair
16,365
Population
806/sq mi density
$55,799
Median Income
$27,794 per capita
$225,900
Home Value
$245,696 Zillow
$1,060
Median Rent
43.5% income on rent
74°F
Avg Temperature
330 sunny days/yr
325
Violent Crime/100K
2,118 property/100K
C+
Overall
2.9 / 5.0
Fair overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
B
Economy
3.3 / 5.0
$55,799 median income, 2.8% unemployment
A
Affordability
4.4 / 5.0
$225,900 home value, $1,060/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
325 violent crimes/100K
C+
Education
2.8 / 5.0
22.0% bachelor's degree or higher
Income Overview
Median Household Income
$55,799
26% below
US avg: $75,149
Per Capita Income
$27,794
29% below
US avg: $39,052
Unemployment Rate
2.8%
22% below
US avg: 3.6%
Poverty Rate
19.6%
58% above
US avg: 12.4%
Income Comparison: Lake Wales vs. U.S. Average
Each bar shows Lake Wales’s value as a percentage of the national average (100% line = U.S. avg)
Median Household
US: $75,149
$55,799
74%
Per Capita
US: $39,052
$27,794
71%
IRS Avg AGI
US: $72,000
$63,553
88%
Avg Weekly Wage
US: $1,432
$1,071
75%
Thin line = U.S. average (100%)
Employment & Commute
Avg Weekly Wage
$1,071
25% below US avg ($1,432)
Mean Commute Time
26 min
4% below US avg (28 min)
Work From Home
6.5%
57% below US avg (15.2%)
Drive Alone
79.3%
8% above US avg (73.2%)
Public Transit
0.1%
99% below US avg (5.0%)
County GDP
$44,304M
County-level GDP (BEA 2024)
How Residents Get to Work
Drive Alone
79.3%
Public Transit
0.1%
Work From Home
6.5%
Other
14.1%
Average commute time
26 minutes
US avg: 28 min
Business Landscape
Total Establishments
17,281
Restaurants
1,064
Healthcare
1,371
Retail
1,926
Manufacturing
425
Tax & Financial
IRS Avg Adjusted Gross Income
$63,553
12% below US avg ($72,000)
Avg Property Tax
$4,985
42% above US avg ($3,500)
Cost of Living Index
103.4
Above national average (100 = US avg)
Complete Economy Data
Income & Wages
| Median Household Income | $55,799 |
| Per Capita Income | $27,794 |
| IRS Avg Adjusted Gross Income | $63,553 |
| Avg Weekly Wage | $1,071 |
| County GDP | $44,304M |
Hardship Indicators
| Unemployment Rate | 2.8% |
| Poverty Rate | 19.6% |
| Gini Coefficient | 0.447 |
| Cost of Living Index | 103.4 |
Commute
| Mean Commute | 26 minutes |
| Drive Alone | 79.3% |
| Public Transit | 0.1% |
| Work From Home | 6.5% |
Businesses
| Total Establishments | 17,281 |
| Restaurants | 1,064 |
| Healthcare | 1,371 |
| Retail | 1,926 |
| Manufacturing | 425 |
Tax
| IRS Avg AGI | $63,553 |
| Avg Property Tax | $4,985 |