Is Winter Haven, FL a Good Place to Live?
Winter Haven is a mid-sized city of 50,778 in Florida, with a median household income of $56,425 and a 4.2% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 100 (US average = 100), which is 0% above the national average.
Strengths: Winter Haven stands out for below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Winter Haven is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Winter Haven city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 100.3Winter Haven's overall cost of living index is 100.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Winter Haven costs roughly 0% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Winter Haven, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $220,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,113 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 63.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $56,425 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageWinter Haven's violent crime rate is 235.5 per 100,000 residents — 38% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Winter Haven is served primarily by POLK. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19.3:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Winter Haven, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | POLK | — |
| Elementary Schools | 87 | — |
| Middle Schools | 25 | — |
| High Schools | 36 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 19.3:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 19.5% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 88.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Winter Haven sees average highs of 72.5°F in January and 92.9°F in July, with 46.1 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Winter Haven, FL |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 72.5°F |
| Average High — July | 92.9°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 46.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Winter Haven, FL | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 50,778 | — |
| Median Age | 40.6 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.2% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 27.9 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 53.2% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 25.7% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 16.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 2.4% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 21.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 22.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Winter Haven
Winter Haven, FL is covered by 2 ZIP codes: