Lake Hamilton, Florida

Population

Growing. Up 93.1% since 2020.

3,007

people, the 267th-largest of Florida's cities and towns.

Census Population Estimates, 2025. Rank among Florida's cities and towns computed by the Almanac. Sources: Census Population Estimates

The workday

Nearly every job here goes to someone who lives somewhere else.

99.0%

of 683 jobs located in Lake Hamilton are filled by in-commuters.

Census LEHD LODES, 2023. Sources: Census LEHD LODES

Rent

Median rent is up 116% since the 2005–2009 survey, before inflation.

$1,180

a month. Florida's median is $1,669.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024 (latest), with earlier 5-year windows. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

The seam

Cross one tract line and median rent doubles.

A $1,636 gap between neighbors, the sharpest rent edge between adjacent tracts in Polk County.

• $529 Tract 121.31
• $2,165 Tract 121.32

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024, adjacent tracts compared by the Almanac. Tract estimates carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

Room to build

The median rent sits inside what local wages can carry.

$889–$1,334

is the monthly rent range local workforce wages support.

• $1,180 median

Supportable rent computed by the Almanac from 2023 source wage data. Median rent: Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Computed by the Almanac, Census ACS 5-year

Building

Most of the housing here is older than 2000.

• 1,028 homes permitted, 2022–2025
• 1% of those were in multifamily buildings
• 78% of all homes were built before 2000

Census Building Permits Survey, 2022–2025; Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census Building Permits Survey, Census ACS 5-year

Units needed

Closing the gap would add 0.3–1.1% to the 632 homes here.

2–7

is the estimated number of missing housing units, from the lowest to the highest of three estimates.

Range computed by the Almanac from 2023 jobs and household data, using three demand models: 1% of jobs located here, 1% of renter households, and a rate by town size applied to renters. The low end is the lowest of the three and the high end the highest. It is an estimate, not a count. Sources: Computed by the Almanac

Home value

A median home costs 30% less than Florida's.

$250,700

median home value in Lake Hamilton.

• $250,700 Lake Hamilton
• $359,000 Florida
• $332,700 U.S.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year