Badcock Orig, 1904
Mulberry’s story
126 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,418 in 1910, 3,952 in 2020. The archive holds 15 old photos and papers going back to 1904 and 4 maps from 1949 on.
- 1900Mulberry is settled
MulberryFL
A town of 4,573, settled in 1900.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Louisholstein · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
4,573
2025 Census estimate · +15.9% since 2020
Typical home
$284K
−1.2% in a year
Household income
$58K
median
Median age
51.4
years
Jobs based here
2,567
Balanced
TownGrade
C
#408 of 634 in FL
Is Mulberry a good place to live?
Mulberry is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, 408th among Florida's 634 graded towns, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: homes are within reach, about $284K for a typical one, or 4.3 years of the Lakeland metro’s $66K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in schools: its schools rank behind 88% of the state's. 13% of the land in Mulberry is conserved, against 3% in Florida’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Mulberry's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 97% of U.S. towns. Only 48 of Florida’s 779 towns score higher on the outdoors.
Get outside
5 miles of trails in Mulberry
13.2% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
2
Alafia River Reserve2 acres
3
Janie Eason Park1 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Mulberry grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Mulberry is from typical.
SchoolsDOpen →Hazard riskhurricanes tops the listCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.3 of 20; 3.3% of households have no car; 1.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →Jobs & income$58K median household incomeB−Open →HealthBartow Regional Medical Center 10.9 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors5 miles of trailsAOpen →History1 notable person born hereDOpen →Civic life1.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 92° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 51.4; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Mulberry: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Mulberry, and how to reach them.
PowerDuke Energy18.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Mulberry water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Mulberry’s trash rules yet
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 code3386033860 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 Mulberry.
Mulberry has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
SchoolsD
Mulberry earns a D for schools
Its public schools are run by the Polk school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Mulberry Senior High School, with 1,451 students.
12%of FL districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mulberry Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,058 | C |
| Mulberry Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,451 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsA
Mulberry has set aside 13.2% of its land for conservation
4.7 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
#182for trails in FL
13.2%
conserved · 642 of 4,850 acres
4.7 mi
of trails · 0.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Centennial Park and Butterfly Garden | — | 10 |
| 2. Alafia River Reserve | — | 2 |
| 3. Janie Eason Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade B
Mulberry earns a B for cost of living
At $920 a month, Mulberry’s median rent is below both the Florida town median ($1,647 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). The typical Mulberry home is worth about $284,000, down 1.2% in a year, 24% below the Florida typical home. 79% of Mulberry households own their home.
$284KZillow home value
| Mulberry | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $920 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 72% | 73% |
Typical home value
Mulberry$284K
Florida$375K
−1.2%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Mulberry, expect mild winters and hot summers
The Bartow 1se weather station, 10 miles away, records that about 121 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. January nights average 49.5°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.8°.
Mulberry has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Mulberry’s January low is 50°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
92°summer high
| Mulberry | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 50°F | 51°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 91°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter51–74°
Spring61–84°
Summer73–91°
Fall65–84°
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
92°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
With 1.4 jobs for every working resident, Mulberry draws in 2,523 commuters
Most working residents leave Mulberry for work: only 2% work in town. 20% of residents live below the poverty line in Mulberry. Since 2013, Mulberry has added 403 jobs, to 2,567 in 2023.
2%work in town
| Mulberry | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 5% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Mulberry2%
Lakeland23%
Bartow10%
Tampa4%
Plant City3%
13 mi
median commute distance
2,567
jobs based in Mulberry
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Hurricanes leads a high hazard risk in Mulberry
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. Since 2002, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Mulberry.
63risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingWildfire
2
paid flood claims since 2002
10
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB−
Mulberry is less healthy than 51% of U.S. towns
Against the 8,227 U.S. towns with household incomes like Mulberry’s, it is healthier than 78%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Mulberry beats the Florida average on 6 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
49%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Mulberry | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 32% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
31 measures vs. Florida
6 better21 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Mulberry | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 13% | 16.8% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.9% | 13.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 9.1% |
Bartow Regional Medical Center
10.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
42nd
percentile among FL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 111 attractions →Raymond James Stadium and 37 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Mulberry. Close and well known come first.
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaRaymond James Stadium
28 mi Stadium & arenaBenchmark International Arena
28 mi Theme parkBusch Gardens Tampa4.0M visitors a year
19 mi Theme parkLegoland Florida
19 mi Theme parkCypress Gardens
25 mi GardenBok Tower GardensSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
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 · Cypress Gardens: Bruchey at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Bok Tower Gardens: Averette, CC BY 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Mulberry
19pages on Mulberry
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Mulberry
Florida Southern CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lakeland9.1 mi$44,040 tuitionSoutheastern UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Lakeland9.6 mi$32,950 tuition
About 2 of every 100 Mulberry residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
About Mulberry
City in Florida, United States
Mulberry is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area, with parts of unincorporated Lakeland on its northern boundary. The population was 3,952 at the 2020 census. Mulberry is home to the 334-acre Alafia River Reserve.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 112 ft
- ZIP code
- 33860
- Area code
- 863
Mulberry’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Mulberry.
Willow OakFuller HeightsLakeland HighlandsMulberry
How the neighbors grade
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mulberry | #408 | C | B | — | D | B− |
| Willow Oak | #621 | D− | C | — | D | C− |
| Fuller Heights | #580 | D− | C | — | D | C |
| Lakeland Highlands | #325 | C | C− | — | D | A− |
Mulberry, Willow Oak, Fuller Heights and Lakeland Highlands report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Mulberry with a neighbor →
Questions about Mulberry
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Mulberry, FL a good place to live?
Mulberry grades C overall, better than 25% of U.S. towns and #408 of 634 in Florida. It grades B− for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Mulberry, FL expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.