Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Winter Haven earns a D−, 607th of 634 graded towns in Florida, mostly because of schools and health. Its schools rank behind 88% of the state's. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 84% of the country. One bright spot: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 63% of U.S. towns. Winter Haven is home to Polk State College. Only 60 of Florida’s 779 towns score higher on history. Winter Haven’s January low is 50°F, near the Florida town median (51°F) and above the median of U.S. towns (22°F).
Where Winter Haven beats most towns.
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Polk State College | 4,687 |
Gram Parsons
Woman's Club of Winter Haven33,874 counted in 2010 and 49,219 in 2020; an estimated 62,313 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 23.9% since 2020, after 45.3% 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 Winter Haven is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,597 in 1920, 49,219 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1919 and 3 maps from 1959 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Winter Haven. Close and well known come first.
Big draw25 mi Theme parkWalt Disney World Resort
in town Theme parkLegoland Florida
Big draw34 mi Theme parkUniversal Studios Florida9.5M visitors a year
Big draw32 mi Theme parkUniversal Epic Universe
in town Theme parkCypress Gardens
Big draw33 mi Theme parkUniversal's Islands of Adventure9.5M visitors a yearWalt Disney World Resort: Anthony Quintano from Westminster, United States, CC BY 2.0 · Legoland Florida: Jacob Montgomery, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Universal Studios Florida: Radiobroadcastcenter, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Universal Epic Universe: Martin Lewison, CC BY 2.0 · Cypress Gardens: Bruchey at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Universal's Islands of Adventure: David Bjorgen, CC BY-SA 2.5
Who provides power, water and the rest in Winter Haven, 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 Winter Haven.
Winter Haven fares better on crime within Florida than nationally, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Lakeland and other neighbors.
Its public schools are run by the Polk school district. Three of its 25 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chain of Lakes Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 1,007 | B+ |
| Winter Haven Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,648 | C− |
| Frank E. Brigham AcademyTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 547 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
43% of Winter Haven adults sleep under 7 hours. Winter Haven beats the Florida average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 21. 42% of Winter Haven adults have obesity.
| Winter Haven | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 32% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 8.1% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Winter Haven | FL |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.2% | 12.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.4% | 7.2% |
| More adults with obesity | 41.5% | 31.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
17 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Sertoma Park, at 27 acres.
| Winter Haven | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.5% | 3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Inman Park | 0.8 mi | 7 |
| 2. South Lake Howard Nature Park | 0.7 mi | 18 |
| 3. Central Park | 0.3 mi | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical value, about $272K, is 9% below its September 2022 peak.
The typical Winter Haven home is worth about $272,000, down 2.3% in a year, 28% below the Florida typical home. 64% of households own their home in Winter Haven.
| Winter Haven | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 72% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,246 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
At 26.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 54% of Florida’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 1,155 to 1,086 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Winter Haven is 2.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Winter Haven | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.7 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 14.7 per 1,000 residents | 12.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Winter Haven weather station records that about 115 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. January nights average 49.7°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 92.3°.
Winter Haven has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Winter Haven’s July high is 92°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Winter Haven has about as many jobs (26,710) as working residents, but only 3,175 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Winter Haven for work: only 13% work in town. Since 2013, Winter Haven has added 2,614 jobs, to 26,710 in 2023. The top destinations are Lakeland (10%), Bartow (7%) and Orlando (5%).
| Winter Haven | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 5% | 8% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 9.7% | 14% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 29 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Winter Haven.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4 within 15 miles of the center of Winter Haven
About 5 of every 100 Winter Haven residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Florida.
7 places in Winter Haven on the National Register of Historic Places.
33 notable people were born in Winter Haven.
City in Florida, United States
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. It is located about 51 miles (82 km) east of Tampa and about 47 miles (76 km) southwest of Orlando, with neighboring Lakeland located to its west. The city's population was 49,219 at the 2020 census, making it the second most populous city in Polk County after Lakeland. It is a principal city of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
10 towns share a border with Winter Haven.
| Town | FL rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Haven | #607 | D− | C− | C | D | C− |
| Cypress Gardens | #539 | D | C | — | D | B− |
| Inwood | #601 | D− | B− | — | D | D− |
| Lake Alfred | #476 | C− | C− | B+ | D | C+ |
| Alturas | #553 | D | A− | — | D | D |
| Lake Wales | #624 | D− | C− | C | D | D |
| Dundee | #630 | D− | C− | — | D | D− |
| Auburndale | #583 | D− | C | C | D | C− |
Cypress Gardens, Inwood, Alturas and Dundee report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Winter Haven with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Winter Haven grades D− overall, better than 2% of U.S. towns and #607 of 634 in Florida. It grades C− for health, C for safety and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. That is 4.1 years of the area's median household income ($65,978 across the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
33 notable people were born here, including Gram Parsons and Rowdy Gaines.
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