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City

Lakeland

#14 in Best Cities to Retire in America
  • B+
    Overall Grade
  • City in Florida
  • 305 reviews
B+
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Public Schools
    B-
  2. Crime & Safety
    C+
  3. Housing
    B-
  4. Nightlife
    B-
  5. Good for Families
    B
  6. Diversity
    A
  7. Jobs
    B-
  8. Weather
    A
  9. Cost of Living
    B+
  10. Health & Fitness
    B-
  11. Outdoor Activities
    A-
  12. Commute
    A-
View Full Report Card
Lakeland is a city in Florida with a population of 104,165. Lakeland is in Polk County. Living in Lakeland offers residents a suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Lakeland there are a lot of parks. Many young professionals and retirees live in Lakeland and residents tend to have moderate political views. The public schools in Lakeland are above average.
About Lakeland...
Population
104,165

Real Estate

Median Home Value
$119,700
National
$184,700
Median Rent
$931
National
$949
Area Feel
Suburban
Rent vs. Own
  • Rent
    44%
  • Own
    56%
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Lakeland Rankings

Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

Lakeland Neighborhood Map

  • Public Schools
  • Private Schools
  • Colleges

    Crime & Safety

    Crime & Safety
    C+
    Based on violent and property crime rates.
    Violent Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Assault
      133
      283
    • Murder
      1
      6
    • Rape
      68
      41
    • Robbery
      82
      136
    Property Crimes
    • Calculated annually per 100,000 residents
    National
    • Burglary
      532
      500
    • Theft
      2,999
      2,043
    • Motor Vehicle Theft
      195
      284
    Home Security Options for Lakeland
    Learn More
    • 24/7 Whole home protection with no contract
    • CNET Editor’s choice winner 2018

    Residents

    Diversity
    A
    Based on ethnic and economic diversity.
    Age
    • <10 years
      11%
    • 10-17 years
      9%
    • 18-24 years
      11%
    • 25-34 years
      12%
    • 35-44 years
      11%
    • 45-54 years
      12%
    • 55-64 years
      12%
    • 65+ years
      22%
    Education Levels
    National
    • Master's degree or higher
      9%
      12%
    • Bachelor's degree
      17%
      19%
    • Some college or associate's degree
      29%
      29%
    • High school diploma or equivalent
      34%
      28%
    • Less than high school diploma
      12%
      13%

    Working in Lakeland

    Jobs
    B-
    Based on employment rates, job and business growth, and cost of living.
    Median Household Income
    $42,033
    National
    $55,322
    Search for Jobs in Lakeland
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    Lakeland Reviews

    305 reviews
    All Categories
    Lakeland certainly has a diverse population with plenty of things to do. Living within 45 minutes of either Tampa or Orlando, you aren't far from the hot spots of Central Florida. Additionally, Lakeland is home to the Detroit Tigers for spring training, so the sports life is a huge deal around here. You'll find everything from hometown cafes to fine dining in the downtown area, as well as plenty of dietary-friendly establishments! Sometimes, things may seem quite political, especially around election years, but it's something you can usually ignore. Overall, Lakeland was the best choice I made when I moved to Florida from the North.
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    If you ever find yourself wanting to move somewhere in central Florida, I highly recommend Lakeland. It's a beautiful city that has so much to offer. We have two malls, one in south and one in north Lakeland, and they each have their own movie theaters. There are numerous places to eat for all types of occasions. And one of my favorite parts about living in Lakeland is all of the lakes that we have. Because of their simple beauty and well upkeep, there are always people taking walks around them, feeding ducks, and holding events. So if you find yourself bored and want to connect with nature a lot, Lakeland is the perfect place for you!
    I had a good but not great experience in Lakeland, Florida. The major problems in Lakeland are Homelessness, Drugs, and Education. I think to educate the minority will help in providing self-awareness, self-dignity, and enabling the poverty-stricken communities to achieve better in life. I find there is limited help for the homeless and the veterans, a situation in need of immediate attention from the government. Regarding being drug infested, the Law Enforcement seems to not have enough strategies in getting drugs off the streets. Regarding their public housing, totally appalling; mixing well productive citizens with felons in drug infested housing communities is not a credible thing to do. Lakeland needs a whole lot of improvement, it's a nice city where the land and lakes are beautiful, but the governing is extremely poor and poverty is accepted as the norm for those who do not know better.