Lakeland, FL Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions: Lakeland, FL Crime & Safety (2026)

Is Lakeland, FL safe?

Lakeland earns an overall crime grade of C+, placing it in the moderate safety tier among Florida cities. Of the 42 neighborhoods analyzed, 67% — 28 neighborhoods — received an A or B grade, meaning roughly two-thirds of the city is considered safe or very safe. At the other end of the spectrum, 10% of neighborhoods (4 areas) earned a D or F grade, signaling elevated risk. Neighborhoods like Lake Hollingsworth (A), Beacon Hill (A), and Lake Horney (A) consistently rank among the safest, driven by higher median incomes — Lake Hollingsworth's median household income is $110,624, well above the city-wide median of $50,136. Areas such as Webster Park South (F) and Kathleen (F) require more caution. Overall, Lakeland is reasonably safe for residents who choose their neighborhood carefully.

What is the crime rate in Lakeland, FL?

Lakeland's city-wide safety rating is Moderate (C), with an overall crime grade of C+ across a population of 300,268. Breaking down the 42 analyzed neighborhoods: 38.1% earned an A grade (16 neighborhoods), 28.6% earned a B grade (12 neighborhoods), 23.8% landed in the C range (10 neighborhoods), and 9.5% received D or F grades (4 neighborhoods). The city's unemployment rate of 6.2% and poverty rate of 15.5% are contextual factors that correlate with crime concentration in lower-graded areas like North Lake Wire (D) and Jewel Avenue (C-). Property crime — particularly vehicle-related offenses and burglary — tends to be more prevalent than violent crime across the city, though both categories are more concentrated in the F- and D-graded neighborhoods.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Lakeland, FL?

Ten neighborhoods earned an A grade in Lakeland's 2026 analysis, representing 38.1% of all neighborhoods studied. The top performers are:

• Lake Hollingsworth — Grade A, median income $110,624, population 3,687. One of the wealthiest and safest areas in the city.
• Lake Horney — Grade A, median income $87,638. A smaller community with strong safety metrics.
• Beacon Hill — Grade A, median income $85,080. A compact neighborhood with very low crime incidence.
• Lake Somerset — Grade A, median income $78,049, population 2,352. Combines affordability with strong safety.
• Cumberland — Grade A, median income $63,710. A smaller enclave with consistently low crime.
• Edgewood — Grade A, median income $62,332.
• Lake Bentley — Grade A, median income $57,271, population 2,811.
• Imperial — Grade A, median income $56,786.
• Cleveland Heights — Grade A, median income $59,810, population 1,879.
• South Lake Morton — Grade A, median income $52,157, population 2,353.

Collectively, these A-grade neighborhoods house a diverse range of incomes and population sizes, demonstrating that safety in Lakeland is not exclusively tied to wealth — neighborhoods like South Lake Morton maintain an A grade despite a median income closer to the city average.

Which areas of Lakeland have the highest crime?

The bottom 10% of Lakeland neighborhoods by safety grade include four areas that warrant heightened awareness. Webster Park South and Kathleen both received F grades, the lowest tier in the analysis. North Lake Wire earned a D grade, while Jewel Avenue and Parker Street both sit at C-, just below the city average. These areas tend to have higher concentrations of both property and violent crime relative to Lakeland's safer neighborhoods. The contrast is stark: the median household income in top-rated Lake Hollingsworth ($110,624) is dramatically higher than in the lower-graded zones, reflecting the strong correlation between economic indicators and neighborhood safety grades. Residents and visitors are encouraged to consult the interactive crime map to view specific incident patterns within these areas.

Is Lakeland a good place to live in 2026?

For most residents, yes — with some important caveats. 67% of Lakeland's neighborhoods carry an A or B safety grade, and the city's median home value of $152,607 makes it significantly more affordable than Tampa or Orlando, where values are often two to three times higher. The median rent of $1,056 is also accessible relative to broader Florida markets. On the economic side, a median household income of $50,136 and an unemployment rate of 6.2% are modest but functional, though the 15.5% poverty rate does contribute to crime pressure in specific corridors. Families prioritizing safety would do well to focus on A-graded neighborhoods like Lake Somerset, Cleveland Heights, or South Lake Morton, which offer strong safety profiles at income levels closer to the city median. Lakeland's overall C+ crime grade reflects a city that is neither exceptionally dangerous nor entirely carefree — informed neighborhood selection makes a significant difference in quality of life.

How does Lakeland's neighborhood safety compare across income levels?

The data across Lakeland's 42 neighborhoods reveals a clear but not absolute relationship between income and safety. Among the 16 A-grade neighborhoods, median incomes range from $52,157 (South Lake Morton) to $110,624 (Lake Hollingsworth) — a spread of nearly $60,000. This means that high safety grades are achievable even at moderate income levels. In contrast, the F-graded areas like Webster Park South and Kathleen tend to align with lower economic indicators. The city-wide median income of $50,136 sits at the lower end of the A-grade range, suggesting that Lakeland residents at or near the median can still find safe neighborhoods — particularly in areas like South Lake Morton, Imperial, and Lake Bentley, all graded A with median incomes between $52,000 and $57,000. The 28.6% of neighborhoods graded B further expands the pool of reasonably safe, affordable options across the city.