Lake Wales, FL vs Bartow, FL

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

MetricLake Wales, FLBartow, FL
Population16,78520,438
Median Household Income$56,347$68,178
Median Rent$1,110/mo$1,142/mo
Median Home Value$239,300$234,100
Cost of Living (US = 100)9797
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income59.7%39.9%
Poverty Rate22.4%18.1%
Unemployment Rate4.8% (county)4.8% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k319351
Property Crime Rate /100k1,1871,019
Median AQI3434
Good AQI Days /yr339339
Summer Highs93°F92°F
Winter Lows52°F51°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute23.9 min26.3 min
Hospitals11
Avg Hospital Rating2.0 / 53.0 / 5
Students per Teacher17.917.4
College Degree Rate20.8%22.8%
Foreign-Born %10.4%5.5%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+16.1%+20.0%

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