2019 Lakeland-Kathleen Tornado damage Campbell Rd at Ashley Pointe Dr 3, 2019
Kathleen’s story
140 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2019 and a map from 1978 on.
- 1886Kathleen is settled
KathleenFL
With 7,201 residents, this town was settled in 1886.
Population
7,201
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$204K
Census ACS
Household income
$57K
median
Median age
35.6
years
Jobs based here
434
A commuter town
TownGrade
D−
#625 of 634 in FL
Is Kathleen a good place to live?
A town with more to fix than most. Where it falls short is walkability (D−). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 98% of U.S. towns. It lags on schools as well — its public schools trail 88% of Florida towns on state tests and graduation. Homes run about $204K for a typical one, 3.1 times the Lakeland metro’s $66K median household income. The overall grade comes out at D−, 625th of 634 in Florida. Nationally, it does behind almost every U.S. town. Health is weaker too: residents are less healthy than 86% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · health, CDC PLACES.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Kathleen for work
Where Kathleen’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
434jobs based in Kathleen
1%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Kathleen grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Kathleen is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.4 of 20; 7% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →SchoolsIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →HealthLakeland Regional Medical Center 6.6 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listC−Open →Jobs & income434 jobs based hereCOpen →Cost of livingClose to the middle of the towns comparedC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →HistoryLittle recorded history by comparisonC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 92° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.6; 11% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Kathleen: who provides what
Kathleen is unincorporated, so Polk County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerDuke Energy18.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNorthwest water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesPolk CountyPolk County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Florida you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections herePolk Supervisor of ElectionsPolk County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, May 2026
ZIP code3381033810 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Kathleen.
Kathleen has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Lakeland and beyond, but it has poverty well above the Florida rate.
SchoolsD
Kathleen earns a D for schools
One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by the Polk school district.
12%of FL districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kathleen Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 742 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
HealthD
Kathleen earns a D for health
18% of Kathleen adults report frequent physical distress. Among 636 Florida towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Kathleen. The share of adults in Kathleen who report frequent mental distress is 20%, above both the Florida town median (16%) and the median of U.S. towns (17%).
14%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Kathleen | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 16% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 36% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Florida
0 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Kathleen | FL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20.1% | 12.7% |
| More smokers | 18.6% | 12.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.6% | 7.2% |
Lakeland Regional Medical Center
6.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
12th
percentile among FL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Kathleen, with inland flooding at the top
For Kathleen, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 79 of 100. Expected losses in Kathleen break down as 39% from inland flooding and 33% from hurricanes. Federal aid has come to Kathleen households in 7 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024.
79risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesStrong wind
4
paid flood claims since 1997
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Kathleen stands out in Florida and nationally: a larger share of its residents live below the poverty line
Kathleen has 434 jobs for its 2,931 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Half the trips to work are shorter than 19 miles. Kathleen’s typical household income stands at $57,000, below both Florida’s towns ($73,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). For most workers, Kathleen is a place to come home to: only 1% work in town. The share of workers in Kathleen who do their job from home: 7.4%.
1%work in town
| Kathleen | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 32% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 7.4% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $57,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 5% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Kathleen1%
Lakeland30%
Bartow5%
Tampa4%
Plant City4%
19 mi
median commute distance
434
jobs based in Kathleen
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 2% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Kathleen
January nights average 49.1°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.7°.
Kathleen’s January low stands at 49°F. It almost never snows.
92°summer high
| Kathleen | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 49°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter51–73°
Spring61–83°
Summer73–91°
Fall65–84°
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C+
A home in Kathleen sells for about $396K at the median
The median property tax bill is $1,308, against $2,730 across Florida, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
In Kathleen, the rent at the middle of the market is $1,247 a month. 80% of households live in a home they own here.
$396Kmedian sale price
| Kathleen | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 80% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,247 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
3
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 110 attractions →Walt Disney World Resort and 45 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kathleen. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi Theme parkWalt Disney World Resort
Big draw30 mi Stadium & arenaRaymond James Stadium
28 mi Stadium & arenaBenchmark International Arena
24 mi Theme parkBusch Gardens Tampa4.0M visitors a year
23 mi Theme parkLegoland Florida
23 mi Stadium & arenaYuengling CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Walt Disney World Resort: Anthony Quintano from Westminster, United States, CC BY 2.0 · Raymond James Stadium: NASA, Public domain · Benchmark International Arena: Miosotis Jade, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Busch Gardens Tampa: Wolle8ball, CC BY 3.0 · Legoland Florida: Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Yuengling Center: User:TheCustomOfLife, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kathleen
16pages on Kathleen
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Kathleen
Florida Southern CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lakeland8.1 mi$44,040 tuitionSoutheastern UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lakeland9.6 mi$32,950 tuitionFlorida Polytechnic UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Lakeland11.9 mi$4,940 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Kathleen residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
About Kathleen
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
Kathleen is a census-designated place (CDP) in Polk County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, Kathleen had a population of 6,486. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 144 ft
- ZIP code
- 33849
- Area code
- 863
Questions about Kathleen
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kathleen, FL a good place to live?
Kathleen grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #625 of 634 in Florida. It grades D for health and D for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Kathleen, FL expensive?
The typical home is worth about $204,000, 46% below the Florida typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.