Lake Wales vs Medulla

Which is the better fit for you?

Lake Wales, FL

Area Score

Bottom 13% nationally

Medulla, FL

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Area Score

Missing required signal: growth.

Signals

Lake Wales

Medulla

Opportunity

43 · Bottom 22%

50 · Bottom 38%

Climate

79 · Top 19%

Physical resilience

20 · Bottom 14%

20 · Bottom 13%

Housing affordability

73 · Bottom 38%

74 · Bottom 40%

Access

90 · Bottom 41%

100 · Top 1%

Economic stability

21 · Bottom 2%

60 · Top 50%

Measured values

Metric	Lake Wales	Medulla	Source period
Population	16,785	10,985	2024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income	$56,347	$70,802	2024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income	$28,384	$36,515	2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density	827/sq mi	1,962/sq mi	2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value	$239,300	$319,800	2024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent	$1,110	$1,287	2024 ACS 5-Year
Homeownership rate	59.2%	66.2%	2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate	5.7%	5.7%	June 2026
Employment change (year over year)	0.4%	0.4%	June 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher	20.8%	31.5%	2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate	22.4%	8.7%	2024 ACS 5-Year
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	26 mi	3 mi	NASR current cycle
Average commute	26.0 min	28.2 min	2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age	42.7	36.6	2024 ACS 5-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

Lake Wales

Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.

Medulla

Elevated or high exposure: strong wind, hurricane.

Your best match

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Lake Wales

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Medulla

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Area Score

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Full profiles: Lake Wales, FL · Medulla, FL · How this is calculated: methodology