Lake Wales, FL · standard
ZIP Code 33859
Polk County, Florida - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 10,582
- 91/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $57,760
- Median income Below-median income area
- $215,300
- Median home value Near-median home value
- 25.0%
- Bachelor's or higher Near-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Lake Wales pairs a below-median household income with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 25th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 48th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 91
- people per sq mi
- 72%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 33859 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 33859 (Lake Wales, FL) rose +4.4% from 2023 to 2024.
ZIP code 33859 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Lake Wales, Polk County, Florida, home to 10,582 residents across 116.5 square miles, a density of 91 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 33859 reports a modest median household income of $57,760 (25% below the average Florida ZIP), while per-capita income is $29,088. The poverty rate is 23.2%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $215,300 (43% below the average Florida ZIP), and median rent is $1,288; owner occupancy is 71.5%.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 25.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 47.9, and the average commute is 27 minutes. The page also surfaces 7 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Polk County, so 33859 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 33859
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Lake Wales, FL
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 33859.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
47 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
23 establishments
- Construction
Construction
19 establishments
- Other services (except public administration) 15
Other services (except public administration)
15 establishments
- Health care and social assistance 13
Health care and social assistance
13 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 33859, Lake Wales, FL · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
10,582
Population
116.5
Area (sq mi)
91
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 33859?
47.9
Median Age
50.4%
Male
49.6%
Female
9.6%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$57,760
Median Household Income
-25% vs state ZIP avg
$29,088
Per Capita Income
23.2%
Poverty Rate
3.7%
Unemployment Rate
27.1 min
Mean Commute Time
How ZIP 33859 ranks among Florida ZIPs
Lake Wales, FL household income vs. every Florida ZIP code
Median household income among 946 reporting Florida ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$57,760 22nd percentile higher than 22% of 946 Florida ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Florida ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
5,977housing units
5,977
Total Housing Units
4,863
Occupied Units
1,114
Vacant Units
2.37
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$215,300
Median Home Value
-43% vs state ZIP avg
$1,288
Median Rent
1999
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 191 business establishments in ZIP 33859, employing approximately 4,334 people with a combined annual payroll of $227,302,000.
191
Businesses
4,334
Employees
$227.3M
Annual Payroll
13
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 47 | 24.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 23 | 12.0% |
| Construction | 19 | 9.9% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 15 | 7.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 13 | 6.8% |
| Manufacturing | 12 | 6.3% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 10 | 5.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 10 | 5.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 8 | 4.2% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 8 | 4.2% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 8 | 4.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 7 | 3.7% |
| Information | 4 | 2.1% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 33859 vs 33853 →
ZIP 33859 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 33884
Winter Haven (33884)
28,763 residents
- 33853 11,161
Lake Wales (33853)
11,161 residents
- 33859 10,582
Lake Wales (33859)
10,582 residents
- 33841 8,722
Fort Meade (33841)
8,722 residents
- 33838 3,515
Dundee (33838)
3,515 residents
- 33827 3,036
Babson Park (33827)
3,036 residents
- 33839 2,756
Eagle Lake (33839)
2,756 residents
- 33877 276
Waverly (33877)
276 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 33859 ranks #3 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 33859 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 33884
Winter Haven (33884)
$70,443 median income
- 33839
Eagle Lake (33839)
$70,000 median income
- 33859
Lake Wales (33859)
$57,760 median income
- 33827
Babson Park (33827)
$54,556 median income
- 33838
Dundee (33838)
$50,766 median income
- 33853
Lake Wales (33853)
$44,474 median income
- 33841
Fort Meade (33841)
$39,384 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 33859 ranks #3 of 7 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 33859, both outside FL so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (10,582 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Polk County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 33859 in?
ZIP code 33859 (Lake Wales) is located in Polk County, Florida. Polk County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/polk-fl.
What is the population of ZIP code 33859?
ZIP code 33859 in Lake Wales, FL has a population of 10,582 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 33859?
The median household income in ZIP 33859 is $57,760, which is 24% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 33859?
The median home value in ZIP 33859 is $215,300, which is 23% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 33859?
The largest racial group in ZIP 33859 is White at 67.2%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 19.0% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 33859?
ZIP code 33859 has 191 business establishments employing approximately 4,334 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 33859?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 33859 are: Retail trade (47), Accommodation and food services (23), Construction (19). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
What is the education level in ZIP code 33859?
In ZIP code 33859, 54.0% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 25.0% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 33859?
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 33859 is 27.1 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 33859?
In ZIP code 33859, approximately 71.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 28.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 33859?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 33859 is 23.2% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 33859's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 33859 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Lake Wales, FL ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.