Lake Wales is a city in Polk County, Florida, home to about 16,785 people across 19 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 33853 and 33859, and parts of 33877 and 33898 are in Lake Wales too.
Homes sold for a median of $155 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 1 of 2 were seller’s markets.
Mostly Lake Wales
Mostly Lake Wales; also Crooked Lake Park and Alturas
Mostly Waverly; part is in Lake Wales
Part is in Lake Wales, part in Dundee and Indian Lake Estates
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Lake Wales. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Lake Wales’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Orlando International Airport (MCO)42 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Lakeland Linder International Airport (LAL)27 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Orlando, FL44 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Lake Wales; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Lake Wales had 16,361 residents in the 2020 census, up 60% since 2000.
It’s the 241st largest of 954 towns in Florida by population.
Polk County grew from 12,472 residents in 1900 to 725,046 in 2020.
Polk County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 93°F in summer, and winter lows average 50°F. About 52.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Mtn Lake, FL weather station (4 miles away).
232,278 jobs at 13,992 businesses in Polk County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
181 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Lake Wales’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 33 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 28 |
| Dentists | 22 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 39 |
| Mental health providers | 20 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 30 |
| Optometrists | 4 |
| Chiropractors | 5 |
| Pharmacies | 11 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (10 nearby)
Grocery stores (4 nearby)
Pharmacies
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (2 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 3 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1911.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Polk. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillcrest Elementary SchoolLake Wales | Pre-K–5 | 667 | Charter | 2.2 mi |
| Janie Howard Wilson SchoolLake Wales | Pre-K–5 | 462 | Charter | 2.5 mi |
| Polk Avenue Elementary SchoolLake Wales | Pre-K–5 | 523 | Charter | 1.2 mi |
| Spook Hill Elementary SchoolLake Wales | Pre-K–5 | 574 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| Victory Ridge AcademyLake Wales | Pre-K–12 | 321 | Charter, Special Education | 2.5 mi |
| Bok AcademyLake Wales | 6–8 | 640 | Charter | 4.1 mi |
| Edward W Bok Academy NorthLake Wales | 6–8 | 726 | Charter | 2.0 mi |
| Mclaughlin Academy of ExcellenceLake Wales | 6–11 | 758 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Roosevelt AcademyLake Wales | 6–12 | 279 | Alternative Education | 2.0 mi |
| Lake Wales Senior High SchoolLake Wales | 9–12 | 1,597 | Charter | 2.7 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bcat of Lake WalesLake Wales | Pre-K–12 | 78 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 2.5 mi |
| Grand AcademyLake Wales | TK–12 | 84 | Other religious | 1.2 mi |
| Canaan AcademyLake Wales | K–8 | 60 | Other religious | 1.3 mi |
| Candlelight Christian AcademyLake Wales | K–12 | 203 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 1.8 mi |
| Endtime Christian School of ExcellenceLake Wales | K–12 | 51 | Pentecostal | 2.5 mi |
| The Vanguard SchoolLake Wales | 6–12 | 105 | Nonsectarian | 3.5 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Crooked Lake Park, Dundee, Alturas, Winter Haven, Indian Lake Estates, Highland Park and Waverly.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.