Street EconomicsData for Economic DevelopmentStreet Economics® · LocalFlare, a page for every Florida place, and the data behind it

Florida / Polk County / Bartow

LocalFlare

Bartow

City, Polk County. Population 23,135 (2025), +12.8% on the prior year, +19.8% since 2020 Last updated 2026-10-04.

PDF report Excel JSON

Bartow

Boundary: US Census Bureau TIGER/Line, simplified for drawing. 46.48 square miles of land.

Population

2025
Population23,135Population, April 1, 1979 to 2025197923.1k high2025
Change since the prior year+12.8%2024 to 2025
Change since 2020+19.8%2020 to 2025
Census 202019,3092020

University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research, Florida Estimates of Population, retrieved 2026-10-01 | Population estimates

More
Basis of the latest figureestimate2025

Population by year

April 1 of each year. Basis is census in a census year, otherwise BEBR's estimate.

YearPopulationBasisChange
202523,135estimate+12.8%
202420,502estimate+2.7%
202319,969estimate+1.6%
202219,653estimate+0.6%
202119,539estimate+1.2%
202019,309census-1.8%
201919,665estimate+1.7%
201819,342estimate+1.3%
201719,088estimate+1.1%
201618,888estimate+3.8%
201518,205estimate+2.2%
201417,812estimate+1.9%
201317,475estimate+0.9%
201217,316estimate0.0%
201117,323estimate+0.1%
201017,298census+1.7%
200917,007estimate-1.7%
200817,296estimate+4.7%
200716,515estimate+2.1%
200616,181estimate+0.9%
200516,043estimate+2.1%
200415,709estimate+1.4%
200315,492estimate+0.7%
200215,383estimate-0.2%
200115,411estimate+0.5%
200015,340census+1.0%
199915,187estimate+0.5%
199815,108estimate+1.2%
199714,925estimate-0.7%
199615,025estimate+0.7%
199514,927estimate+0.2%
199414,901estimate0.0%
199314,902estimate-0.7%
199215,002estimate+0.2%
199114,969estimaten/a
198916,638estimate+0.9%
198816,489estimate+0.1%
198716,475estimate+0.1%
198616,455estimate0.0%
198516,454estimate+3.1%
198415,962estimate+1.3%
198315,757estimate+1.2%
198215,568estimate+2.1%
198115,249estimaten/a
197913,870estimaten/a

Labor force (county figures)

Aug 2026

County figures, no city estimate published by FloridaCommerce

Unemployment rate (Polk County)5.6%Unemployment rate, not seasonally adjusted, Aug 2016 to Aug 2026Aug 201617.6% highAug 2026
Labor force (Polk County)364,197Aug 2026
Employment (Polk County)343,756Aug 2026
Unemployed (Polk County)20,441Aug 2026
Rate a year earlier5.3%Aug 2025
Labor force, change on a year earlier+0.8%Aug 2026

US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, retrieved 2026-10-01 | Labor force page

More
Latest month is preliminaryyesAug 2026

Monthly, last three years

Not seasonally adjusted. The latest month may be preliminary.

MonthLabor forceEmployedUnemployedRate
Aug 2026364,197343,75620,4415.6%
Jul 2026362,522341,41321,1095.8%
Jun 2026364,274343,47820,7965.7%
May 2026363,558343,57619,9825.5%
Apr 2026364,145343,85420,2915.6%
Mar 2026362,888343,28519,6035.4%
Feb 2026363,155342,11021,0455.8%
Jan 2026361,659339,79521,8646.0%
Dec 2025363,620343,70019,9205.5%
Nov 2025364,310342,70521,6055.9%
Sep 2025364,322345,52918,7935.2%
Aug 2025361,457342,33819,1195.3%
Jul 2025360,017341,49518,5225.1%
Jun 2025360,223342,53717,6864.9%
May 2025358,677342,94815,7294.4%
Apr 2025359,401344,73714,6644.1%
Mar 2025359,494344,32715,1674.2%
Feb 2025357,482342,30215,1804.2%
Jan 2025358,495342,73315,7624.4%
Dec 2024358,224344,05314,1714.0%
Nov 2024358,198342,42315,7754.4%
Oct 2024358,684343,09615,5884.3%
Sep 2024361,678345,66716,0114.4%
Aug 2024360,421342,88917,5324.9%
Jul 2024359,181341,85317,3284.8%
Jun 2024358,500342,03216,4684.6%
May 2024355,735341,95413,7813.9%
Apr 2024355,965343,23312,7323.6%
Mar 2024357,145343,50913,6363.8%
Feb 2024355,198341,45213,7463.9%
Jan 2024355,708341,35814,3504.0%
Dec 2023354,901341,89913,0023.7%
Nov 2023356,901343,19413,7073.8%
Oct 2023357,867343,56214,3054.0%
Sep 2023359,253345,17714,0763.9%
Aug 2023357,640342,62115,0194.2%

Annual averages

YearLabor forceEmployedUnemployedRate
2025360,682343,21417,4684.8%
2024357,886342,79315,0934.2%
2023354,607341,61112,9963.7%
2022345,008332,65612,3523.6%
2021335,175317,18617,9895.4%
2020324,916294,93729,9799.2%
2019312,351300,85811,4933.7%
2018304,709292,29412,4154.1%
2017299,416285,42013,9964.7%
2016294,128278,23215,8965.4%
2015279,675261,82217,8536.4%
2014276,988256,26120,7277.5%
2013277,216253,37323,8438.6%
2012275,040247,66427,37610.0%
2011276,095244,51331,58211.4%

Sales and visitor spending

12 months to Mar 2026
BusinessFlare® estimate, last 12 months$848.5M

Monthly series, visitor, resident and big ticket groups, chart and workbook with the pass. Get the pass / Sign in Wide error flag.

Pass holders: once signed in on the pass page, the monthly estimate loads here.

Economic Census geographic area series, retail trade and accommodation and food services, 2017 and 2022, retrieved 2026-10-01; BusinessFlare® city-level sales and visitor spending estimate (method and error; the figures are Street Economics Pass data), retrieved 2026-10-04 | How the estimate is made

More

BusinessFlare® estimate from public sources. The estimate anchors on the sales the US Census Bureau published for this place in the 2017 and 2022 Economic Census, for retail trade and for accommodation and food services, and moves them month by month with the county's sales tax returns by kind of business (Florida Department of Revenue Form 10). After the 2022 anchor the place's share of the county moves with the growth of its commercial property on the Department's 2026 tax roll, as submitted by the county property appraiser, by use code: stores, shopping centers, supermarkets and auto dealers for retail; restaurants, bars and hotels for accommodation and food. The three spending groups follow the county's kind code mix within each sector. Every place with both anchors was carried from 2017 to 2022 the same way and the landing on the 2022 Census figure is the published error.

A landing error over 25% carries a wide error flag. The error is published with every figure; an estimate is never shown without it. Rounded to the nearest hundred thousand dollars; the monthly series is pass data.

Statewide median error, 2017 to 2022 back-test15.7%2017 to 2022
Retail trade (NAICS 44-45): Census sales 2017$287M2017
Retail trade (NAICS 44-45): Census sales 2022$743M2022
Retail trade (NAICS 44-45): 2022 landing error41.5%2022
Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72): Census sales 2017$41.7M2017
Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72): Census sales 2022$57.8M2022
Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72): 2022 landing error9.2%2022

Economic Census anchors and the back-test

SectorCensus sales 2017Census sales 20222017 carried to 2022Landing error
Retail trade (NAICS 44-45)$287M$743M$435M41.5%
Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72)$41.7M$57.8M$63.1M9.2%
  • wide error: the 2017 carry-forward landed 41% from the 2022 Census figure for Retail trade (NAICS 44-45)

Business base

Aug 2026
Licensed food service, lodging and alcohol businesses134New licenses by month, Sep 2016 to Aug 2026Sep 20163 highAug 2026
Food service licenses65Aug 2026
Lodging licenses19Aug 2026
Alcoholic beverage licenses50Aug 2026
New licenses, last 12 months9Aug 2026
New business filings, last 12 months (postal city)594Sep 2026
Change on the 12 months before+22.0%Sep 2026
New filings, latest month43Sep 2026

County Business Patterns and ZIP Code Business Patterns, complete data files, retrieved 2026-10-01; Florida DBPR active licensure base files: public food service, public lodging and retail alcoholic beverage licenses, retrieved 2026-10-01; Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) bulk corporate data files, new entity filings by month, retrieved 2026-10-01 | Licenses Business formations

Licenses are placed inside the city limits by their geocoded address.

Business formations are by postal city: Bartow, which is not the city limits.

Establishments, employment and payroll are a ZIP code basis: ZIP codes 33830.

More
Establishments (ZIP basis)6472023
Employees, mid March (ZIP basis)9,9322023
Annual payroll (ZIP basis)$563M2023

Licenses by type

Counted licenses in DBPR's food service, lodging and alcoholic beverage files, placed by geocoded address.

License typeFileActive
2010-SEATfood52
2APSalcohol22
2003-NAPTlodging13
2COPalcohol12
2014-MFDVfood9
4COP-SFSalcohol6
3PSalcohol4
2010-NOSTfood4
4COPalcohol3
2002-MOTLlodging3
2001-HOTLlodging2
11Calcohol1
11CGalcohol1
13CTalcohol1
2007-DWEL-SNGLlodging1

Filings by entity type, last 12 months

Sunbiz new entity filings by the ZIP code of the principal address, grouped to the USPS postal city (postal city: Bartow)

Entity typeLast 12 months12 months before
Florida limited liability companies549421
Florida profit corporations2749
Florida non-profit corporations1714
Out of state entities registering in Florida13
Partnerships, trusts and other filings00

ZIP Code Business Patterns, 2023

ZIP codes 33830: the ZIP codes whose Census internal point falls inside the city limits. A ZIP code crosses the limits, so this is a ZIP basis, not the city.

ZIP codeEstablishmentsEmployeesAnnual payroll
338306479,932$563M

Building permits

Aug 2026
Housing units permitted, last 12 months240Housing units permitted by month, Sep 2016 to Aug 2026Sep 2016164 highAug 2026
Change on the 12 months before-44.2%Aug 2026
Permit valuation, last 12 months$99.2MAug 2026
Units, latest month17Aug 2026
Single family units, last 12 months234Aug 2026
Units in buildings of 5 or more, last 12 months0Aug 2026
Units, latest annual table4222025

US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place and county residential permits, retrieved 2026-10-01 | Building permits

More

Monthly, last three years

Residential permits as the Bureau publishes them; imputed months are the Bureau's imputations.

MonthUnits1 unit5 or moreValuation
Aug 202617170$6.2M
Jul 202642400$9.77M
Jun 2026330$1.26M
May 202635350$13.5M
Apr 202616160$6.44M
Mar 202613130$6.32M
Feb 202615150$6.6M
Jan 2026880$3.36M
Dec 202513130$5.4M
Nov 202517170$17.2M
Oct 202531270$12.2M
Sep 202530300$10.9M
Aug 202511110$4.52M
Jul 202518180$7.65M
Jun 202564640$23.8M
May 202512100$5.4M
Apr 2025522131$16.7M
Mar 202545450$17.9M
Feb 202561610$23.5M
Jan 202568680$28.4M
Dec 20241080$3.54M
Nov 202420180$8.34M
Oct 202425230$10.2M
Sep 202444440$18.8M
Aug 202446460$16.5M
Jul 202471710$27.9M
Jun 2024990$4.04M
May 20241637584$35.4M
Apr 202481810$31.9M
Mar 202451490$19.8M
Feb 202442400$16.2M
Jan 202447470$16.6M
Dec 202320180$6.19M
Nov 202369960$16.2M
Oct 20231648156$32.2M
Sep 2023990$2.6M

Annual table

YearUnits1 unit5 or moreValuation
202542238531$174M
202460951184$209M
2023569313246$144M
20222742630$80M
202164600$16.9M
202058560$10.7M
201938380$6.61M
201859590$11.1M
201756560$10.8M
201653530$11.2M
20151148628$22.7M
20141131130$22.1M
20131179918$21.1M
201255550$8.75M
2011271710$4.66M

Property roll

2026 preliminary
Total just value$2.51B
Total taxable value (non school)$1.36B2026 preliminary
Total taxable value (school)$1.59B2026 preliminary
Just value, change on the prior roll+2.9%2025 final roll to 2026 preliminary
Taxable value (non school), change on the prior roll+7.4%2025 final roll to 2026 preliminary
Total just value, prior roll$2.43B2025 final roll
New construction value$50.5M2026 preliminary
Parcels10,0512026 preliminary

Florida Department of Revenue, NAL tax roll, 2026 preliminary and final as posted, retrieved 2026-10-03

Parcels are placed by Census block group through the Census Bureau's block assignment file; a parcel in a block group that straddles the limits is apportioned. Census 2020 block groups; 59% of the county's just value lies in a place. Medians are over the parcels whose block group lies mostly in the place. Qualified sales: the roll's own sale fields, qualification codes 01 and 02, improved, single parcel.

More
Median single family just value$231K2026 preliminary
Qualified sales, last 12 months509Jun 2025 to May 2026
Median qualified sale price$305KJun 2025 to May 2026
Just value, residential$1.73B2026 preliminary
Just value, commercial$234M2026 preliminary
Just value, industrial$93.8M2026 preliminary
Just value, agricultural$69.2M2026 preliminary
Just value, vacant$72.5M2026 preliminary
Just value, institutional$80.5M2026 preliminary
Just value, government$205M2026 preliminary
Just value, other$24.5M2026 preliminary

Just value by use group

Department of Revenue land use codes grouped: residential 001 to 009, commercial 011 to 039, industrial 041 to 049, agricultural 050 to 069, vacant 000, 010, 040 and 070, institutional 071 to 079, government 080 to 089, other 090 to 099. Taxable is the non school taxable value. Just value change compares with the 2025 final roll, summed the same way.

Use groupParcelsJust valueTaxable (non school)New constructionResidential unitsJust value change
Residential7,233$1.73B$991M$47.4M8,426+3.4%
Commercial329$234M$205M$1.36Mn/a+2.6%
Industrial61$93.8M$66.5M$627Kn/a+1.0%
Agricultural215$69.2M$13.8M$292Kn/a+1.0%
Vacant1,476$72.5M$60.8M$1.0Kn/a+13.7%
Institutional97$80.5M$2.41M$17.9Kn/a-1.9%
Government302$205M$53.5K$802Kn/a-0.2%
Other338$24.5M$22.2M$0n/a-2.2%

Housing

2020 to 2024 ACS
Housing units8,019Homeownership rate, 1990 to 2024199070.0% high2024
Occupied units7,4392020 to 2024 ACS
Vacant units5802020 to 2024 ACS
Owner occupied households4,9012020-2024 5-Year
Renter occupied households2,5382020-2024 5-Year
Homeownership rate65.9%2020 to 2024 ACS
Cost burdened households, all tenures (over 30% of income)24.8%2025
Cost burdened renter households41.6%2025

Shimberg Center for Housing Studies, Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse, retrieved 2026-10-01 | Housing data

More
Severely cost burdened renters (over 50%)27.3%2025
Assisted housing developments5Assisted Housing Inventory
Assisted units606Assisted Housing Inventory
Median gross rent$1.14K2020 to 2024 ACS
Median single family sale price$318K2024

Cost burden by income, 2025

Households by the share of income spent on housing, Shimberg Center estimates for 2025.

TenureIncome (share of area median)30% or less30.1 to 50%Over 50%
All households30% AMI or less113109510
All households30.01-50% AMI330172482
All households50.01-80% AMI1,058376115
All households80.01-120% AMI57519663
All householdsGreater than 120% AMI4,342835
Renters30% AMI or less2564382
Renters30.01-50% AMI184102380
Renters50.01-80% AMI49524889
Renters80.01-120% AMI108310
RentersGreater than 120% AMI1,00400
Owners30% AMI or less8845128
Owners30.01-50% AMI14670102
Owners50.01-80% AMI56312826
Owners80.01-120% AMI46716563
OwnersGreater than 120% AMI3,338835

Single family sales by year

YearMedian priceSales
1996$59K127
1997$59.5K111
1998$63.5K130
1999$65K179
2000$68K138
2001$70K161
2002$73K159
2003$82K182
2004$93K235
2005$120K289
2006$158K293
2007$171K188
2008$160K87
2009$130K93
2010$95K87
2011$77K103
2012$94.5K134
2013$105K198
2014$138K195
2015$142K253

Assisted housing developments

Shimberg Center Assisted Housing Inventory.

DevelopmentAddressCityUnitsAssisted
Peninsula at Bartow1400 Old Eagle Lake RoadBartow160160
Summerlin Oaks980 E Church StreetBartow144144
Azalea Gardens1050 Golfview AvenueBartow120120
Manor at West Bartow850 N Gordon AvenueBartow100100
Carver Village1060 S Woodlawn Ave Apt 18Bartow8282

Fiscal

Sep 2026
Half-cent sales tax, latest month$120KHalf-cent sales tax distributions by month, Oct 2016 to Sep 2026Oct 2016$162K highSep 2026
Half-cent sales tax, fiscal year to date$1.44MFY2026 to Sep 2026
Half-cent sales tax, last 12 months$1.44MSep 2026
Half-cent sales tax, change on the 12 months before-4.9%Sep 2026
State revenue sharing, latest month$91.1KSep 2026
State revenue sharing, fiscal year to date$1.02MFY2026 to Sep 2026
State revenue sharing, last 12 months$1.02MSep 2026
State revenue sharing, change on the 12 months before+8.1%Sep 2026

Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research, Expenditures and Revenues Reported by Florida's County and Municipal Governments, retrieved 2026-10-01; Florida Department of Revenue, Revenue Confirmation Online, distributions to local governments, retrieved 2026-10-01; Florida Department of Financial Services, LOGERx local government Annual Financial Report data, long-term debt outstanding, retrieved 2026-10-04 | Distributions Annual financial report

More
Total revenues$145MFY2024
Revenues, change on the year before+25.2%FY2024
Total expenditures$118MFY2024
Expenditures, change on the year before+16.3%FY2024
Revenues per resident$7.06KFY2024
Long-term debt outstanding at year end$29.7MFY2025
Long-term debt, change on the year before+24.5%FY2025

Half-cent sales tax, monthly distributions

As the Department of Revenue's ledger prints them; a blank month is a month with no line.

MonthDistributed
Sep 2026$120K
Aug 2026$118K
Jul 2026$117K
Jun 2026$124K
May 2026$131K
Apr 2026$122K
Mar 2026$117K
Feb 2026$129K
Jan 2026$112K
Dec 2025$119K
Nov 2025$115K
Oct 2025$112K
Sep 2025$127K
Aug 2025$123K
Jul 2025$128K
Jun 2025$135K
May 2025$139K
Apr 2025$134K
Mar 2025$121K
Feb 2025$133K
Jan 2025$122K
Dec 2024$122K
Nov 2024$111K
Oct 2024$114K
Sep 2024$126K
Aug 2024$123K
Jul 2024$128K
Jun 2024$135K
May 2024$143K
Apr 2024$137K
Mar 2024$126K
Feb 2024$139K
Jan 2024$125K
Dec 2023$129K
Nov 2023$126K
Oct 2023$130K

State revenue sharing, monthly distributions

As the Department of Revenue's ledger prints them; a blank month is a month with no line.

MonthDistributed
Sep 2026$91.1K
Aug 2026$91.1K
Jul 2026$91.1K
Jun 2026$81.6K
May 2026$81.6K
Apr 2026$81.6K
Mar 2026$81.6K
Feb 2026$81.6K
Jan 2026$81.6K
Dec 2025$87.1K
Nov 2025$87.1K
Oct 2025$87.1K
Sep 2025$89.6K
Aug 2025$89.6K
Jul 2025$89.6K
Jun 2025$73.8K
May 2025$73.8K
Apr 2025$73.8K
Mar 2025$73.8K
Feb 2025$73.8K
Jan 2025$73.8K
Dec 2024$73.8K
Nov 2024$81K
Oct 2024$81K
Sep 2024$81K
Aug 2024$81K
Jul 2024$81K
Jun 2024$85.2K
May 2024$85.2K
Apr 2024$85.2K
Mar 2024$85.2K
Feb 2024$85.2K
Jan 2024$85.2K
Dec 2023$85.2K
Nov 2023$85.2K
Oct 2023$85.2K

Long-term debt by fiscal year

Total long-term debt outstanding at fiscal year end, all funds, as the government reported it to the Department of Financial Services in its Annual Financial Report.

Fiscal yearDebt outstandingChange
FY2025$29.7M+24.5%
FY2024$23.8M-11.8%
FY2023$27M-6.2%
FY2022$28.8M+56.8%
FY2021$18.4M-11.5%
FY2020$20.8M-10.0%
FY2019$23.1M-9.5%
FY2018$25.5M-22.9%
FY2017$33.1M+11.6%
FY2016$29.6M-5.5%
FY2015$31.4M-4.3%
FY2014$32.7M-4.9%
FY2013$34.4Mn/a

Revenues by category, FY2024

Sum of the fund columns in EDR's workbook for this government.

CategoryFY2024FY2023Change
General Government Taxes$12.5M$9.5M+31.8%
Permits, Fees, and Special Assessments$14.9M$6.52M+129.1%
Intergovernmental Revenues$10.7M$11.1M-3.2%
Charges for Services$61.7M$60.4M+2.2%
Judgments, Fines, and Forfeits$113K$116K-2.4%
Miscellaneous Revenues$27.4M$14.3M+91.5%
Other Sources$17.2M$13.6M+26.2%
Taxesn/an/an/a
Intergovernmental Revenuen/an/an/a
Permits and Franchise Feesn/an/an/a

Expenditures by category, FY2024

Sum of the fund columns in EDR's workbook for this government.

CategoryFY2024FY2023Change
General Government Services (Not Court-Related)$18.5M$11.7M+58.7%
Public Safety$12.9M$12.1M+7.0%
Physical Environment$46.4M$47.9M-3.1%
Transportation$9.88M$7.76M+27.4%
Economic Environment$2.29M$1.18M+95.1%
Culture / Recreation$15.1M$8.71M+73.8%
Other Uses and Non-Operating$12.7M$12M+5.3%
Other Usesn/an/an/a

Bank deposits

June 30, 2026
Deposits (offices reporting this city)$494MDeposits, June 30 each year, 1994 to 20261994$759M high2026
Change on a year earlier+5.8%June 30, 2026
Change, real+2.5%June 30, 2026
Branches4June 30, 2026
Institutions4June 30, 2026
Branches opened since the survey a year earlier0June 30, 2026
Branches closed since the survey a year earlier0June 30, 2026

FDIC Summary of Deposits, Florida offices, every June 30 since 1994, retrieved 2026-10-01 | Bank deposits

Offices whose reported city is Bartow.

More

Offices, June 30, 2026

Deposits as each office reports them to the FDIC; the city is the one the bank reports, not a municipal boundary.

InstitutionBranchAddressCityDeposits
Citizens Bank and TrustBartow Office Branch1450 N Broadway AveBartow$148M
SouthState Bank, National AssociationBartow Branch1375 N Broadway AveBartow$137M
Truist BankBartow Branch255 W Main StBartow$135M
Wells Fargo Bank, National AssociationBartow Branch205 S Broadway AveBartow$74.5M

Sources on this page

Cards not shown

Every figure on this page is read from the place file below, which carries each figure with its value, period, source, source URL and retrieval date.

Downloads

PDF report Excel workbook JSON

The PDF carries the same figures and source lines as this page. The workbook has one sheet per card. The JSON is the place file every page, export and feed reads, at a stable public path: /data/localflare/places/1203675.json. The index of every place is at /data/localflare/index.json.