Haines City, FL vs Lake Wales, FL

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricHaines City, FLLake Wales, FL
Population34,23416,785
Median Household Income$65,975$56,347
Median Rent$1,224/mo$1,110/mo
Median Home Value$288,900$239,300
Cost of Living (US = 100)9797
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income52.7%59.7%
Poverty Rate16.1%22.4%
Unemployment Rate5.2%4.8% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k84319
Property Crime Rate /100k5511,187
Median AQI3434
Good AQI Days /yr339339
Summer Highs93°F93°F
Winter Lows54°F52°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute35.5 min23.9 min
Hospitals11
Avg Hospital Rating3.0 / 52.0 / 5
Students per Teacher21.717.9
College Degree Rate19.7%20.8%
Foreign-Born %21.1%10.4%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+67.4%+16.1%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.