Best Neighborhoods to Buy a Home in Lakeland

How to read these Lakeland neighborhood numbers

Each figure is Zillow's typical home value for all home types in that neighborhood, so an area with many condos or small older homes will read lower than one with mostly newer single-family houses. Zillow's boundaries don't always match what locals call an area or what a subdivision sign says, and Zillow lists two different areas named Kathleen with very different values. Use the numbers to narrow a search, then look at actual sales on the streets you like.

Citywide, values are down 1.2% over a year and up 19.5% over five. Most neighborhoods fall within a few points of that, but several stand out in both directions.

Top of the market: $350,000 and up

• Lake Hollingsworth, about $476,701 (up 2.2% in a year, 20.8% in five). The area around the lake of the same name, with Florida Southern College on its north shore and a walking loop around the water. Older homes, many updated, and lakefront properties at the top of the city's range.
• Lakeland Highlands, about $399,669 (down 0.1%, up 20.2%). South Lakeland, mostly single-family homes, many on larger lots, with easy access to the Polk Parkway.
• South Lake Morton, about $353,100 (up 2.5%, up 21.5%). A historic district just south of downtown and Lake Morton, with early 20th-century houses and bungalows.

Lake Hollingsworth and South Lake Morton were two of only a handful of Lakeland neighborhoods with a gain over the last year.

The middle: $240,000 to $350,000

This is where most Lakeland buyers end up, and the range of housing is wide.

• $300,000 to $350,000: Medulla ($332,145, down 1.8%, up 18.6%), Lake Horney ($329,845, down 1.4%, up 20.9%) and the higher-priced Kathleen area ($326,330, down 0.3%, up 28.1%). That Kathleen figure has the strongest five-year gain on the list.
• $270,000 to $300,000: Edgewood ($299,102), Gibsonia ($298,329), Lake Somerset ($272,561) and East Lake Morton ($272,235). East Lake Morton rose 1.7% in the past year and 25.8% over five, one of the better records in the city.
• $240,000 to $270,000: Southwest ($260,936), Camphor ($260,502), Cleveland Heights ($254,960), Dixieland ($243,809) and Lake Bonny ($241,494). Dixieland, south of downtown, is one of the city's historic districts; Cleveland Heights is built around the city's golf course of the same name. Both Dixieland (down 3.2%) and Southwest (down 2.9%) slipped more than the city over the past year.

Entry-level Lakeland: under $240,000

About half of Zillow's Lakeland neighborhoods sit under $240,000: Lake Bentley ($234,979), Combee Settlement ($216,877), Shore Acres ($216,302), Crystal Lake ($214,104), Lakeshore ($200,373), the lower-priced Kathleen area ($196,745), Winston ($192,839), Imperial ($185,259), Parker Street ($180,560), Central Avenue ($175,548), Webster Park North ($171,608), Webster Park South ($171,410), Paul A. Diggs ($163,176), Westgate ($161,158) and North Lake Wire ($159,280).

Trends here vary the most. Winston (up 1.0%) and Parker Street (up 4.3%) gained over the past year, while Central Avenue (down 9.2%), Lakeshore (down 7.6%), North Lake Wire (down 7.2%) and both Webster Park areas (about 7% down) fell the most. Over five years, Webster Park South (26.1%), Winston (24.9%) and Shore Acres (24.8%) are near the top, while Westgate (3.8%) and Imperial (5.1%) barely moved.

Lower-priced areas often have older, smaller homes. Budget for the 4-point inspection items: roof, panel, plumbing and HVAC.

Price trend vs price level: picking a Lakeland neighborhood

Two patterns are worth knowing. First, Lakeland's higher-priced lake districts held their value better over the past year than most cheaper areas. Second, many entry-level neighborhoods rose more than the city over five years, but they also swing more year to year. Neither tells you what happens next. Both tell you what kind of volatility you are buying into.

A one-year drop of 7% to 9% in a small neighborhood can come from just a few sales and often reflects a mix of homes that sold, not a whole area falling. Before you rely on a trend, look at the actual sales list.

Matching a Lakeland neighborhood to your situation

A few common buyer profiles and where the numbers point:

• Walkable, older character, budget over $350,000: the lake districts near downtown, led by Lake Hollingsworth and South Lake Morton.
• More space and a newer house for $300,000 to $400,000: south Lakeland around Lakeland Highlands and Medulla, where single-family homes dominate.
• First home under $250,000: Lake Bentley, Lake Bonny, Dixieland or Cleveland Heights for established streets; Shore Acres or Winston for lower prices with a strong five-year record.
• Lowest price with room to renovate: the areas near $160,000 to $185,000, with a careful inspection and a renovation budget in hand.

Treat these as a starting map. Two streets in the same Zillow neighborhood can differ more than two neighborhoods do.

What to check in any Lakeland neighborhood

• Flood zone, street by street. Areas near lakes can include FEMA A-zone lots right next to ones outside the zone.
• CDD and HOA. Newer subdivisions in the south and on the edges often carry both; the historic districts usually have neither.
• Historic district rules. In designated districts, exterior changes may need city review.
• The drive. North Lakeland is closer to I-4; south Lakeland to the Polk Parkway and Bartow.

Once you know your budget and your daily drive, two or three neighborhoods usually rise to the top, and the shortlist writes itself.