City profile · Florida · Census ACS 2023

Lake Helen, FL

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Lake Helen - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

2,877
Residents
$94,952
Median income
$344,900
Median home
$1,700
Median rent (state)

Lake Helen - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Lake Helen lands in the 74th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

74th
percentile, household income
71st
percentile, home value
67th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Lake Helen, FL

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 2,877 residents in Lake Helen, a small town within Florida. Median household income here is $94,952 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.9%. Home values in Lake Helen run a median of $344,900, and the median resident age is 43.8 years. Educational attainment runs 24.4% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 46.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 11 residential building permits were authorized in Lake Helen (Low Activity), per Census BPS data.

Florida carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Florida scores 103.4 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,700 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Florida's average monthly utility costs around $225 (state average). Natural-hazard exposure scores 96.2 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Very High).

Population

2,877 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Florida

Median Household Income

$94,952 /yr

Poverty 4.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

103.4 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Florida average

How does Lake Helen compare to other US cities?

Here's how Lake Helen stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 74% higher than other cities
Home value 71% pricier than other cities
Median rent 67% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Lake Helen's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Florida, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

74thIncome percentile

74th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Lake Helen's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$344,900 29th percentile more affordable than 29% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Lake Helen $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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 ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Lake Helen, FL Lake Helen, FL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Lake Helen, FL-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Lake Helen, FL median $94,952/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Lake Helen, FL's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Lake Helen, FL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 24.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 4.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 46.2%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
2,877
Median Income
$94,952
Median Home Value
$344,900
Median Age
43.8
Poverty Rate
4.9%
Labor force participation
46.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
24.4%

Schools

Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
2,800 residents2,850 residents2,900 residents2,950 residents3,000 residents3,050 residents 202020212022202320242025 2,842 residents 2,994 residents ▲ +5.3%
Lake Helen's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Low Activity
Total Permits (2024)
11
housing units authorized
Single-Family
11
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.8
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 0
2020 0
2021 26
2022 17
2023 6
2024 11

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
90.5%
Carpool
2.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.7%
Work from Home
6.1%

Based on 1,056 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Florida - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$145
avg/month
Natural Gas
$25
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$55
avg/month
Total Utilities
$225
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Florida state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Florida state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Lake Helen sits in

Cost of Living Index
103.4
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,700/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
96.2 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Florida

Olga
2,876 people
Westlake
2,876 people
Polk City
2,884 people
Hurlburt Field
2,867 people
Vamo
2,845 people
Cedar Grove
2,911 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Lake Helen's 2,877 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Atkins, AR
2,877 people
West Simsbury, CT
2,878 people
Gramercy, LA
2,876 people
Hawthorne, NV
2,876 people
Cannon AFB, NM
2,876 people
Poteet, TX
2,876 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Lake Helen's $94,952 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

University Place, WA
$94,952 median income
Johnstown, OH
$94,955 median income
Cliffside Park, NJ
$94,960 median income
Paradise, PA
$94,934 median income
Knottsville, KY
$94,926 median income
Oxon Hill, MD
$94,989 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Lake Helen, FL Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Lake Helen, FL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 93.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.9% White 93.0% Black or African American 2.5% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.2% Two or more races 2.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Lake Helen compares to nearby Florida cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Lake Helen (this city) 2,877 $94,952
Olga 2,876 $90,733
Westlake 2,876 $140,000
Polk City 2,884 $83,333
Census ACS 5-year FIPS FL NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Lake Helen, FL?

What is the population of Lake Helen, FL? +

The population of Lake Helen, FL stands at 2,877 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Lake Helen, FL? +

In Lake Helen, the typical household earns $94,952 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Lake Helen? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Lake Helen; the closest available measure is the Florida state average, a cost of living index of 103.4 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Florida vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Lake Helen, FL? +

The median home value in Lake Helen is $344,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.