3 Interesting Things You Likely Didn't Know About Lakeland, Florida

Lakeland is a smaller metro area with an old-Florida, small-town feel located in Central Florida between two of the state’s major cities, Orlando and Tampa.

This location makes Lakeland well-known for its easy access to Orlando’s major attractions like Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, less than 50 miles away, and Tampa’s historic Ybor City and International Plaza, less than 40 miles away. (Also, some of the best beaches in the nation, like Clearwater Beach and St. Pete Beach, are 60 miles way, and well worth the drive.)

Here are three interesting things you may not know about Lakeland:

# 1: Lakeland is a top-rated place to retire and one of the best places in Florida to live, says a major national ranking.

U.S. News & World Report analyzed 150 metro areas in the U.S. based on factors like quality of life, job availability and other characteristics that would make people desire to live in a certain city. And Lakeland fared well – actually, very well, in some key categories.

National rankings include: # 18 in the magazine’s ranking of Best Places to Retire, which considered cost of living, and # 7 in Fastest-Growing Places as measured by the growth of population over the past five years. Also, Lakeland was ranked # 61 in Best Places to Live, almost reaching the top third of those metro areas analyzed. Additionally, Lakeland was named # 9 in Best Places to Live in Florida.

# 2: Lakeland has four colleges and nearly 40,000 students.

You probably don’t think of Lakeland as a college town, but there are four colleges offering a wide range of educational opportunities.

Polk State College, established in 1964, is a multi-campus institution with more than 20,000 undergraduate students in Central Florida that offers bachelor’s and associate’s degrees

as well as a wide range of certificate and workforce training options. Many adults of varying ages gain technical and continuing education.

Florida Polytechnic University, which offers various STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) degrees to nearly 1,500 students, is ranked as one of the “5 Best Universities in Southern States for Tech Students,” according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual college rankings.

There are also two church-affiliated colleges. Southeastern University is a private college, founded in 1935, of nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students that is affiliated with the Assemblies of God. And Florida Southern College is a smaller, private college of less than 5,000 students affiliated with the Methodist Church that is best known for its 13-acre Frank Lloyd Wright-designed campus that attracts students from all over the country, part of why it has been ranked # 1 for “Most Beautiful” in the nation for two consecutive years by The Princeton Review.

# 3: Lakeland is a place where homebuyers can get “big bang for your buck.”

Lakeland is growing in popularity among both young families and retirees, in large part because it is more financially affordable when compared to many other Florida metro areas. Reasonable home prices are part of that equation.

For example, take the new home community of BridgeWater, a 575-acre master-planned suburban community coming soon from William Ryan Homes Tampa Division. This community has a lot to offer, like a clubhouse, swimming pool, fitness center, tennis and basketball courts, fishing dock, and canoe launch pad – all surrounded by gorgeous lakes. And, the wildly popular community is across the street from Florida Polytechnic University.

William Ryan Homes Tampa is offering five floor plans ranging from 1,488 to 2,490 square feet, with prices starting in the mid $200s. All homes will come with a covered lanai and a 2-car garage.

Learn more at BridgeWater | New Homes for Sale in Lakeland, FL.