South Florida Military College · National Register of Historic Places
Bartow’s story
175 years in pictures
11 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1851Bartow is settled
BartowFL
A town of 20,438, settled in 1851. A typical home worth about $279K.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 2.5
Population
20,438
+11.6% since 2010
Typical home
$279K
−0.1% in a year
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
36.5
years
Jobs based here
28,725
A job hub
What makes Bartow stand out
The 3 things Bartow does most differently from other towns.
$279Ktypical home
Housing
$279K typical home
26% below the FL typical home
Down 0.1% in a year.
12 miof trails
Outdoors
#53 most conserved land in FL
12 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves
17.6% of the town is conserved land.
28,725jobs here
Work
28,725 jobs
based in Bartow, a regional job hub
20% of working residents work in town.
A growing town
Bartow has grown 11.6% since 2010
17,298 people in 2010; 20,438 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Bartow’s report card
Housing$279K26% below the FL typical homeOutdoors12 miof trails · 17.6% conservedCommute14 miHalf of commuters travel lessSchoolsDBeats 14% of FL districtsHealthC−Healthier than 24% of U.S. townsSafetyC−Less crime than 24% of U.S. townsClimate92°/49°Summer high · winter lowHazards67/100High risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Bartow
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Bartow is #7 of 244 in FL for “Rent easiest to afford”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Bartow’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →86°
Clear
H 87° · L 65°
Local news
All →- George Jenkins vs Bartow - Girls Junior Varsity Soccer 01/12/2027 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 25
- George Jenkins vs Bartow - Girls Varsity Soccer 01/12/2027 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 25
- Bartow vs Fort Meade - Boys Junior Varsity Soccer 12/15/2026 | Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 20
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bartow. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Bartow home is worth about $279K
The typical Bartow home is worth about $279,000, about the same as a year ago, 26% below the Florida typical home.
$279KZillow home value
Typical home value
Bartow$279K
Florida$376K
Market temperature
122
days on market
98.4%
sale-to-list price
−0.1%
value change, 1 year
33
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors
17.6% of Bartow is conserved land
12 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves.
17.6%conserved
17.6%
conserved · 5,955 of 33,781 acres
12 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
#53
most conserved land in FL
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Nye Jordan Park | — | 4 |
| 2. Fort Blount Park | 0.1 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Work & commute
About one in five working residents works right in Bartow
About one in 5 of Bartow’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Lakeland (16%), Winter Haven (5%) and Orlando (3%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
20%work in town
Where working residents work
In Bartow20%
Lakeland16%
Winter Haven5%
Orlando3%
Tampa3%
14 mi
median commute distance
28,725
jobs based in Bartow
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Schools
Bartow’s public schools outperform 14% of Florida districts
The public schools Bartow’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 86% of Florida’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
DSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spessard L Holland Elementary | PK–5 | 843 | B− |
| Floral Avenue Elementary School | PK–5 | 585 | C |
| Bartow Elementary Academy | K–5 | 524 | A− |
| James E. Stephens Academy | PK–5 | 336 | D |
| First Methodist School Inc. Private | PK–8 | 166 | |
| Bartow Middle School | 6–8 | 881 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduationAll 17 schools →
Health
Healthier than 24% of U.S. towns
Bartow beats the Florida average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
C−Health Grade
26 measures vs. Florida
1 better14 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Bartow | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 8.2% | 9.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.4% | 12.7% |
Bartow Regional Medical Center
1.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
23rd
percentile among FL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 24% of U.S. towns
Bartow reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 76% report less.
C−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Bartow3.5
Florida2.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Bartow10.1
Florida10.8
U.S.15.5
24th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
28th
percentile among FL towns
80
violent crimes reported in 2025
231
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Bartow has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 49°, and snow is almost unheard of.
92°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter51–74°
Spring61–84°
Summer73–92°
Fall65–85°
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
High risk, with hurricanes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities.
67risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingStrong wind
5
paid flood claims since 1995
10
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
A job hub
Every workday, about 26,909 people come to Bartow for work
Where Bartow’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
28,725jobs based in Bartow
20%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
11 places in Bartow on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Bartow
City in Florida, United States
Bartow ( BAR-toh) is a city and the county seat of Polk County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1851 as Fort Blount, the city was renamed in honor of Francis S. Bartow, the first brigade commander of the Confederate Army to die in combat during the American Civil War. It is part of the Lakeland−Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated population of 787,404, as of July 1, 2022. According to the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 19,309. Located near the source of the Peace River, Bartow is approximately 39 miles (63 km) east of Tampa, Florida and 50 miles (80 km) southwest of the Greater Orlando area. The city is near the center of "Lightning Alley" and ha…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1851
- Population
- 19,309
- Area
- 52 sq mi
- Elevation
- 121 ft
- ZIP code
- 33830, 33831
- Area code
- 863
Bartow’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Bartow.
Highland CityHomelandBartow
More about Bartow
Still missing for Bartow:archive photosupcoming events