ZIP Code 33853 — Lake Wales city, FL Demographics & Data

ZIP code 33853 covers Lake Wales, FL in Polk County with a population of about 12,385.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 37.3 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area code 863; U.S. House district FL-18; the TAMPA - ST. PETE (SARASOTA) media market.

Median household income in ZIP 33853 is about $40,938 — about 46% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 23.8%; unemployment rate near 7.3%; 18.7% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 15.0 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Transportation, and Retail trade; about 4.9% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 10.3 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $198,100 — about 43% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $813 (about 30% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 55.8% (about 9.6 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 33853 in Lake Wales, FL, a household would need roughly $55,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,273. That is about 34% above the local median household income ($40,938), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Lake Wales city, FL as Relatively High (composite score 96.5), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (98.5) and wildfire (97.0). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Lake Wales city, FL show little to no average snow and around 52.8 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 554 for ZIP 33853 (Lake Wales city, FL) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.