Lakeland, Florida Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Lakeland, FL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below average
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D
Income Well below average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Lakeland | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 121,078 | 22,388,905 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1606.9 | 313.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.43% | 1.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.4 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 47,881 | 8,743,019 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Lakeland grew by 17.8% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 121,078 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Lakeland is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.6% of residents. That is 2.2 points above Florida as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 26,209 21.6% +2.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 23,969 19.8% -0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 21,831 18.0% -2.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 23,707 19.6% on par
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Florida, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.5% of the people living in Lakeland and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Florida 51.0%
- Men 48.5% Florida 49.0%
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Economy
Lakeland has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Lakeland | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,570 | $74,580 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.75% | 5.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Lakeland is about 12% lower than in Florida.
Housing
| Metric | Lakeland | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $246,250 | $311,338 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,361 | $1,668 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.9% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Lakeland is about 15.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,361 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Lakeland spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 170 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Lakeland | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.5 | 24.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 40.9 | 47.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 170 | 200 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,285 | $6,189 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.7% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 20,949 | 14,318 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,624 | 3,068 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Lakeland is 20 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Florida.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Lakeland has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Lakeland | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.5% | 30.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Health
Lakeland has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Lakeland | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 76.7 | 77.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 20.9% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.4% | 21.3% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Lakeland, Florida.
What is the population of Lakeland, Florida?
About 121,078 people live in Lakeland, Florida, in 47,881 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.4, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Lakeland, Florida mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Lakeland, Florida has 1,607 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 19 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Lakeland, Florida an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 3.8 times the median household income ($246,250 against $65,570), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,361 a month takes about 25% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How common is a college degree in Lakeland, Florida?
23.5% of adults in Lakeland, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 4), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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