139 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,853 in 1980, 16,798 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1887Lake Mary is settled
Each edition grades its towns against each other only.

For most people who can afford it, yes. Lake Mary grades A− overall, 8th of 634 graded towns in Florida. The median household earns $109K. It is healthier than 92% of U.S. towns and its schools outperform 82% of the state's. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $466K, 5.9 years of the Orlando metro’s $79K median household income. Only 17 of Florida’s 779 towns score higher on hazard risk. Lake Mary Chamber of Commerce Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Lake Mary is more walkable than 71% of U.S. towns.
Where Lake Mary beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Lake Mary | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.6% | 12.7% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Lake Mary Elementary School | PK–5 | 881 |
| Crystal Lake Elementary School | PK–5 | 685 |
| Seminole Science Charter School | K–8 | 547 |
13,822 counted in 2010 and 16,798 in 2020; an estimated 16,789 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 21.5% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Lake Mary is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for jobs and income (better than 95% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 8%), so the A− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,853 in 1980, 16,798 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lake Mary. Close and well known come first.
Big draw30 mi Theme parkWalt Disney World Resort
Big draw22 mi Theme parkUniversal Studios Florida9.5M visitors a year
Big draw24 mi Theme parkUniversal Epic Universe
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaCamping World Stadium
Big draw22 mi Theme parkUniversal's Islands of Adventure9.5M visitors a year
16 mi Stadium & arenaKia CenterWalt Disney World Resort: Anthony Quintano from Westminster, United States, CC BY 2.0 · Universal Studios Florida: Radiobroadcastcenter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Universal Epic Universe: Martin Lewison, CC BY 2.0 · Camping World Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Universal's Islands of Adventure: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Kia Center: 350z33 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lake Mary, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Lake Mary.
Lake Mary carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Florida (mostly inland flooding), draws workers from Sanford and beyond and fares better on crime within Florida than nationally.
28,927 jobs are based in Lake Mary, 3.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 19,879 in 2013 to 28,927.
Most people who work leave Lake Mary to do it: just 11% work in town. Jobs in Lake Mary grew by 9,048 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 28,927. Lake Mary: 27% of workers work from home, where Florida’s towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 11%. 3.5% of residents live below the poverty line locally.
| Lake Mary | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 27% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $109,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.5% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
That grade comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $466K.
The public schools here belong to the Seminole school district. Of its 12 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason. The 4 public schools in Lake Mary teach 2,257 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Mary Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 881 | A− |
| Lake Mary Preparatory School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 607 | – |
| Seminole Science Charter SchoolTop results in townGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 547 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Florida is tooth loss: 6.6% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 12.7% statewide.
Lake Mary: 14% of adults report frequent mental distress, against 16% in Florida’s towns and 17% across U.S. towns. The share of adults in Lake Mary who smoke cigarettes: 9.5%. In Lake Mary, 11% of adults report frequent physical distress, and 27% have obesity.
| Lake Mary | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Lake Mary | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.6% | 12.7% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.4% | 16.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Zillow values the typical Lake Mary home at about $466,000, about the same as a year ago, 24% above the Florida typical home. In Lake Mary, the going rate for rent is $2,120 a month. Lake Mary: 63% of households are owner-occupiers.
| Lake Mary | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,120 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 63% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Sanford weather station records that about 109 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. January nights average 48.9°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 92.3°.
Lake Mary’s typical July afternoon high comes in at 92°F. Snowfall is close to zero.
| Lake Mary | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 49°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 91°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Count the trails in 11 parks and preserves and they come to 2.8 miles. The biggest park or preserve is Trailblazer Park, at 29 acres. Lake Mary’s trail network density stands at 0.3 miles per square mile.
| Lake Mary | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Trailblazer Park | 0.7 mi | 29 |
| 2. Liberty Park | 0.6 mi | 22 |
| 3. Central Park | 0.5 mi | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 13.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 80% of Florida’s graded towns.
For Lake Mary, the rate of thefts and burglaries is 6.5 per 1,000 residents. The violent crime rate in the town is 1.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Lake Mary | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.5 per 1,000 residents | 12.6 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 98% of Florida towns, with expected losses of about $422 per resident a year; that rating is what its B for hazard risk is built on.
Households in Lake Mary have drawn federal disaster aid in 10 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 49% come from inland flooding and 24% from hurricanes. Since 1995, Lake Mary has seen 6 flood insurance claims paid out.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
7 within 15 miles of the center of Lake Mary
About 8 of every 100 Lake Mary residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
Where Lake Mary’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 notable people were born in Lake Mary.
City in Florida, United States
Lake Mary is a suburban city that is located in the Greater Orlando metropolitan area in Seminole County, Florida, United States, and is located in Central Florida. The population was 16,798 at the 2020 census. It is the home of the 2024 Little League World Series Champions.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Lake Mary.
Heathrow reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Lake Mary with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Lake Mary grades A− overall, better than 83% of U.S. towns and #8 of 634 in Florida. It grades A for health, B for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
4 notable people were born here, including Aubrey Peeples and Jordan Bender.