Photo: Averette · CC BY 3.0345 homes sold in Lake Wales in the last year, at a typical $264K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Lake Wales homes are listed.
Every place Lake Wales homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Lake Wales.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 94% of Lake Wales’ sales, at a typical $274K (year to May 2026)
345 homes sold in the year to September 2026.
typical sale · 304 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $164FL $245
- Days to sell
- 64
- Sold over asking
- 17%
- Listings with a price cut
- 29%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 6 sold, typical $283K
Townhouses: 9 sold, typical $199K
Condos: 6 sold, typical $128K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 2.2 times the 2016 price
345 sales in the last year, against 412 in 2021 and a low of 188 in 2012. The typical sale went from $120K in 2016 to $264K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $250K buys in Lake Wales
Check a listing against what Lake Wales homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Lake Wales are more common than before the pandemic, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Lake Wales’ home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to September 2026, 345 sales.
If you’re buying in Lake Wales
- Shop in July. It brings about 34 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (14% over asking).
- Offer under asking. Buyers paid 97.1% of the list price on average; 17% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 24% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 65 days.
Winter brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
January has the most new listings (about 39 a month), but August is the most competitive: 19% of August sales close over asking. June and July offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (17%). December has the least competition (11%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Nearly as heated as 2021, and hotter than Florida
| Lake Wales now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | FL now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 17% | 11% | 25% | 9% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 24% | 23% | 45% | 21% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 97.1% | 95.5% | 98.3% | 96.4% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 65 | 64 | 30 | 75 |
144 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 3.6 times the 2021 low (40) and 12% more than in 2017–19.
Since 2019, houses are up 59%, condos 45%
A house typically sold for $274K in the year to May 2026 (304 sales), a condo for $128K (6).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Lake Wales ranks 55th of 542 busy Florida markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Lake Wales is one of the state’s hottest markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Lake Wales home costs about $1,577 a month
Price: Lake Wales’ typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Lake Wales’ 0.9% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Lake Wales is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in January
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 29.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $264K home, about $2,400 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Lake Wales, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Lake WalesTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Lake Wales.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Dundee and Grenelefe sell for less a square foot; Alturas for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Lake Wales, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Wales | 345 | $264K | $158 | 17% | 65 |
| Lake Hamilton | 182 | $304K | $164 | 15% | 121 |
| Dundee | 150 | $267K | $149 | 10% | 92 |
| Cypress Gardens | 139 | $267K | $160 | 11% | 42 |
| Grenelefe | 73 | $259K | $134 | 15% | 96 |
| Alturas | 27 | $378K | $201 | 14% | 103 |
| Crooked Lake Park | 23 | $256K | $178 | 18% | 96 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Lake Wales, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Lake Wales. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Lake Wales with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Lake Wales
What do homes sell for in Lake Wales, FL?
345 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $264K, $158 a square foot.
Is Lake Wales a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A balanced market: 151 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 34 sold, about 4.4 months of supply. Buyers paid 97.1% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Lake Wales?
January brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Lake Wales?
About 0.9% of a home’s value a year. On a $264K home that’s near $2,400.
Where can I see homes for sale in Lake Wales?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Lake Wales’ MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Lake Wales.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).