Highland City vs Lake Wales
A side-by-side comparison of Highland City and Lake Wales: population, income, housing, and more.
Highland City and Lake Wales are places in Florida. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Lake Wales has the higher population (16,365 vs 12,732 in Highland City). Highland City has the higher median household income ($88,628 vs $55,799 in Lake Wales). Highland City has the higher median home value ($301,600 vs $225,900 in Lake Wales).
Population, income & housing
| Highland City | Lake Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 12,732 | 16,365 |
| Median age | 38.5 yrs | 41.1 yrs |
| Median household income | $88,628 | $55,799 |
| Median home value | $301,600 | $225,900 |
| Median gross rent | $1,679 | $1,060 |
| Housing units | 4,776 | 7,961 |
| Homeownership rate | 79.5% | 61.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 32.3% | 22.0% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.1% | 6.3% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Highland City | Lake Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,602 → 12,732 (+20.1%) | 16,035 → 16,365 (+2.1%) |
| Median household income | $68,563 → $88,628 (+29.3%) | $44,186 → $55,799 (+26.3%) |
| Median home value | $167,300 → $301,600 (+80.3%) | $167,400 → $225,900 (+34.9%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,098 → $1,679 (+52.9%) | $821 → $1,060 (+29.1%) |
Highland City
10,60212,732
$68,563$88,628
$167,300$301,600
$1,098$1,679
Lake Wales
16,03516,365
$44,186$55,799
$167,400$225,900
$821$1,060
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Highland City | Lake Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 4.9% | 5.9% |
| 5 to 17 | 19.9% | 14.8% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.4% | 6.5% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.7% | 12.5% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.0% | 12.5% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.1% | 8.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.7% | 12.5% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.5% | 14.9% |
| 75 and over | 3.7% | 12.1% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Highland City | Lake Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 63.7% | 47.6% |
| Black or African American | 11.2% | 19.2% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.3% |
| Asian | 1.8% | 0.7% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 1.7% | 0.2% |
| Two or more races | 2.6% | 1.4% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 18.9% | 30.7% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Highland City | Lake Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 9.2% | 12.5% |
| High school graduate | 26.0% | 32.8% |
| Some college or associate's | 32.5% | 32.7% |
| Bachelor's degree | 21.7% | 14.4% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 10.6% | 7.6% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Highland City | Lake Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 76.7% | 79.3% |
| Carpooled | 8.8% | 11.2% |
| Public transit | 1.5% | 0.1% |
| Walked | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Bicycle | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Worked from home | 12.2% | 6.5% |
| Other means | 0.4% | 2.7% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Highland City | Lake Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 84.3% | 65.5% |
| 1-unit, attached | 0.5% | 1.7% |
| 2 to 4 units | 1.3% | 13.4% |
| 5 to 19 units | 3.3% | 9.7% |
| 20 or more units | 2.7% | 4.1% |
| Mobile home & other | 8.0% | 5.7% |
Poverty & households
| Highland City | Lake Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 4.0% | 24.4% |
| Average household size | 2.93 | 2.44 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 29 | 26 |
| Median year structure built | 1999 | 1992 |
Full profiles
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