Is Lake Wales, FL growing?

Name: Growth in Lake Wales, FL, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Lake Wales, FL had an estimated 16,785 (±37) residents in 2020–2024, against 16,035 in 2015–2019.

That is a change of +4.7%, a measurable increase.

Its housing went from 7,175 to 8,223 homes (+14.6%), a measurable increase.

0.6% of today’s homes were built in 2020 or later.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Residents now: 16,785 (±37)
Amount of change: +4.7%
Homes change: +14.6%
Built 2020 or later: 0.6%

Residents and homes in Lake Wales, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Residents	16,035 (±37)	16,785 (±37)	+4.7%	Measurable increase
Housing units	7,175 (±408)	8,223 (±513)	+14.6%	Measurable increase
Households that rent	46.2% (±4.8 points)	40.8% (±4.7 points)	−5.4 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$821 (±$54)	$1,110 (±$79)	+35.2%	No measurable change after inflation
Median home value	$167,400 (±$12,816)	$239,300 (±$12,723)	+43.0%	Up after inflation

The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.

Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.

The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.

Growth in Lake Wales against Polk County, its state and the nation

Change between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
	Residents	Verdict	Housing units
Lake Wales	+4.7%	Measurable increase	+14.6%
Polk County	+15.2%	Measurable increase	+15.3%
Florida	+7.2%	Measurable increase	+8.6%
United States	+3.1%	Measurable increase	+4.6%

A change in a place’s boundaries between the two periods (an annexation, say) changes its counts as well; the Census Bureau’s figures are for the place as it was drawn in each period.

New homes in Lake Wales

Housing units by year built, 2020–2024
Year built	Lake Wales	Polk County	Florida	United States
2020 or later	0.6% (±0.5 points)	4.7%	3.2%	2.0%
2010 to 2019	11.0% (±2.9 points)	13.2%	11.0%	9.4%
2000 to 2009	27.3% (±4.5 points)	20.9%	18.1%	13.6%

11.6% of the homes in Lake Wales were built in 2010 or later.

The median age of residents is 42.7 years.

Growth in places near Lake Wales

Change in residents between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Place	Distance	Residents now	Amount of change	Verdict
Lake Wales	—	16,785	+4.7%	Measurable increase
Highland Park	4.5 mi	282	+63.0%	Not a measurable change
Crooked Lake Park	6.3 mi	2,641	+65.9%	Measurable increase
Dundee	6.7 mi	5,863	+29.9%	Measurable increase
Alturas	7.4 mi	4,581	+31.8%	Measurable increase
Babson Park	7.4 mi	1,093	−16.8%	Not a measurable change
Hillcrest Heights	7.7 mi	377	+57.7%	Not a measurable change
Cypress Gardens	8.0 mi	10,077	−1.7%	Not a measurable change
Wahneta	8.3 mi	3,876	−20.3%	Not a measurable change

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

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Questions about Lake Wales

Is Lake Wales growing?

Lake Wales, FL had an estimated 16,785 residents in 2020–2024 and 16,035 in 2015–2019, a change of +4.7%: a measurable increase by the Census Bureau’s test.

How many homes have been added in Lake Wales?

The estimated number of housing units went from 7,175 in 2015–2019 to 8,223 in 2020–2024 (+14.6%), a measurable increase.

How much new construction is there in Lake Wales?

0.6% of homes in Lake Wales were built in 2020 or later and 11.0% between 2010 and 2019.

Sources

To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Lake Wales city, Florida (place:38950, in state:12).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25001_001E, B25001_001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B25077_001E, B25077_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0017PE, DP04_0017PM, DP04_0018PE, DP04_0018PM, DP05_0018E, DP05_0018M

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.