33853 ZIP Code, Lake Wales, FL
33853 is a ZIP code in Lake Wales, Florida in Polk County. It covers 8.7 square miles of land. The closest ZIP codes are 33859, 33877 and 33827. 12,674 people live here in 4,923 households. At about 1,465 people per square mile it has suburban density, and owners and renters are mixed (53% own). Median household income is $44,474, well below the Florida median of $74,568.
Quick facts
- Mailing city: Lake Wales, FL
- County: Polk County
- Land area: 8.7 sq mi
- Population: 12,674
- Median household income: $44,474
- Carrier routes: 8 (5,419 homes)
Key figures
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Residents | 12,674 |
| Households | 4,923 |
| Median household income | $44,474 |
| Income per person | $25,161 |
| Median age | 37.6 |
| Homeowners | 53.0% |
| Median home value | $209,300 |
| Median rent | $1,059 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.3% |
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.6 |
| Households with kids under 18 | 31.2% |
| Moved in the past year | 7.4% |
| Below the poverty line | 21.2% |
| Broadband internet | 85.6% |
| Speak a non-English language at home | 30.2% |
Household income
| % of households | Value |
|---|---|
| <$10K | 11.1% |
| $10–15K | 8.9% |
| $15–25K | 11.3% |
| $25–35K | 11.4% |
| $35–50K | 10.3% |
| $50–75K | 14.4% |
| $75–100K | 13.3% |
| $100–150K | 13.5% |
| $150–200K | 3.3% |
| $200K+ | 2.5% |
Age
| % of all residents | Value |
|---|---|
| <10 | 13.5% |
| 10–19 | 11.8% |
| 20–24 | 4.5% |
| 25–34 | 14.7% |
| 35–44 | 13.6% |
| 45–54 | 10.6% |
| 55–64 | 13.5% |
| 65–74 | 9.9% |
| 75+ | 7.9% |
Tenure
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Owned, with mortgage | 29.5% |
| Owned outright | 16.7% |
| Rented | 40.3% |
| Vacant | 13.5% |
Type of building
| % of housing units | Value |
|---|---|
| Detached house | 63.2% |
| Townhome | 3.2% |
| 2–4 units | 14.3% |
| 5–19 units | 12.0% |
| 20+ units | 4.9% |
| Mobile / other | 2.3% |
Businesses in 33853
374 business establishments with 5,281 employees (ZIP Codes Business Patterns 2023).
- Retail Trade: 73
- Health Care and Social Assistance: 61
- Other Services (except Public Administration): 42
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 37
- Accommodation and Food Services: 36
- Construction: 29
- Finance and Insurance: 25
- Real Estate and Rental and Leasing: 12
EDDM carrier routes
33853 has 8 USPS carrier routes with 5,419 residential and 586 business mailboxes. Open the EDDM route map.
Carrier routes in 33853
33853 has 8 USPS carrier routes (8 city (C)) with 5,419 residential and 586 business mailboxes. Routes range from 385 homes (C051) to 900 homes (C057); the median route has 671 homes. The Census counted 4,923 households in 33853 (2020–2024 average); USPS counts current mailboxes, including new and vacant homes.
| Homes per route | Routes |
|---|---|
| 1–249 | 0 |
| 250–499 | 1 |
| 500–749 | 4 |
| 750–999 | 3 |
| 1,000–1,499 | 0 |
| 1,500+ | 0 |
Best routes in 33853 for…
Most businesses
For B2B offers: office supplies, cleaning, IT, catering and commercial services.
- Route C051 — USPS business mailboxes 218, 385 homes
- Route C059 — USPS business mailboxes 132, 649 homes
- Route C057 — USPS business mailboxes 95, 900 homes
- Route C052 — USPS business mailboxes 85, 693 homes
- Route C054 — USPS business mailboxes 25, 782 homes
Select these 5 routes on the route map
Every carrier route in 33853
| Route | Type | Homes | Businesses | Est. median income | Est. owners | Est. families with kids | Est. moved in past year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C051 | City | 385 | 218 | $24,891 | — | — | — |
| C052 | City | 693 | 85 | $40,112 | — | — | — |
| C053 | City | 622 | 3 | $66,326 | — | — | — |
| C054 | City | 782 | 25 | $87,557 | — | — | — |
| C055 | City | 778 | 23 | $35,000 | — | — | — |
| C057 | City | 900 | 95 | $51,635 | — | — | — |
| C058 | City | 610 | 5 | $87,557 | — | — | — |
| C059 | City | 649 | 132 | $32,634 | — | — | — |
Income, owners, families and movers are estimates for each route (how we estimate them); mailbox counts are current USPS figures. Open 33853 on the EDDM route map.
How route demographics are estimated
Mailbox counts come from USPS; demographics are estimates
The number of homes and businesses on each carrier route is the current USPS EDDM count. The Census Bureau does not publish figures for carrier routes, so income, homeownership, ages, families, movers and housing age on a route are EDDM2GO estimates built from Census block groups (neighborhood areas of roughly 600 to 3,000 people).
How a route gets its figures: the block-group length-share method
We trace each route's streets every 25 meters and record which block group each stretch falls in. The route's homes are spread along its streets in proportion to length, so a route with 60% of its street length in one block group is assumed to have 60% of its homes there. Each block group then contributes its Census counts in proportion to the share of its housing units that sit on the route (capped at the whole block group). Medians are recalculated from the combined income, home-value and age brackets, the way the Census Bureau computes them, not averaged.
Margins of error
Census survey figures carry a margin of error at 90% confidence; we carry it through the calculation and show it as ±. Our margins treat the route-to-block-group split as exact, so the real uncertainty is larger. Routes with fewer than 100 estimated households, large margins, or streets we could not place are flagged.
Different years
USPS mailbox counts are current. Census figures are 5-year averages for 2020–2024, so a new subdivision may have more homes on the route today than the Census counted. Use the route figures to compare routes with each other, not as an exact head count.
Why some routes show identical figures
Two routes that run through the same block group get the same percentages and medians, because the Census publishes one set of figures for the whole block group. Their mailbox counts still differ, and those are exact.
Route and mailbox counts: USPS EDDM route data. Route demographics: EDDM2GO estimates from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year block-group data (2020–2024) and 2024 cartographic block-group boundaries. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Nearby ZIP codes
- 33859 — Alturas CDP, FL (2.8 mi)
- 33877 — Waverly CDP, FL (6.1 mi)
- 33827 — Frostproof city, FL (7.1 mi)
- 33838 — Dundee town, FL (8.2 mi)
- 33884 — Winter Haven city, FL (8.2 mi)
- 33856 (10.1 mi)
- 33851 — Lake Hamilton town, FL (10.3 mi)
- 33854 (11.2 mi)
Areas that include 33853
- Lake Wales, FL ZIP codes — 3 ZIP codes
- Polk County ZIP codes — 43 ZIP codes
- Florida ZIP code data
Mail every home in 33853
Route counts on this page price as Full Service 6.5 × 9 postcards: we print, bundle by carrier route and hand the mailing to USPS. Prefer to take it to the Post Office yourself? Print only costs less and you pay postage at drop-off.
EDDM guides
ZIP code statistics describe the Census ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) 33853, which approximates the USPS ZIP code area. Census figures: American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024.
Frequently asked questions
- What city is 33853 in?
- 33853 is a Lake Wales, FL mailing address. By land area, 72% lies inside Lake Wales; the rest is outside any Census-defined city or community.
- What county is 33853 in?
- 33853 is in Polk County.
- What is the population of 33853?
- About 12,674 people (±881), according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020–2024. The 2020 Census counted 12,404.
- What is the median household income in 33853?
- $44,474 (±$9,152), compared with $74,568 for Florida as a whole. Half the households in the ZIP code earn more and half earn less.
- How many carrier routes and mailboxes are in 33853?
- 8 USPS carrier routes with 5,419 residential and 586 business mailboxes (6,007 in all), from the route data stored by EDDM2GO. An EDDM mailing can target any combination of these routes.
- What ZIP codes are near 33853?
- The closest, measured center to center: 33859 (2.8 mi, Alturas), 33877 (6.1 mi, Waverly), 33827 (7.1 mi, Frostproof), 33838 (8.2 mi, Dundee), 33884 (8.2 mi, Winter Haven) and 33856 (10.1 mi).
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.