Lake Garner - Lighthouse Lane, 2019
Lakeland’s story
Lakeland in pictures
Census counts: 612 in 1980, 13,904 in 2020. The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2019 and 3 maps from 1965 on.
Explore the history →
LakelandTN
A town of 14,422. Public schools that outperform most of Tennessee.
Trash day: look up yours3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Ben Evans · Public domain
Population
14,422
2025 Census estimate · +3.6% since 2020
Typical home
$447K
−1% in a year
Household income
$116K
median
Median age
41.0
years
Jobs based here
2,114
A commuter town
TownGrade
A−
#11 of 175 in TN
Is Lakeland a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Lakeland grades A− overall, 11th among Tennessee's 175 graded towns. Its public schools are among the best in Tennessee. The median household earns $116K and residents are healthier than 90% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $447K, 6.7 years of the Memphis metro’s $66K median household income. 53% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Lakeland, above both the Tennessee town median (23%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). Only 18 of Tennessee’s 292 towns score lower on history. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 73% of U.S. towns.
What makes Lakeland stand out
Where Lakeland beats most towns.
Lakeland schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeland Elementary School | PK–4 | 1,029 |
| Lakeland Preparatory School | 5–11 | 1,509 |
SchoolsA+
Beats 99% of TN districts
#1 of the 176 Tennessee towns we grade for schools
NCES · EDFacts.
31 measures vs. Tennessee
22 better9 too close to call0 worse
| Widest gap | Lakeland | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.3% | 14.6% |
HealthA
Beats TN on 22 of 31 CDC measures, trails it on none
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A growing town
Lakeland has grown 16% since 2010
12,430 counted in 2010 and 13,904 in 2020; an estimated 14,422 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Lakeland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Tennessee), ordered by how far Lakeland is from typical.
SchoolsA+Open →Jobs & incomeAOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →HealthSaint Francis Bartlett Medical Center 5.8 miles awayAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.4 of 20; 0.8% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 45% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors5 miles of trails; 1% conserved landCOpen →History1 notable person born hereDOpen →Civic life2.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 32 attractions →SS Sultana and 29 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lakeland. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi Ancient siteSS Sultana
17 mi Stadium & arenaSimmons Bank Liberty Stadium
21 mi MuseumNational Civil Rights Museum
20 mi Stadium & arenaFedExForum
21 mi MuseumBlues Hall of Fame
18 mi Stadium & arenaMid-South ColiseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
SS Sultana: Template:Thomas W. Bankes, Public domain · Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · National Civil Rights Museum: Matthew T Rader, CC BY-SA 4.0 · FedExForum: Marco Espino-Ovalle, Public domain · Blues Hall of Fame: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mid-South Coliseum: bcbuckner, CC BY 2.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lakeland: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lakeland, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of Memphis13.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMemphis Light, Gas, & WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown’s hauler · day by addressTown site
SchoolsLakeland School System DistrictArlington Community Schools in Lakeland (9-12)2 districts serve Lakeland; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Tennessee you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereShelby County Election CommissionShelby County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code3800238002 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Lakeland.
Lakeland has schools in the top 5% of Tennessee and has less tooth loss than most of Tennessee, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Tennessee.
SchoolsA+
Lakeland’s public schools rank among the best in Tennessee
Its A+ ranks #1 of the 176 Tennessee towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $447K.
The Lakeland school district runs its public schools. Its two schools are below. Public school enrollment in the town: 2,538 students across 2 schools.
99%of TN districts it outscoresA+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 1,029 | A+ |
| Lakeland Preparatory SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 5–11 | Grades 5–11 | 1,509 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TN on state tests
HealthA
Lakeland’s grade for health is an A
Its widest gap with Tennessee is tooth loss: 7.3% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 14.6% statewide. That grade tops all 3 graded neighbors; Arlington (A−) comes closest.
Only 10 of the 176 Tennessee towns we compare have a lower share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Lakeland. 17% of adults get no exercise outside work in the town.
90%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Lakeland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 16% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 28% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 19% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Tennessee
22 better9 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Lakeland | TN |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.3% | 14.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.3% | 16.2% |
Saint Francis Bartlett Medical Center
5.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
95th
percentile among TN towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade D
Lakeland’s grade for cost of living is a D
At 6.7 years of the Memphis metro’s $66K median household income, the typical home (about $447K) costs more against local pay than in 90% of Tennessee towns; that ratio is one input to that grade. The median property tax bill is $3,880, against $1,442 across Tennessee, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Lakeland’s rent at the middle of the market stands at $1,755 a month. Homes in the town are typically worth about $447,000, down 1% in a year, 35% above the Tennessee typical home. Among households in the town, 79% live in a home they own.
$447KZillow home value
| Lakeland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,755 a month | $944 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 65% | 73% |
Typical home value
Lakeland$447K
Tennessee$331K
Market temperature
27
days on market
99%
sale-to-list price
−1%
value change, 1 year
20
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
More than half of Lakeland’s working residents commute to Memphis
Jobs based here grew from 1,016 in 2013 to 2,114.
For half of commuters, work is under 14 miles away. In Lakeland, 3.2% of residents live below the poverty line. Most people who work leave Lakeland to do it: just 4% work in town. Since 2013, Lakeland has added 1,098 jobs, to 2,114 in 2023.
4%work in town
| Lakeland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $116,000 | $60,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 14% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 15% | 9.5% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.3% | 12% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Lakeland4%
Memphis58%
Bartlett7%
Collierville5%
Germantown4%
14 mi
median commute distance
2,114
jobs based in Lakeland
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 27% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsC
Lakeland keeps 0.8% of its land conserved
5.1 miles of trail. In Lakeland, the trail density is 0.2 miles per square mile.
#75for trails in TN
| Lakeland | Tennessee towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.2 | 0.4 |
0.8%
conserved · 124 of 15,247 acres
5.1 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–52°
Spring51–72°
Summer70–90°
Fall51–73°
Nov 5
typical first frost
Mar 29
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
The biggest natural risk in Lakeland is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
FEMA puts 37% of Lakeland’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 20% to tornadoes. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 55% of U.S. communities. 9 flood insurance claims have been paid in the town since 2009.
45risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesEarthquakes
9
paid flood claims since 2009
10
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lakeland
19pages on Lakeland
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lakeland
About 6 of every 100 Lakeland residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Tennessee.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Lakeland for work
Where Lakeland’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,114jobs based in Lakeland
4%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Lakeland
City in Tennessee, United States
Lakeland is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and a part of the Memphis metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, Lakeland had a population of 13,904.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 24 sq mi
- Elevation
- 397 ft
- Area code
- 901
Lakeland’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Lakeland.
At #11 in TN, it grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Arlington (A−) comes closest. Memphis next door grades lower for schools (D to Lakeland’s A+) and higher for cost of living (C+ to D).
BartlettArlingtonMemphisLakeland
How the neighbors grade
| Town | TN rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland | #11 | A− | D | — | A+ | A |
| Bartlett | #40 | B | C− | C+ | A | B |
| Arlington | #18 | A− | D | — | A+ | A− |
| Memphis | #170 | D− | C+ | D− | D | D |
Lakeland and Arlington report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Lakeland with a neighbor →
Questions about Lakeland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lakeland, TN a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Lakeland grades A− overall, better than 80% of U.S. towns and #11 of 175 in Tennessee. It grades A for health and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Lakeland, TN expensive?
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.