Winter Haven, FL vs Lake Wales, FL

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

MetricWinter Haven, FLLake Wales, FL
Population55,20016,785
Median Household Income$59,648$56,347
Median Rent$1,246/mo$1,110/mo
Median Home Value$269,800$239,300
Cost of Living (US = 100)9797
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income57.4%59.7%
Poverty Rate16.4%22.4%
Unemployment Rate5%4.8% (county)
Violent Crime Rate /100k269319
Property Crime Rate /100k1,4751,187
Median AQI3434
Good AQI Days /yr339339
Summer Highs92°F93°F
Winter Lows54°F52°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute28.4 min23.9 min
Hospitals11
Avg Hospital Rating3.0 / 52.0 / 5
Students per Teacher20.817.9
College Degree Rate22%20.8%
Foreign-Born %13.3%10.4%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+23.9%+16.1%

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