Housing data for Willow Oak, FL
Willow Oak, FL has an estimated 7,454 residents and 2,363 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in Polk County.
50.3% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,117 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 7,454 (±1,226)
- Housing units
- 2,363 (±281)
- Households that rent
- 50.3%
- Median gross rent
- $1,117
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +3.0%
What stands out in Willow Oak
Households that rent: 50.3% (±6.5 points) in Willow Oak, higher than in Polk County (29.5%).
Median gross rent: $1,117 (±$89) in Willow Oak, lower than in Polk County ($1,363).
Homes built before 1980: 23.0% (±6.6 points) in Willow Oak, lower than in Polk County (30.0%).
Median real estate taxes: $1,707 (±$208) in Willow Oak, lower than in Polk County ($1,933).
- Renters and owners in Willow Oak
- Median rent in Willow Oak
- Age of homes in Willow Oak
- Property taxes in Willow Oak
Housing in Willow Oak at a glance
- Median rent: $1,117 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,240 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 46.0% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 50.3% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $65,688 median household income
- Home values: $276,300 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,480 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,707 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 15.6% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 50.9% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 23.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 3.8% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 96.2% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 32.3 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +3.0% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 33.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 8.2% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Willow Oak against Polk County, its state and the nation
| Willow Oak | Polk County | Florida | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 7,454 (±1,226) | 790,694 (exact) | 22,416,077 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,363 (±281) | 340,748 (±196) | 10,256,470 (±942) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 50.3% (±6.5 points) | 29.5% (±0.7 points) | 32.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,117 (±$89) | $1,363 (±$28) | $1,669 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $65,688 (±$7,864) | $65,978 (±$1,143) | $74,568 (±$284) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $276,300 (±$49,290) | $266,500 (±$3,458) | $359,000 (±$930) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,707 (±$208) | $1,933 (±$35) | $2,730 (±$10) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 23.0% (±6.6 points) | 30.0% (±0.7 points) | 33.9% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 32.3 minutes (±3.4) | 30.5 minutes (±0.5) | 28.0 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 84.0% (±6.7 points) | 90.7% (±0.5 points) | 91.6% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 29.1 years (±3.0) | 39.5 years (±0.2) | 42.6 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Willow Oak covers 3.1 square miles of land, about 2,390 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Willow Oak has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 7,236 (±1,057) | 7,454 (±1,226) | +3.0% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 2,491 (±175) | 2,363 (±281) | −5.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $914 (±$107) | $1,117 (±$89) | +22.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $114,500 (±$36,215) | $276,300 (±$49,290) | +141.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $41,870 (±$5,148) | $65,688 (±$7,864) | +56.9% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,111 (±$112) | $1,480 (±$182) | +33.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $964 (±$168) | $1,707 (±$208) | +77.1% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 49.5% (±8.9 points) | 50.3% (±6.5 points) | +0.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.8% (±4.3 points) | 3.8% (±5.9 points) | +1.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
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.
Crime reported to police in Polk County
Willow Oak has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Polk County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Polk County recorded 217 violent and 777 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Willow Oak
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuller Heights | 1.7 mi | $1,444 | $278,000 | 29.3% |
| Mulberry | 2.5 mi | $920 | $133,800 | 20.8% |
| Medulla | 3.6 mi | $1,287 | $319,800 | 33.8% |
| Lakeland Highlands | 5.1 mi | $1,704 | $385,000 | 16.0% |
| Plant City | 8.6 mi | $1,409 | $291,800 | 33.6% |
| Highland City | 9.3 mi | $1,993 | $347,100 | 20.7% |
| Lakeland | 10 mi | $1,395 | $249,400 | 43.6% |
| Crystal Lake | 11 mi | $1,181 | $205,600 | 53.8% |
Places in Florida most like Willow Oak
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crestview | $1,366 | $277,900 | $65,480 | 38.7% |
| Mango | $1,277 | $256,600 | $52,524 | 43.5% |
| South Apopka | $1,088 | $280,500 | $61,151 | 37.8% |
| Hilliard | $1,147 | $239,500 | $65,096 | 41.5% |
| Winter Haven | $1,246 | $269,800 | $59,648 | 36.3% |
| Palm River-Clair Mel | $1,525 | $271,700 | $71,787 | 39.5% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Florida.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Willow Oak, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,258 | $1,338 | $1,608 | $2,212 | $2,688 |
HUD income limits for Willow Oak, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $18,350 | $30,600 | $48,900 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $34,950 | $55,900 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $39,300 | $62,900 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $43,650 | $69,850 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $47,150 | $75,450 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $50,650 | $81,050 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $54,150 | $86,650 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $57,650 | $92,250 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $83,900.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Willow Oak is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
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 Willow Oak
What is the average rent in Willow Oak, FL?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Willow Oak is $1,117 (±$89) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Willow Oak?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Willow Oak, FL is $879 (±$73) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Willow Oak rent-burdened?
46.0% of renting households in Willow Oak pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Willow Oak?
Willow Oak has an estimated 1,145 (±227) renting households, 50.3% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Willow Oak?
The median household income in Willow Oak is $65,688 (±$7,864) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Willow Oak, FL?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $276,300 (±$49,290) for owner-occupied homes in Willow Oak (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Willow Oak growing?
In Willow Oak, the number of residents went from 7,236 in 2015–2019 to 7,454 in 2020–2024 (+3.0%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Willow Oak CDP, Florida
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Willow Oak CDP, Florida
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Willow Oak CDP, Florida
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Willow Oak CDP, Florida
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Willow Oak CDP, Florida
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Willow Oak CDP, Florida
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Willow Oak CDP, Florida
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
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 Willow Oak CDP, Florida (place:77862, 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, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
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.
Figures last updated on .