Lake Wales, FL housing market
The typical Lake Wales home is worth about $243,000, down 2.3% in a year, 35% below the Florida typical home. Homes typically sell in 53 days, close to asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Lake Wales compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Lake Wales at a glance
A balanced market
About 5 months of supply: neither buyers nor sellers have a clear edge.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Lake Wales | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $117,000 | $209,000 |
| 2018 | $129,000 | $226,000 |
| 2019 | $145,000 | $242,000 |
| 2020 | $158,000 | $253,000 |
| 2021 | $176,000 | $276,000 |
| 2022 | $215,000 | $340,000 |
| 2023 | $252,000 | $392,000 |
| 2024 | $257,000 | $402,000 |
| 2025 | $258,000 | $397,000 |
| 2026 | $247,000 | $377,000 |
| August 2026 | $243,000 | $376,000 |
339 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 339 new homes in Lake Wales in 2025: 306 single-family houses and 33 in buildings with two or more homes, worth about $127 million to build. That's 20 per 1,000 residents, faster than across Florida (8.3). Over the past 10 years, Lake Wales has permitted 2,079 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Lake Wales gained 2,136 residents while 1,025 new homes were permitted: about 2.1 new residents per new home. Building and growth moved roughly in step. Across Florida: 2.8 new residents per new home.
How Lake Wales ranks on housing keeping up with growth →
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 226 | 216 | 10 | $89.4 million |
| 2025 | 339 | 306 | 33 | $127 million |
| 2024 | 420 | 409 | 11 | $136.5 million |
| 2023 | 476 | 228 | 248 | $112.6 million |
| 2022 | 69 | 69 | 0 | $22.8 million |
| 2021 | 34 | 34 | 0 | $9.4 million |
| 2020 | 30 | 30 | 0 | $8.3 million |
| 2019 | 431 | 86 | 345 | $45.8 million |
| 2018 | 73 | 73 | 0 | $19.2 million |
| 2017 | 137 | 137 | 0 | $37.7 million |
| 2016 | 70 | 70 | 0 | $19.2 million |
| 2015 | 46 | 46 | 0 | $12.9 million |
| 2014 | 74 | 64 | 10 | $20.2 million |
| 2013 | 43 | 43 | 0 | $12.8 million |
| 2012 | 30 | 30 | 0 | $7.7 million |
| 2011 | 96 | 24 | 72 | $16.1 million |
| 2010 | 25 | 25 | 0 | $6.3 million |
| 2009 | 24 | 24 | 0 | $6 million |
| 2008 | 52 | 30 | 22 | $10.5 million |
| 2007 | 54 | 54 | 0 | $10.3 million |
| 2006 | 103 | 103 | 0 | $14.7 million |
| 2005 | 408 | 408 | 0 | $48.3 million |
| 2004 | 574 | 290 | 284 | $53.8 million |
| 2003 | 224 | 214 | 10 | $22.6 million |
| 2002 | 388 | 196 | 192 | $29 million |
| 2001 | 70 | 70 | 0 | $4.2 million |
| 2000 | 66 | 63 | 3 | $4.2 million |
How Lake Wales ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Lake Wales and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Wales | $243K | −2.3% | $1,310 | 339 | $56,347 |
| Waverly | — | — | $1,450 | — | — |
| Dundee | $263K | −4.2% | $1,480 | 208 | $48,668 |
| Winter Haven | $273K | −2.6% | $1,500 | 1,036 | $59,648 |
| Highland Park | $341K | +1.3% | $1,330 | — | $93,750 |
4.3 years of income
The typical Lake Wales home costs about 4.3 years of the town's median household income, less than across Florida (5 years).
How Lake Wales ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,310
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lake Wales is $1,310 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Lake Wales pay a median of $1,110, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put. A two-bedroom takes about 28% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,070 · 4 bedrooms $2,200
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (33853, 33859, 33898; Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL MSA), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Lake Wales
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.