Lake Wales, FL
Census place 1238950 · pop 16,785
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
20.3% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
42.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
22.4% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
33.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
85.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
98/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
16.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$56,347 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
20.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.1% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.0% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
59.2% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
1529 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
244 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
24 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.91% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$239,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.7% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
1 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,462/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
39 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Frequently asked
- Is Lake Wales, FL a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Lake Wales scores 39/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is air quality (aqi) and its weakest is uninsured adults. Florida overall ranks #29 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Lake Wales, FL?
- Lake Wales reports 244 violent crimes per 100k and 1529 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Lake Wales, FL expensive to live in?
- Lake Wales has a median home value of $239,300 and typical rent around $1,462/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Lake Wales, FL?
- Its weakest measured area is uninsured adults (20.3%) — 7/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Lake Wales, FL best at?
- Its strongest measured area is air quality (aqi) (39 AQI) — 73/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.
