Census tract · Polk County
Census Tract 144.02, Polk County, Florida
Census Tract 144.02, GEOID 12105014402, in Polk County, Florida, partly within Lake Wales, Alturas and Winter Haven. 955 residents in the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (±356); the 2020 Census counted 1,507.
Residents, 2020-2024
955
±356 (90% margin)
2020 Census count: 1,507
Median household income
$34,079
±$8,383 (90% margin)
Polk County: $65,978
Median home value
not published
Polk County: $266,500
Median gross rent
$856
±$88 (90% margin)
Polk County: $1,363
Where is Census Tract 144.02?
Census Tract 144.02 is one of 174 census tracts in Polk County, Florida. It covers 18.64 square miles of land, 81 residents per square mile in 2020. Its GEOID, 12105014402, names it uniquely (how tract numbers and GEOIDs work).
| Place | Share of the tract |
|---|---|
| Lake Wales | 20% |
| Alturas | 14% |
| Winter Haven | 2% |
6 census tracts border Census Tract 144.02: Tract 143.01 ($29,391), Tract 144.01 ($64,188), Tract 153.02 ($74,500), Tract 154.01 ($47,432), Tract 154.05 ($55,245) and Tract 155 ($36,315). The figure in brackets is each tract's median household income.
Whether a tract counts as low- or moderate-income for bank lending (the Community Reinvestment Act) is set by the FFIEC against its metro area's family income: look it up in the FFIEC census geocoder.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 block assignment files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Census Tract 144.02?
The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts Census Tract 144.02's population at 955 (±356) in 510 households; the 2020 Census counted 1,507 residents and 716 housing units.
| Measure | Tract 144.02 | Polk County |
|---|---|---|
| Total population | 955±356 | 790,694 |
| Households | 510±146 | 289,425 |
| Average household size | 1.87±0.43 | 2.68 |
| Housing units | 635±121 | 340,748 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Census Tract 144.02?
The median resident of Census Tract 144.02 is 59.0 years old. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 49.9%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 29.4%. 19.0% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Tract 144.02 | Polk County |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 59.0±23.4 | 39.5 |
| Under 18 years | 15.8%±14.2 pts | 22.0% |
| 65 years and over | 36.3%±16.0 pts | 19.5% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 29.4%±10.4 pts | 29.2% |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 49.9%±14.5 pts | 50.8% |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 17.6%±11.2 pts | 14.1% |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.4%±0.7 pts | 1.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±5.3 pts | 0.1% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±5.3 pts | 0.0% |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 0.0%±5.3 pts | 3.4% |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 2.6%±3.9 pts | 0.7% |
| Born outside the United States | 19.0%±11.4 pts | 12.6% |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 31.1%±11.2 pts | 27.8% |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.7%±1.9 pts | 7.2% |
| With a disability | 18.2%±7.8 pts | 13.8% |
| No health insurance coverage | 16.6%±6.7 pts | 12.4% |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 82.1%±9.0 pts | 87.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 14.6%±9.6 pts | 23.5% |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.2%±2.4 pts | 7.6% |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 86.3%±9.6 pts | 86.3% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Census Tract 144.02 earn?
Half of the 510 households in Census Tract 144.02 earn less than $34,079 a year (±$8,383), against $65,978 across Polk County: 168th highest of the county's 171 tracts with a reliable estimate. 25.5% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Tract 144.02 | Polk County |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $34,079±$8,383 | $65,978 |
| Mean household income | $40,117±$9,713 | $87,487 |
| Per capita income | $21,800±$4,692 | $33,249 |
| People below the poverty line | 25.5%±15.8 pts | 14.5% |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 31.8%±41.4 pts | 21.3% |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.7%±7.6 pts | 14.6% |
| Households with a computer | 89.2%±10.6 pts | 96.1% |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 75.3%±14.0 pts | 90.7% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Census Tract 144.02?
Owners occupy 64.9% of Census Tract 144.02's occupied homes and renters 35.1%. The median renter pays $856 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Tract 144.02 | Polk County |
|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $856±$88 | $1,363 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 21.3%±21.4 pts | 44.9% |
| Owner-occupied homes | 64.9%±9.9 pts | 70.5% |
| Renter-occupied homes | 35.1%±9.9 pts | 29.5% |
| Housing units | 635±121 | 340,748 |
| Single-family detached homes | 46.3%±14.0 pts | 62.0% |
| Mobile homes | 36.2%±13.6 pts | 19.6% |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0%±7.9 pts | 4.7% |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 14.2%±8.6 pts | 13.2% |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 14.0%±14.1 pts | 2.6% |
| Households with no vehicle | 3.5%±4.1 pts | 5.4% |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Census Tract 144.02 get to work?
84.4% of Census Tract 144.02's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 21.7 minutes.
| Measure | Tract 144.02 | Polk County |
|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 46.4%±8.9 pts | 58.0% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.4%±4.8 pts | 4.8% |
| Drove alone to work | 84.4%±14.9 pts | 75.0% |
| Carpooled | 6.8%±8.5 pts | 8.8% |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±13.4 pts | 0.4% |
| Walked | 5.5%±7.2 pts | 1.1% |
| Worked from home | 0.0%±13.4 pts | 12.4% |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.7 min±6.9 | 30.5 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
How does Census Tract 144.02 compare with the other tracts in Polk County?
Among Polk County's tracts with a reliable estimate, Census Tract 144.02 ranks as shown below (1 = highest).
| Measure | In Polk County |
|---|---|
| Population | 173rd of 173 |
| Residents per square mile | 161st of 174 |
| Median household income | 168th of 171 |
| Per capita income | 146th of 173 |
| Median gross rent | 155th of 163 |
| Poverty rate | 31st of 128 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 117th of 164 |
| Median age | 13th of 173 |
| Owner-occupied share | 117th of 172 |
The tracts next to it on Polk County's income ladder
| Tract | Rank | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 112.03 | 165th | $34,653±$9,871 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 110 | 166th | $34,602±$10,875 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 161 | 167th | $34,263±$15,384 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 144.02 | 168th | $34,079±$8,383 |
| Tract 120.02 | 169th | $33,459±$6,738 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 143.01 | 170th | $29,391±$3,567 · within the margin of this tract |
| Tract 137.01 | 171st | $26,783±$13,120 · within the margin of this tract |
"Within the margin": the two incomes differ by less than their combined 90% margins, so the survey cannot say which is higher and the ranks between them are not firm.
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Census Tract 144.02?
2 of the 17 figures for Census Tract 144.02 on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
A census tract's figures rest on a few hundred sampled households over five years, so its margins are wider than a city's. Two tracts differ only when the gap between them is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins). How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · Check it at data.census.gov
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections