Half of Lakeland Highlands’ homes were built after 1986
More historic than 10% of U.S. towns · #347 of 638 in Florida. What drives it
Most of Lakeland Highlands was built recently: 0.8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1986. Below: maps from 1949 on and the census since 1980.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Lakeland Highlands is more historic than 10% of U.S. towns, #347 of 638 in Florida. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Lakeland Highlands’ overall grade.
Few Florida towns list much on the Register (a typical Florida town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Lakeland Highlands’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (33% of Florida towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.9 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Lakeland Highlands’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Lakeland Highlands yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Lakeland Highlands is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Polk County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, Lakeland Highlands had a population of 12,187. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is an affluent residential community located south of the Lakeland city limits, and north of the Mulberry city limits. Lakeland Highlands neighbors Medulla, and together the two communities make up much of what is known as South Lakeland (unincorporated). The area is addressed to Lakeland, with zip codes 33807, 33812, and 33813. Its schools include, George W. Jenkins Senior High School (named after the founder of Publix Super M…
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 11,056 to 12,187 (+10%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Lakeland Highlands. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1949Mulberry sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Lakeland Highlands.
People over time
Lakeland Highlands, census by census
Between 9,972 and 12,557 people in every census since 1980.
4 censuses, 1980–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Lakeland Highlands’ Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Lakeland Highlands
Nobody well known was born in Lakeland Highlands itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
Lakeland Highlands is more historic than 10% of U.S. towns, #347 of 638 in Florida. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Lakeland Highlands?
0.8% of Lakeland Highlands’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 0.6% for a Florida town; the median home was built in 1986.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
