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CITY

Lakeland

Florida · 125,520 residents (2025 est.) · 66.6 sq mi
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Part of the Lakeland metro area
The short version

Lakeland is home to 119,961 people in Florida. Since 2000 the city has risen by half, up 41,509 people. 56% of homes are owner-occupied. Density works out to 1,802 people per square mile. Home values have roughly tripled since 2000, reaching $249,400. 29% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

At a glance
Lower income
median household income $64,185, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 38.9
US median: 38.9
Less educated
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 91%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about Lakeland

What changed most since 1990

  • Hispanic share3.1% → 20.5% (+17.4 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
  • Population70,576 → 119,961 (+70%)US over the same years: +35%
  • Adults with a bachelor's degree19.3% → 29.4% (+10.2 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts

Among the 39 cities and towns in the Lakeland metro

  • 20th in household income$64,185
  • 7th in share with a bachelor's degree29.4%
  • 19th in home value$249,400
  • 13th in diversity score77.8

Its weight in Polk County

Lakeland's population equals 15% of Polk County's. Its number of households without a car equals 23% of the county's.

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
119,961
+53%since 2000
from 78,452 in 2000
125,520 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,802 / sq mi
+53%since 2000
from 1,179 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
38.9
−2%since 2000
from 39.7 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
66.6 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
66K80K95K110K125K19902000201020202024Lakeland
2024120K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.1%(6,134)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 95.1%(6,140)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.5%(6,586)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 197.4%(8,892)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 248.4%(10,068)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3413.6%(16,288)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.6%(13,861)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.8%(13,015)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6411%(13,184)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7410.7%(12,825)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 847.3%(8,753)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over3.5%(4,215)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$64,185
+6%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,119 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$35,902
+82%since 2000
from $19,760 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
41.2%
+21.1 ptssince 2009
from 20.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
13.2%
−1.9 ptssince 2000
from 15.0% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.467
Unchangedsince 2010
from 0.467 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information14.5%
US avg: 10.8%
Other services8.4%
US avg: 6.7%
Finance & insurance7.1%
US avg: 5.9%
Professional, scientific, technical6.3%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration6.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Retail trade5.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade5.2%
US avg: 6.9%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.8%
US avg: 1.6%
Education & health services0.7%
US avg: 0.9%
Construction0.7%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$249,400
+91%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $71,500 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,395
+45%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $528 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
56.4%
−3.9 ptssince 2000
from 60.3% in 2000
43.6% rent
Vacancy rate
12.9%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 13.7% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.33 people
+7%since 2009
from 2.18 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
22.6%
−5.2 ptssince 2009
from 27.8% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
47.6%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 47.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
3.9
+14%since 2009
from 3.4 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
60
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic69.5%(54,555)
Black21%(16,500)
Hispanic / Latino6.4%(5,032)
Asian1.3%(1,040)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic54.9%(65,813)
Black17.9%(21,447)
Hispanic / Latino20.5%(24,562)
Asian2.5%(3,046)
Other4.2%(5,093)
Diversity Score
78
+19%since 2009
from 65 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican8.7%(10,394)
Mexican3%(3,585)
Cuban2.9%(3,512)
South American2.1%(2,498)
Central American1.3%(1,509)
Dominican1.2%(1,477)
Colombian1%(1,166)
Venezuelan0.5%(550)
Salvadoran0.4%(447)
Guatemalan0.3%(370)
Nicaraguan0.3%(342)
Chilean0.3%(330)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Honduran0.2%(216)
Spaniard0.2%(207)
Ecuadorian0.1%(140)
Peruvian0.1%(133)
Bolivian0.1%(123)
Costa Rican0.1%(80)
Uruguayan0%(34)
Argentine0%(22)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.6%(779)
Filipino0.5%(643)
Chinese0.4%(459)
Korean0.1%(116)
Vietnamese0.1%(92)
Thai0.1%(80)
Japanese0.1%(79)
Pakistani0.1%(65)
Taiwanese0%(38)
Cambodian0%(26)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0%(31)
Ancestry
English9.3%(11,208)
German9.3%(11,204)
American8.7%(10,416)
Irish7.5%(8,987)
Italian4%(4,765)
West Indian2.7%(3,282)
Scottish1.6%(1,938)
French1.6%(1,885)
Polish1.5%(1,771)
Jamaican1.2%(1,391)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(1,374)
+ 42 more ancestry groups with data
Haitian1.1%(1,348)
British0.8%(1,000)
Dutch0.8%(943)
Swedish0.6%(674)
Welsh0.6%(663)
Portuguese0.5%(570)
Greek0.4%(505)
Canadian0.4%(444)
Hungarian0.3%(346)
Norwegian0.3%(323)
Arab0.2%(293)
Russian0.2%(290)
Czech0.2%(255)
Nigerian0.2%(193)
Brazilian0.1%(128)
Swiss0.1%(125)
Austrian0.1%(113)
Ukrainian0.1%(103)
Danish0.1%(101)
Lithuanian0.1%(94)
Finnish0.1%(91)
Iranian0.1%(87)
Belgian0.1%(84)
Lebanese0.1%(83)
Turkish0.1%(82)
Cape Verdean0.1%(70)
Slovak0%(56)
Croatian0%(54)
Romanian0%(53)
Slovene0%(52)
Moroccan0%(48)
Guyanese0%(45)
Armenian0%(44)
Ethiopian0%(44)
Latvian0%(29)
Egyptian0%(19)
Barbadian0%(14)
Syrian0%(10)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
29.4%
+8.6 ptssince 2000
from 20.9% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
91.5%
+12.3 ptssince 2000
from 79.2% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.0%
+3.6 ptssince 2000
from 7.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
23.1 min
+61%since 2000
from 14.4 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
70.4%
−9.0 ptssince 2009
from 79.5% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
8.0%
−4.5 ptssince 2009
from 12.6% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.8%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.8% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
14.4%
+11.2 ptssince 2009
from 3.2% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.1%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 2.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.1%
+0.7 ptssince 2009
from 0.4% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
7.4%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 9.1% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.5%
−7.3 ptssince 2011
from 11.8% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
57.0%
−0.4 ptssince 2011
from 57.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
73.0%
+3.1 ptssince 2020
from 69.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
12.2%
−1.5 ptssince 2009
from 13.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
40.2%
+6.1 ptssince 2009
from 34.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.7%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 46.7% in 2009
Female
51.3%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 53.3% in 2009
Foreign born
10.8%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 8.9% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
8.1%
−5.2 ptssince 2009
from 13.4% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
15.4%
Unchangedsince 2012
from 15.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
10.6%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 15.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
89.6%
+22.8 ptssince 2017
from 66.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
95.5%
+7.2 ptssince 2020
from 88.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
80.8%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 79.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
79.2%
−6.0 ptssince 2016
from 85.3% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
16.0%
+5.3 ptssince 2016
from 10.7% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married37.9%(18,354)
Married46.5%(22,501)
Widowed3.9%(1,909)
Divorced11.7%(5,645)
Women 15+
Never married33.4%(17,607)
Married40.1%(21,108)
Widowed11.7%(6,152)
Divorced14.9%(7,825)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
10.6%
−4.9 ptssince 2013
from 15.5% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
45.6%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 47.1% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
16.8%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 14.9% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
23.4%
−1.4 ptssince 2020
from 24.8% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
19.6%
−1.5 ptssince 2020
from 21.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
3.7%
−0.1 ptssince 2020
from 3.8% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
61.4%
+0.8 ptssince 2020
from 60.6% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
40.1%
−2.0 ptssince 2020
from 42.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)24.9%(1,967)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.5%(1,300)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.5%(2,724)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War5.4%(429)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3.1%(247)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 7,896 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

Lakeland, decade by decade

Lakeland population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
199070,576$58,710$146,40419.3%47.9
200078,452$60,331$130,24820.9%58.5
201097,422$58,964$199,96122.8%68.0
2020112,641$60,767$194,41125.8%78.3
2024119,961$64,185$249,40029.4%77.8

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

Drill deeper

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Places similar to Lakeland
Head to head

Compare Lakeland to nearby cities

LAKELAND VS
Lakeland Highlands
Income$108,263+69%
Home value$385,000+54%
Population12,102−90%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAKELAND VS
Medulla
Income$70,802+10%
Home value$319,800+28%
Population10,985−91%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAKELAND VS
Highland City
Income$90,947+42%
Home value$347,100+39%
Population13,276−89%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
LAKELAND VS
Fuller Heights
Income$82,006+28%
Home value$278,000+11%
Population10,083−92%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in Lakeland, Florida?

Lakeland, Florida has about 119,961 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Lakeland, Florida?

The typical household in Lakeland, Florida earns about $64,185 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Lakeland, Florida expensive?

In Lakeland, Florida, the median home is worth about $249,400, and the typical rent is about $1,395 a month.

How educated are people in Lakeland, Florida?

About 29.4% of adults age 25 and over in Lakeland, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Lakeland, Florida?

About 13.2% of people in Lakeland, Florida live below the federal poverty line.

Has Lakeland, Florida grown since 1990?

Yes, Lakeland, Florida has grown since 1990. The population has added about 49,385 residents, a change of about 70 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →

Lakeland, Florida: demographics, income & housing data · CensusEasy