Lake Wales, FL

Census Place

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2022 Population

16,455

1.74% 1-year growth

US Senator

Marco Rubio

Republican Party

US Senator

Rick Scott

Republican Party

2022 Median Age

43.1

5.07% 1-year decrease

2022 Poverty Rate

20.3%

20.2% 1-year increase

2022 Median Household Income

$55,833

13.4% 1-year growth

2022 Median Property Value

$208,500

9.91% 1-year growth

About

In 2022, Lake Wales, FL had a population of 16.5k people with a median age of 43.1 and a median household income of $55,833. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Lake Wales, FL grew from 16,173 to 16,455, a 1.74% increase and its median household income grew from $49,226 to $55,833, a 13.4% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Lake Wales, FL are White (Non-Hispanic) (49.8%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (19.6%), Two+ (Hispanic) (10.8%), White (Hispanic) (9.04%), and Other (Hispanic) (7.52%).

None of the households in Lake Wales, FL reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

94.1% of the residents in Lake Wales, FL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lake Wales, FL are Ruben's Five Star Academy (36 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2022, the median property value in Lake Wales, FL was $208,500, and the homeownership rate was 59.8%.

Most people in Lake Wales, FL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27 minutes. The average car ownership in Lake Wales, FL was 2 cars per household.

United States Florida Polk County, FL Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL Polk County (South) PUMA, FL

Economy

The economy of Lake Wales, FL employs 6.13k people. The largest industries in Lake Wales, FL are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,025 people), Retail Trade (694 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (655 people), and the highest paying industries are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($49,837), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($48,214), and Transportation & Warehousing ($46,077).

Employment

Occupations

6.13k

2022 Value

± 751

1.64%

1 Year growth

± 17.2%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Lake Wales, FL grew at a rate of 1.64%, from 6.03k employees to 6.13k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lake Wales, FL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (891 people), Sales & Related Occupations (505 people), and Transportation Occupations (486 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lake Wales, FL.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Florida (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

6.13k

2022 Value

± 751

1.64%

1 Year growth

± 17.2%

From 2021 to 2022, employment in Lake Wales, FL grew at a rate of 1.64%, from 6.03k employees to 6.13k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lake Wales, FL, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,025 people), Retail Trade (694 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (655 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lake Wales, FL, though some of these residents may live in Lake Wales, FL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$36,703

Median earning men ± $4,252

$32,672

Median earning women ± $4,301

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2022 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,172), Public Administration ($58,021), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($46,433).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2022 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($52,794), Construction ($46,925), and Manufacturing ($38,942).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.

Y-Axis

4.23%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 9.69M people employed in Florida. This represents a 4.23% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 12.6%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Florida.

Civics

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Florida went to Donald J. Trump with 51.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (47.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.635%).

Marco Rubio and Rick Scott are the senators currently representing the state of Florida. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Florida is currently represented by 28 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Lake Wales, FL. Showing the available data for Florida.

2020 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (51.2%)
Republican Party
Joseph R Biden Jr. (47.9%)
Democratic Party
Jo Jorgensen (0.635%)
Libertarian Party

In the 2020 presidential election, the popular vote in Florida went to Donald J. Trump with 51.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Joseph R Biden Jr. (47.9%), followed by Jo Jorgensen (0.635%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Florida for each registered party from 1976 to 2020.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Florida

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.

Marco Rubio

Senator from Florida

Assumed office on January 3, 2011

Rick Scott

Senator from Florida

Assumed office on January 8, 2019
Inauguration delayed in order to finish his term as Governor of Florida.

Marco Rubio and Rick Scott are the senators currently representing Florida.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Florida over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Florida

Florida is currently represented by 28 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Florida have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in Lake Wales, FL awarded 36 degrees. The student population of Lake Wales, FL in 2022 is skewed towards men, with 13 male students and 2 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lake Wales, FL are Hispanic or Latino (24 and 66.7%), followed by Black or African American (9 and 25%), White (3 and 8.33%), and Asian (0 and 0%).

The largest universities in Lake Wales, FL by number of degrees awarded are Ruben's Five Star Academy (36 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Lake Wales, FL are Barbering (34 and 94.4%), Nail Specialist & Manicurist (2 and 5.56%), and General Cosmetology (0 and 0%).

Completions

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.

Measure

In 2022, 1.19% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 1.2% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (4.97M), Some college (3.58M), and Bachelors Degree (3.32M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Lake Wales, FL was $208,500 in 2022, which is 0.74 times smaller than the national average of $281,900. Between 2021 and 2022 the median property value increased from $189,700 to $208,500, a 9.91% increase. The homeownership rate in Lake Wales, FL is 59.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.8%.

People in Lake Wales, FL have an average commute time of 27 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lake Wales, FL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Lake Wales, FL is $55,833. In 2022, the place with the highest median household income in Lake Wales, FL was Census Tract 142.02 with a value of $67,284, followed by Census Tract 155 and Census Tract 143.01, with respective values of $35,967 and $27,589.

Property

$208,500

Median Property Value 2022

±$13,562

$4,024

Median Property Taxes

±$510

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Lake Wales, FL the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Lake Wales, FL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

59.8%

Homeownership

2022

66.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2022

In 2022, 59.8% of the housing units in Lake Wales, FL were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 58.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lake Wales, FL compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 142.02
Census Tract 155
Census Tract 143.01

In 2022, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Lake Wales, FL was Census Tract 142.02 with a value of $67,284, followed by Census Tract 155 and Census Tract 143.01, with respective values of $35,967 and $27,589.

The following map shows all of the places in Lake Wales, FL colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$55,833

Median Household Income

± $8,671

6.73k

Number of Households

± 705

In 2022, the median household income of the 6.73k households in Lake Wales, FL grew to $55,833 from the previous year's value of $49,226.

The following chart displays the households in Lake Wales, FL distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lake Wales, FL is from Florida.

0.474

2022 Wage GINI in Florida

0.473

2021 Wage GINI in Florida

In 2022, the income inequality in Florida was 0.474 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.285% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Florida was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Florida in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Florida across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2022

Drove Alone (82.2%)
Carpooled (10.3%)
Worked At Home (4.47%)

In 2022, 82.2% of workers in Lake Wales, FL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.3%) and those who worked at home (4.47%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

27 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lake Wales, FL have a longer commute time (27 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.7 minutes). Additionally, 3.99% of the workforce in Lake Wales, FL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Lake Wales, FL compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Lake Wales, FL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Lake Wales, FL have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

20.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lake Wales, FL (3.27k out of 16.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 55 - 64, followed by Females 65 - 74 and then Males 6 - 11.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lake Wales, FL is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

89.9% of the population of Lake Wales, FL has health coverage, with 30.9% on employee plans, 26.2% on Medicaid, 18.1% on Medicare, 13.1% on non-group plans, and 1.55% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Polk County, FL see 2190 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.53% increase from the previous year (2157 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2760 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 875 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Polk County, FL.

2,190 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Polk County, FL

Primary care physicians in Polk County, FL see an average of 2,190 patients per year. This represents a 1.53% increase from the previous year (2,157 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Polk County, FL in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2022, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22.7% under 18 years, 17% between 18 and 34 years, 34.8% between 35 and 64 years, and 25.5% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.9% were men and 51.1% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

10.1%

Uninsured

30.9%

Employer Coverage

26.2%

Medicaid

18.1%

Medicare

13.1%

Non-Group

1.55%

Military or VA

Between 2021 and 2022, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lake Wales, FL grew by 1.8% from 9.89% to 10.1%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Lake Wales, FL changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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