METRO AREA
Lakeland Metro
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL · 1 counties · 874,790 residents (2025 est.) · 1,798 sq mi
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#4Fastest growingof 918+20.7%The short version
Lakeland is a metro area of 790,694 people. Since 2000 the metro area has risen by half, up 306,770 people. 23% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $266,500. 70% of homes are owner-occupied. The median household earns $65,978, about 20% below the national median.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 110%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
790,694
+63%since 2000
from 483,924 in 2000
874,790 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
1,798 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024791K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 55.6%(44,379)
5 to 96%(47,176)
10 to 146.5%(51,365)
15 to 196.4%(50,940)
20 to 246.1%(48,468)
25 to 3413.4%(105,773)
35 to 4412.9%(102,257)
45 to 5411.7%(92,880)
55 to 6411.8%(93,263)
65 to 7410.8%(85,643)
75 to 846.5%(51,623)
85 and over2.1%(16,927)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$65,978
+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $36,036 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
43.8%
+20.1 ptssince 2009
from 23.7% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information14%
Wholesale trade8.4%
Finance & insurance7.8%
Professional, scientific, technical6.8%
Other services6.7%
Retail trade6.2%
Public administration4.9%
Transportation & warehousing2.1%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.2%
Construction1%
Education & health services1%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$266,500
+110%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $69,800 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
4.0
+27%since 2009
from 3.2 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
54
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic74.7%(361,366)
Black13.3%(64,544)
Hispanic / Latino9.5%(45,933)
Asian0.9%(4,448)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic50.8%(401,528)
Black14.1%(111,326)
Hispanic / Latino29.2%(230,841)
Asian1.8%(14,071)
Other4.2%(32,928)
79
+28%since 2009
from 62 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
31
−2%since 2020
from 32 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Puerto Rican12.1%(95,449)
Mexican7.4%(58,817)
South American3.3%(25,728)
Cuban2.4%(18,764)
Central American1.7%(13,326)
Venezuelan1.4%(11,036)
Dominican1.3%(10,189)
Colombian1.1%(8,816)
Guatemalan0.5%(3,570)
Honduran0.4%(3,181)
Nicaraguan0.3%(2,482)
Peruvian0.3%(2,335)
+ 10 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.2%(1,720)
Panamanian0.2%(1,657)
Spaniard0.2%(1,634)
Costa Rican0.2%(1,241)
Salvadoran0.2%(1,195)
Chilean0.1%(592)
Argentine0.1%(543)
Uruguayan0%(278)
Bolivian0%(267)
Paraguayan0%(78)
Asian origin
Asian Indian0.5%(4,307)
Filipino0.5%(3,608)
Chinese0.2%(1,425)
Vietnamese0.1%(1,059)
Thai0.1%(452)
Japanese0.1%(447)
Korean0%(360)
Pakistani0%(356)
Laotian0%(330)
Burmese0%(319)
Bangladeshi0%(222)
Cambodian0%(148)
+ 6 more asian origin groups with data
Ancestry
American10.6%(84,050)
German8.2%(64,993)
English8%(63,497)
Irish6.8%(53,695)
Italian3.7%(29,578)
West Indian3.1%(24,546)
Haitian1.6%(13,020)
Polish1.5%(12,069)
French1.4%(11,235)
Scottish1.4%(10,678)
Subsaharan African1%(8,029)
Jamaican0.9%(7,341)
+ 50 more ancestry groups with data
Scotch-Irish0.6%(4,516)
Dutch0.5%(4,276)
French Canadian0.5%(3,769)
Swedish0.5%(3,740)
Norwegian0.3%(2,697)
Portuguese0.3%(2,571)
British0.3%(2,500)
Welsh0.3%(2,420)
Canadian0.3%(2,259)
Arab0.3%(2,153)
Greek0.3%(2,114)
Hungarian0.3%(2,096)
Russian0.2%(1,863)
Brazilian0.2%(1,772)
Danish0.2%(1,204)
Guyanese0.1%(1,103)
Czech0.1%(971)
Austrian0.1%(938)
Ukrainian0.1%(935)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0.1%(908)
Finnish0.1%(874)
Lithuanian0.1%(813)
Barbadian0.1%(665)
Slovak0.1%(582)
Swiss0.1%(576)
Nigerian0.1%(523)
Belgian0.1%(492)
Romanian0.1%(475)
Lebanese0.1%(465)
Armenian0.1%(429)
Egyptian0.1%(420)
Iranian0.1%(409)
Croatian0.1%(398)
Serbian0%(202)
Palestinian0%(200)
Australian0%(200)
Ghanaian0%(198)
Cape Verdean0%(194)
Moroccan0%(191)
Turkish0%(181)
Kenyan0%(101)
Slovene0%(100)
Latvian0%(90)
Syrian0%(60)
Ethiopian0%(45)
Israeli0%(38)
Iraqi0%(24)
Somali0%(23)
Jordanian0%(10)
Bulgarian0%(8)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
87.9%
+13.1 ptssince 2000
from 74.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.1%
+3.0 ptssince 2020
from 68.1% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
96.1%
+5.9 ptssince 2020
from 90.2% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married34.3%(108,680)
Married51.5%(163,160)
Widowed3.6%(11,272)
Divorced10.6%(33,498)
Women 15+
Never married29.8%(98,704)
Married47.2%(156,201)
Widowed9.5%(31,507)
Divorced13.5%(44,752)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
16.1%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 14.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
2.8%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 3.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
60.3%
+1.9 ptssince 2020
from 58.4% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
39.1%
−2.3 ptssince 2020
from 41.4% 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)22%(9,755)
Gulf War (1990s)20.3%(8,970)
Vietnam era33.5%(14,841)
Korean War4.4%(1,965)
World War II1.1%(481)
Share of the 44,258 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
In this metro
Largest cities
LakelandCENTRAL125,520Winter HavenCENTRAL62,313Haines City45,973Bartow23,617Auburndale21,369Lake Wales18,650Davenport18,110Highland City13,276Lakeland Highlands12,102Medulla10,985Lake Alfred10,107Fuller Heights10,083Cypress Gardens10,077Loughman7,591Inwood7,556Willow Oak7,454Kathleen7,201Dundee6,424Eagle Lake6,415Jan Phyl5,708Fussels Corner5,682Crystal Lake5,451Fort Meade5,379Combee Settlement5,242Alturas4,581Mulberry4,573Wahneta3,876Frostproof3,519Polk City3,082Lake Hamilton3,007
The 30 most populous of 39 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
1 component county
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Lakeland
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LAKELAND VS
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LAKELAND VS
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LAKELAND VS
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LAKELAND VS
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Frequently asked
How many people live in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL?
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL has about 790,694 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL?
The typical household in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL earns about $65,978 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL expensive?
In Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL, the median home is worth about $266,500, and the typical rent is about $1,363 a month.
How educated are people in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL?
About 23.5% of adults age 25 and over in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL?
About 14.5% of people in Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL live below the federal poverty line.
Has Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL grown since 1990?
Yes, Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL has grown since 1990. The population has added about 385,312 residents, a change of about 95 percent over that period.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024