Bartow receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Bartow
Lakeland
Opportunity
47 · Bottom 31%
vs43 · Bottom 22%
Growth
63 · Top 28%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Climate
79 · Top 19%
vs79 · Top 19%
Physical resilience
20 · Bottom 13%
vs20 · Bottom 14%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 31%
vs72 · Bottom 36%
Schools
24 · Bottom 16%
vs39 · Bottom 34%
Access
97 · Top 22%
vs100 · Top 3%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 27%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Measured values
| Metric | Bartow | Lakeland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 20,438 | 119,961 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $68,178 | $64,185 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $33,475 | $35,902 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 440/sq mi | 1,802/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $234,100 | $249,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,142 | $1,395 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 65.9% | 56.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.7% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.8% | 29.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 18.1% | 13.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 234 | 411 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 11.4 | 3.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -49.7% | -50.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 93°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 52°F | 52°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 46.1" | 46.1" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 14 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.9 min | 25.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 36.5 | 38.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 41 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.69 | 18.37 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 40.7% | 52.6% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 47.1% | 49.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 59.8% | 62.9% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Bartow
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Lakeland
Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.
Full profiles: Bartow, FL · Lakeland, FL · How this is calculated: methodology