City profile · Florida · Census ACS 2023

Lakeland, FL

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

117,030
Residents
$60,947
Median income
$229,100
Median home
$1,497
Median rent (state)

Lakeland - the verdict

Nationally, Lakeland sits in the 37th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.

37th
percentile, household income
51st
percentile, home value
60th
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: Lakeland, FL

Florida's Lakeland is a mid-sized U.S. city, with 117,030 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Lakeland households earn a median of $60,947 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 10.6%. Lakeland's housing stock carries a median value of $229,100, and the median resident age is 39.9 years. Educational attainment runs 27.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 52.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 380 residential building permits were authorized in Lakeland (Construction Slowdown), down 76% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 73.9°F with 56.8 inches of precipitation per year.

Florida carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Florida at 103.4 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Above Average). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,497 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $225 across Florida, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Commute times here average 20.8 minutes, with 73.7% driving alone and 11.6% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 96.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

117,030 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Florida

Median Household Income

$60,947 /yr

Poverty 10.6%

Cost of Living Index (state)

103.4 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Florida average

How does Lakeland compare to other US cities?

Lakeland measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 37% higher than other cities
Home value 51% pricier than other cities
Median rent 60% 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 Lakeland'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.

37thIncome percentile

37th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Lakeland's home value compares nationally

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

$229,100 49th percentile more affordable than 49% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $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. Lakeland $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 - Lakeland, FL Lakeland, FL's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Lakeland, 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 Lakeland, FL median $60,947/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%
Lakeland, 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 Lakeland, FL. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 27.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 10.6%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 52.7%

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

Population
117,030
Median Income
$60,947
Median Home Value
$229,100
Median Age
39.9
Poverty Rate
10.6%
Labor force participation
52.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
27.7%

Climate

Avg Temperature
73.9°F
Annual Precipitation
56.8"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"

Schools

Total Schools
60
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
110,000 residents115,000 residents120,000 residents125,000 residents130,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 113,862 residents 125,520 residents ▲ +10.2%
Lakeland's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
380
housing units authorized
Single-Family
312
detached homes
Multifamily
68
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 1,559
2020 1,224
2021 1,249
2022 869
2023 998
2024 380

Permit volume decreased 76% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
20.8 minutes
Drive Alone
73.7%
Carpool
8.2%
Public Transit
0.5%
Walk
2.7%
Work from Home
11.6%
Other
3.3%

Based on 50,850 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 Lakeland sits in

Cost of Living Index
103.4
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,497/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
96.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Florida

Clearwater
117,075 people
Brandon
116,365 people
Spring Hill
118,814 people
West Palm Beach
119,508 people
Pompano Beach
112,212 people
Miami Gardens
111,264 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Lakeland's 117,030 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

The Woodlands, TX
116,916 people
North Charleston, SC
117,460 people
Evansville, IN
116,441 people
West Jordan, UT
116,277 people
Cambridge, MA
117,794 people
Broken Arrow, OK
115,919 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Lakeland's $60,947 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Wingdale, NY
$60,946 median income
Girard, GA
$60,938 median income
Spirit Lake, ID
$60,938 median income
Wanatah, IN
$60,938 median income
Waveland, IN
$60,956 median income
Herndon, KS
$60,938 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Lakeland, 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 Lakeland, FL - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 62.7% 18.3% 7.7% 8.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 19.2% White 62.7% Black or African American 18.3% Asian 2.2% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 7.7% Two or more races 8.7% 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 Lakeland 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
Lakeland (this city) 117,030 $60,947
Clearwater 117,075 $64,440
Brandon 116,365 $77,068
Spring Hill 118,814 $66,557
Census ACS 5-year FIPS FL NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Lakeland, FL?

What is the population of Lakeland, FL? +

Lakeland, FL has a population of 117,030 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Lakeland, FL? +

The median household income in Lakeland is $60,947 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Lakeland? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Lakeland; 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 Lakeland, FL? +

A typical home in Lakeland is worth $229,100, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Lakeland? +

Lakeland has an average annual temperature of 73.9°F, 56.8 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NOAA Climate Normals, 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.