33898 ZIP Code — Lake Wales, FL

Polk County, Florida

ZIP code 33898 is located in Lake Wales, Florida, within Polk County. It covers approximately 296.92 square miles and serves a population of 17,066 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 863.

About ZIP code 33898

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $147,500. Owner-occupancy is high at 83%, well above the national average.

Median household income is $53,717. 55% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with construction as the leading industry. The average commute of 31 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of diabetes (16%), smoking (22%) compared to national benchmarks.

Overall, ZIP code 33898 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, high homeownership, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

17,066

population

296.92

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

33898 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 33898

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 33898. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Lake Wales	Acceptable
Lake Wales	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

33827 Babson Park (10.2 mi) 33853 Lake Wales (11.9 mi) 33843 Frostproof (12 mi) 34759 Kissimmee (12.9 mi) 33867 River Ranch (14.7 mi) 33859 Lake Wales (14.7 mi) 33838 Dundee (15.6 mi) 33844 Haines City (15.9 mi) 34739 Kenansville (17.7 mi) 33884 Winter Haven (18.3 mi) 34772 Saint Cloud (19.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	17,066
Population density	57 / sq mi
State FIPS	12
County FIPS	105

Geography
Land area	296.92 sq mi
Water area	46.22 sq mi
Latitude	27.9021
Longitude	-81.3895
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	863

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.8%	48.5%	43.4%
$50k – $100k	29.0%	32.0%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	11.4%	15.7%	19.3%
Over $200k	2.9%	3.7%	6.4%

Demographics & statistics

17,066

Population

People per sq mi

49.8

Median age

$53,717

Median household income

$28,349

Per capita income

$147,500

Median home value

$1,095

Median monthly rent

82.5%

Home ownership

13.4%

Poverty rate

6.0%

Unemployment

8,592

Housing units

16.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

435

Under 5

427

488

5–9

479

567

10–14

555

456

15–19

448

342

20–24

336

779

25–34

763

890

35–44

872

747

45–54

732

681

55–59

668

656

60–64

644

1,439

65–74

1,411

956

75–84

938

180

85+

177

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,514	20.6%
18 and over	13,552	79.4%
65 and over	5,101	29.9%
Median age	49.8 years

Race & ethnicity

White 74.5%

Hispanic or Latino 8.6%

Two or more races 8%

Black or African American 6.1%

Other race 2.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%

Asian 0.2%

Group	Count	%
White	13,901	74.5%
Hispanic or Latino	1,602	8.6%
Two or more races	1,497	8%
Black or African American	1,142	6.1%
Other race	453	2.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	39	0.2%
Asian	34	0.2%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.8%	48.5%	43.4%
$50k – $100k	29.0%	32.0%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	11.4%	15.7%	19.3%
Over $200k	2.9%	3.7%	6.4%

Under $10k 4.9%

$10k–$15k 4.4%

$15k–$25k 7.2%

$25k–$35k 14.8%

$35k–$50k 13.7%

$50k–$75k 25.8%

$75k–$100k 11.3%

$100k–$150k 11.5%

$150k–$200k 3.2%

$200k+ 3.2%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.9%
$10k–$15k	4.4%
$15k–$25k	7.2%
$25k–$35k	14.8%
$35k–$50k	13.7%
$50k–$75k	25.8%
$75k–$100k	11.3%
$100k–$150k	11.5%
$150k–$200k	3.2%
$200k+	3.2%
Median income	$53,717

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 15.8%

$50k–$100k 13.8%

$100k–$150k 21.2%

$150k–$200k 10.3%

$200k–$300k 19.8%

$300k–$500k 11.0%

$500k–$1M 6.5%

$1M+ 1.6%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$147,500
Median rent / month	$1,095
Owner occupied	82.5%
Renter occupied	17.5%
Vacant	29.7%
Single-family detached	54.0%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	38.1%
Median rooms	5.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.33

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.6%
2010–2019	3.9%
2000–2009	15.0%
1990–1999	18.2%
1980–1989	25.4%
1970–1979	22.0%
1960–1969	5.9%
1950–1959	3.9%
1940–1949	1.5%
1939 or earlier	3.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.4%
1 bedroom	8.9%
2 bedrooms	43.6%
3 bedrooms	34.7%
4 bedrooms	10.7%
5+ bedrooms	1.7%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	2.5%
1 vehicle	40.4%
2 vehicles	41.5%
3 or more	15.6%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	1.0%
Electricity	94.7%
Propane / LP gas	1.1%
Wood	0.9%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	2.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,251	47.2%
Cohabiting couple	399	5.8%
Male householder, no spouse	1,633	23.7%
Female householder, no spouse	1,601	23.3%
Households with children under 18	1,557	22.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	3,633	52.8%
Average household size	2.47

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	26.7%	21.5%
Married	51.1%	48.6%
Separated	3.0%	2.7%
Widowed	7.9%	13.3%
Divorced	11.2%	13.9%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.6%

Some HS, no diploma 11.0%

HS graduate 37.9%

Some college, no degree 21.5%

Associate's degree 9.0%

Bachelor's degree 11.8%

Graduate / professional 4.2%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	84.4%
Bachelor's or higher	16.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	183	5.4%
Kindergarten	207	6.2%
Elementary school	1,616	48.1%
High school	908	27.0%
College / grad school	444	13.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Construction 17.6%

Education & healthcare 16.5%

Retail trade 11.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.5%

Professional & management 11.4%

Transportation & utilities 6.7%

Manufacturing 6.4%

Other services 4.8%

Finance & real estate 3.9%

Public administration 3.9%

Agriculture & mining 3.5%

Wholesale trade 1.1%

Information 0.9%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.6%
Service	14.6%
Sales & office	18.7%
Natural resources & construction	21.2%
Production & transportation	13.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	83.4%
Government	10.8%
Self-employed	5.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	81.0%
Carpool	10.9%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	0.5%
Work from home	5.5%
Other means	2.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.7

Poverty

All people 13.4%

Under 18 years 19.7%

18 and over 11.8%

Married-couple families 6.1%

Female-led households 17.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	54.7%
Retirement income	33.0%
Supplemental Security	5.1%
Cash public assistance	3.6%
Food stamps / SNAP	12.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.7%
High blood pressure	44.3%
High cholesterol	41.5%
Diabetes	15.7%
Heart disease	10.8%
Stroke	5.4%
Asthma	9.5%
Arthritis	34.6%
Kidney disease	4.5%
Pulmonary disease	13.3%
Cancer	9.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	22.1%
Binge drinking	12.3%
No physical activity	31.6%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.1%
Depression	20.3%
Fair or poor health	23.4%
Poor mental health	15.5%
Poor physical health	16.2%
No health insurance	22.3%
Visited doctor (checkup)	77.5%
Visited dentist	51.0%
Cholesterol screening	91.4%
Teeth loss	19.6%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,486	11.0%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.8%
Under 18	3.8%
18–64 years	15.5%
65 and over	27.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	51.6%
Public insurance	54.3%
No insurance	12.7%
Uninsured under 19	5.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	16,204	94.9%
Spanish	1,435	8.9%
Other Indo-European	1,274	7.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	118	0.7%
Other languages	35	0.2%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	15,506	90.9%
Born in same state	14,804	86.7%
Born in different state	7,115	41.7%
Foreign born	702	4.1%
Naturalized citizen	1,560	9.1%
Not a US citizen	664	42.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,126	12.5%
Italian	1,930	11.3%
Arab	1,537	9%
Polish	251	1.5%
English	221	1.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
German	92	0.5%
Irish	72	0.4%
Dutch	28	0.2%
Norwegian	23	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	40.3%
Internet access	95.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 33898

What city is ZIP code 33898 in?

ZIP code 33898 is primarily assigned to Lake Wales, Florida.

What county is ZIP code 33898 in?

ZIP code 33898 falls within Polk County, Florida.

Does ZIP code 33898 have an older population?

30% of residents in ZIP code 33898 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 33898 have a large retiree population?

55% of households in ZIP code 33898 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Is ZIP code 33898 mostly owner-occupied?

83% of occupied units in ZIP code 33898 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

Does ZIP code 33898 have a large veteran population?

11% of civilians in ZIP code 33898 are veterans, above the national average of ~7%.

What timezone is ZIP code 33898 in?

ZIP code 33898 observes the EST timezone.