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Lakeland, FL
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
119,961
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
38.9
years ∙ half population younger than 38.9, half older
Diversity Index
62.3%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
10.8%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
Lakeland is a city within Polk County, Florida, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC28.055496° N, 81.954772° W
DMS28° 03′ 19.79″ N, 81° 57′ 17.18″ W
Population Density & area
1,801/sq mi
(695.8/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
48.7%
male
Male
48.7%
Female
51.3%
males per 100 females
Lakeland
94.8
Polk County
97.3
Florida
96.6
Nativity
10.8%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
Lakeland
10.8%
Polk County
12.6%
Florida
21.9%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
38.9
years ∙ half population younger than 38.9, half older
Dependency ratio
68.1
dependents per 100 working-age adults
Lakeland
68.1
Polk County
70.9
Florida
69.1
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| Lakeland | Polk County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 19% | 22% | 19.5% |
| Working age (18-64) | 59.5% | 58.5% | 59.2% |
| Senior (65+) | 21.5% | 19.5% | 21.3% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 68.1 | 70.9 | 69.1 |
| Child dependency ratio | 32 | 37.6 | 33 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 36.1 | 33.3 | 36.1 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
62.3%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Lakeland
62.3%
Polk County
63.5%
Florida
64.7%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of Lakeland population
| Lakeland | Polk County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 20.5% | 29.2% | 27.4% |
| Mexican | 3% | 7.4% | 3.3% |
| Puerto Rican | 8.7% | 12.1% | 5.6% |
| Cuban | 2.9% | 2.4% | 7.3% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 5.9% | 7.3% | 11.2% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 79.5% | 70.8% | 72.6% |
| One race | 76.3% | 67.4% | 68.8% |
| White | 54.9% | 50.8% | 50.4% |
| Black or African American | 17.9% | 14.1% | 14.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Asian | 2.5% | 1.8% | 2.9% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0.1% |
| Some Other Race | 0.9% | 0.7% | 0.7% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 3.2% | 3.4% | 3.8% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
58.2%
family
Family
58.2%
Non family
41.8%
% family households
Lakeland
58.2%
Polk County
68.4%
Florida
64.6%
Average household size
2.33
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of Lakeland population
| Lakeland | Polk County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 47,816 | 289,425 | 8,752,810 |
| Average houshold size | 2.33 | 2.68 | 2.51 |
| Family households | 27,833 | 197,968 | 5,652,059 |
| Average family size | 3.04 | 3.2 | 3.08 |
| Married couple family | 19,298 | 140,838 | 4,086,171 |
| Other families | 8,535 | 57,130 | 1,565,888 |
| Male householder | 2,064 | 16,037 | 454,845 |
| Female householder | 6,471 | 41,093 | 1,111,043 |
| Non-family households | 19,983 | 91,457 | 3,100,751 |
| One-person households | 16,105 | 71,983 | 2,473,731 |
| Male householder | 7,006 | 31,980 | 1,088,019 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 3,007 | 13,307 | 401,750 |
| Female householder | 9,099 | 40,003 | 1,385,712 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 4,947 | 23,143 | 755,340 |
| Other living arrangements | 3,878 | 19,474 | 627,020 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
54,896
housing units
Lakeland
54,896
Polk County
340,748
Florida
10,256,470
Occupancy status
87.1%
occupied
Occupied
87.1%
Vacant
12.9%
vacancy rate
Lakeland
12.9%
Polk County
15.1%
Florida
14.7%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
53.6%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1984
Half of houses were built before 1984, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| Lakeland | Polk County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5.1 | 5.4 | 5.2 |
| 1–3 rooms | 15.2% | 8.6% | 15.5% |
| 4–6 rooms | 60.9% | 64.1% | 59.3% |
| 7+ rooms | 23.9% | 27.3% | 25.2% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 2.5% | 1.3% | 2.3% |
| 1 bedroom | 11.9% | 7.2% | 10% |
| 2 bedrooms | 40.6% | 30.6% | 31.4% |
| 3 bedrooms | 32.1% | 40.3% | 38.1% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 12.9% | 20.6% | 18% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1984 | 1993 | 1989 |
| Total housing units | 54,896 | 340,748 | 10,256,470 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
56.4%
owners
Renter-occupied
43.6%
Owner-occupied
56.4%
homeownership rate
Lakeland
56.4%
Polk County
70.5%
Florida
67.6%
Average household size
2.38
Owner-occupied
2.27
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
Lakeland
2.38
Polk County
2.65
Florida
2.53
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Lakeland | Polk County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 47,816 | 289,425 | 8,752,810 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 33.3% | 28.9% | 28.3% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 43.6% | 44.3% | 42.7% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 11.7% | 14.6% | 15.5% |
| 1999 or earlier | 11.3% | 12.2% | 13.6% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 96.9% | 96.6% | 96.7% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 1.9% | 2.6% | 2.2% |
| 1.51 or more | 1.2% | 0.8% | 1.1% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 7.4% | 5.4% | 6% |
| 1 vehicle | 47.5% | 38.5% | 38.9% |
| 2 vehicles | 34.1% | 38.3% | 38.1% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 11% | 17.8% | 17% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 4.2% | 4.1% | 6.3% |
| Electricity | 94.4% | 93.1% | 90.4% |
| Solar | 0.1% | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| All other fuels | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| No fuel used | 1.2% | 1.6% | 2.4% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| No telephone service available | 0.7% | 0.9% | 0.9% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$249,400
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
29.3%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| Lakeland | Polk County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $249,400 | $266,500 | $359,000 |
| Under $100,000 | 22.7% | 17.8% | 9.2% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 14.1% | 16.2% | 11.4% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 26% | 24.5% | 17.9% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 28.5% | 32.3% | 34.5% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 7.6% | 8.2% | 21.1% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 1.1% | 1.2% | 5.9% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 50.9% | 55.9% | 56.3% |
| Without a mortgage | 49.1% | 44.1% | 43.7% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $1,721 | $1,716 | $1,959 |
| Without a mortgage | $554 | $545 | $673 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $1,395 | $1,363 | $1,669 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
29.4%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
Lakeland
29.4%
Polk County
23.5%
Florida
34.1%
Adults without a high school diploma
8.5%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
Lakeland
8.5%
Polk County
12.1%
Florida
10%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
28,606
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
56%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| Lakeland | Polk County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 28,606 | 176,967 | 4,890,026 |
| Nursery / preschool | 5.4% | 4.5% | 5.9% |
| K–12 | 55.3% | 72.4% | 66.3% |
| Kindergarten | 3.8% | 5.1% | 5.1% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 16.2% | 21.9% | 19.4% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 18.2% | 23.1% | 20.6% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 17.1% | 22.4% | 21.2% |
| College or graduate school | 39.3% | 23% | 27.8% |
| College, undergraduate | 34.9% | 18.8% | 21.9% |
| Graduate, professional school | 4.4% | 4.2% | 5.9% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 56% | 33.1% | 41.6% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 60.8% | 78.6% | 79.3% |
| Private school | 39.2% | 21.4% | 20.7% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
82,141
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| Lakeland | Polk County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 82,141 | 548,366 | 16,228,400 |
| Less than 9th grade | 2.8% | 5.2% | 4.2% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 5.7% | 6.9% | 5.8% |
| High school diploma or GED | 31.5% | 33% | 27.2% |
| Some college, no degree | 20.7% | 21.3% | 18.5% |
| Associate's degree | 9.9% | 10.2% | 10.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 29.4% | 23.5% | 34.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 18.4% | 15.8% | 21.3% |
| Graduate or professional | 11% | 7.6% | 12.9% |
| High School or higher | 91.5% | 87.9% | 89.9% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$46,226
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
5.2%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| Lakeland | Polk County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $46,226 | $43,179 | $46,867 |
| Less than high school graduate | $28,119 | $31,750 | $30,508 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $35,887 | $37,210 | $36,593 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $42,978 | $42,786 | $43,852 |
| Bachelor's degree | $60,407 | $55,000 | $59,953 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $70,880 | $65,510 | $78,498 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 26.9% | 26% | 24% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 15.1% | 13.9% | 14.3% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 11.4% | 10.9% | 9.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 5.2% | 4.9% | 5.8% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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