Lake Wales, FL

Census Place

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2024 Population
16,785
US Senator
Rick Scott
Republican Party
US Senator
Ashley Moody
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
42.7
3.89% 1-year increase
2024 Poverty Rate
22.4%
8.06% 1-year decrease
2024 Median Household Income
$56,347
0.982% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$239,300
5.93% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
5,842
3.88% 1-year growth

About

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.

94.2% of the residents in Lake Wales, FL are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lake Wales, FL are Ruben's Five Star Academy (18 degrees awarded in 2023).

In 2024, the median property value in Lake Wales, FL was $239,300, and the homeownership rate was 59.2%.

Most people in Lake Wales, FL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.9 minutes. The average car ownership in Lake Wales, FL was 2 cars per household.

United StatesFloridaPolk County, FLLakeland-Winter Haven, FLPolk County (South) PUMA, FL

Population & Diversity

Lake Wales, FL is home to a population of 16.8k people, from which 94.2% are citizens. As of 2024, 10.4% of Lake Wales, FL residents were born outside of the country (1.75k people).

In 2024, there were 2.04 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.44k people) in Lake Wales, FL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.65k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.08k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

94.2%
2024 Citizenship
95%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 94.2% of Lake Wales, FL residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lake Wales, FL was 95%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Lake Wales, FL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lake Wales, FL
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    7.44k ± 898
  2. Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
    3.65k ± 725
  3. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    2.08k ± 1.06k
30.8%
Hispanic Population
5.18k people

In 2024, there were 2.04 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (7.44k people) in Lake Wales, FL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.65k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 2.08k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

30.8% of the people in Lake Wales, FL are hispanic (5.18k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Lake Wales, FL as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Florida.
Most Common Origin
  1. Cuba
    1,008,771 ± 24,085 people
  2. Haiti
    353,350 ± 14,476 people
  3. Colombia
    307,955 ± 13,528 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Florida was Cuba, the natal country of 1,008,771 Florida residents, followed by Haiti with 353,350 and Colombia with 307,955.

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Foreign-Born Population

10.4%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
1.75k people
9.71%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
1.59k people

As of 2024, 10.4% of Lake Wales, FL residents (1.75k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Lake Wales, FL was 9.71%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Lake Wales, FL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    530 ± 162
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    116 ± 92
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    92 ± 67

Lake Wales, FL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 4.57 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Lake Wales, FL.

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Economy

The economy of Lake Wales, FL employs 5.84k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lake Wales, FL were Retail Trade (774 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (704 people), and Educational Services (629 people), and the highest paying industries were Information ($104,286), Wholesale Trade ($98,583), and Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,877).

Employment

Occupations

5.84k
2024 Value
± 699
3.88%
1 Year growth
± 16.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lake Wales, FL grew at a rate of 3.88%, from 5.62k employees to 5.84k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lake Wales, FL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (664 people), Sales & Related Occupations (630 people), and Material Moving Occupations (557 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lake Wales, FL.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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

5.84k
2024 Value
± 699
3.88%
1 Year growth
± 16.6%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lake Wales, FL grew at a rate of 3.88%, from 5.62k employees to 5.84k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lake Wales, FL, are Retail Trade (774 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (704 people), and Educational Services (629 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.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$43,438
Median earning men ± $7,025
$36,542
Median earning women ± $4,269

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($104,286), Wholesale Trade ($99,417), and Public Administration ($63,081).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Manufacturing ($51,776), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($48,194), and Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($43,996).

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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.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Florida went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (43%), followed by Jill Stein (0.396%).

Rick Scott and Ashley Moody 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 26 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Lake Wales, FL. Showing the available data for Florida.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (56.1%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (43%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Jill Stein (0.396%)
    Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Florida went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (43%), followed by Jill Stein (0.396%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Florida for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Florida

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.
Rick Scott
Senator from Florida1
Assumed office on January 8, 2019
Inauguration delayed in order to finish his term as Governor of Florida.
Ashley Moody
Senator from Florida2
Assumed office on January 21, 2025
While elections for full class 3 terms will take place in 2028, Florida will hold a special election in 2026 to elect a senator to complete the remainder of Marco Rubio's term.

Rick Scott and Ashley Moody 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.

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Education

In 2023, universities in Lake Wales, FL awarded 18 degrees. The student population of Lake Wales, FL in 2023 is skewed towards men, with 9 male students and 2 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lake Wales, FL are Hispanic or Latino (11 and 61.1%), Black or African American (6 and 33.3%), and White (1 and 5.56%).

The largest universities in Lake Wales, FL by number of degrees awarded are Ruben's Five Star Academy (18 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Lake Wales, FL are Barbering (15 and 83.3%) and Nail Specialist & Manicurist (3 and 16.7%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 11 students enrolled in Lake Wales, FL, 81.8% men and 18.2% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 5 records, of which 40% were women and 60% men.

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Completions

Concentrations

Barbering
Most Common
11 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Lake Wales, FL was Barbering with 11 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Lake Wales, FL according to their major.

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Universities

Gender
Race
Ruben's Five Star Academy
Largest Universities by degrees awarded
18 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Ruben's Five Star Academy with 18 degrees awarded.

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Student Diversity

In 2023, 12 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lake Wales, FL, which is 2 times more than the 6 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 11 degrees mean that there were 1.83 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 6 degrees awarded.

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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.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Lake Wales, FL was $239,300 in 2024, which is 0.719 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $225,900 to $239,300, a 5.93% increase. The homeownership rate in Lake Wales, FL is 59.2%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lake Wales, FL have an average commute time of 23.9 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.

Housing

Property

$239,300
Median Property Value 2024
±$12,723
$4,099
Median Property Taxes
±$511

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 $3k+ range.

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

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Rent vs Own

59.2%
Homeownership
2024
65.4%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 59.2% of the housing units in Lake Wales, FL were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 61%.

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

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$56,347
Median Household Income
± $7,706
6.92k
Number of Households
± 713

In 2024, the median household income of the 6.92k households in Lake Wales, FL grew to $56,347 from the previous year's value of $55,799.

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.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Lake Wales, FL is from Florida.
0.473
2023 Wage GINI in Florida
0.474
2022 Wage GINI in Florida

In 2023, the income inequality in Florida was 0.473 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.136% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Florida was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (74.4%)
  2. Carpooled (13.4%)
  3. Worked At Home (8.7%)

In 2024, 74.4% of workers in Lake Wales, FL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.4%) and those who worked at home (8.7%).

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.

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Commute Time

23.9 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lake Wales, FL have a shorter commute time (23.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.73% 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.

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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.

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Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

22.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lake Wales, FL (3.68k out of 16.4k 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 65 - 74, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 6 - 11.

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

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Health

91.4% of the population of Lake Wales, FL has health coverage, with 31.7% on employee plans, 26.8% on Medicaid, 19.2% on Medicare, 12.5% on non-group plans, and 1.2% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Florida see 1,370 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,370 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1563 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 459 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.9% were men and 53.1% were women.

Coverage

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 22% under 18 years, 18.1% between 18 and 34 years, 34.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 25.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46.9% were men and 53.1% were women.

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

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Uninsured People

8.61%
Uninsured
31.7%
Employer Coverage
26.8%
Medicaid
19.2%
Medicare
12.5%
Non-Group
1.2%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lake Wales, FL declined by 1.2% from 8.71% to 8.61%.

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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