Lake Wales

County:: Polk County
County Seat:: No
Area (mi²):: 18.977
State:: Florida

Lake Wales is a city located in Polk County, Florida. Lake Wales has a 2025 population of 16,941. Lake Wales is currently growing at a rate of 0.77% annually and its population has increased by 3.99% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 16,291 in 2020.

The average household income in Lake Wales is $66,158 with a poverty rate of 24.4%.The median age in Lake Wales is 41.1 years: 37.4 years for males, and 49.3 years for females.

Demographics

The racial composition of Lake Wales includes 55.34% White, 19.2% Black or African American, 10.12% other race, and smaller percentages for Asian, Native American, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and multiracial populations.

Population by Race

Race	Population	Percentage (of total)
White	9,057	55.34%
Black or African American	3,142	19.2%
Two or more races	2,325	14.21%
Other race	1,656	10.12%
Asian	111	0.68%
Native American	68	0.42%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander	6	0.04%

Lake Wales Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

Never Married

Economics and Income Statistics

Lake Wales' average per capita income is $36,600. Household income levels show a median of $55,799. The poverty rate stands at 24.4%.

Families: A family includes the owner or renter of the home along with everyone related to them - whether through birth, marriage, or adoption. This includes relatives like spouses, children, parents, siblings, grandparents, and any other family members.

Households: A household includes all the people who occupy a housing unit (such as a house or apartment) as their usual place of residence.

Non Families: A nonfamily household is either someone living alone or when the owner/renter lives with people they aren't related to, like roommates.

Name	Median	Mean
Married Families	$75,887	-
Families	$67,164	$77,049
Households	$55,799	$66,158
Non Families	$25,838	$41,735

$36,600

Average Income

$55,799

Median Household Income

24.4%

Poverty Rate