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Florida / Polk County / Fort Meade

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Fort Meade

City, Polk County. Population 5,179 (2025), -0.8% on the prior year, +1.5% since 2020 Last updated 2026-10-04.

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BusinessFlare® GIS, live. 8.18 square miles of land inside the limits.

Population

2025
Population5,179Population, April 1, 1979 to 202519796k high2025
Change since the prior year-0.8%2024 to 2025
Change since 2020+1.5%2020 to 2025
Census 20205,1002020

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

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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
20255,179estimate-0.8%
20245,219estimate+4.3%
20235,006estimate-3.2%
20225,173estimate+1.3%
20215,107estimate+0.1%
20205,100census-11.9%
20195,786estimate-3.5%
20185,993estimate+4.5%
20175,736estimate-0.8%
20165,782estimate+0.7%
20155,741estimate-3.6%
20145,955estimate+3.8%
20135,737estimate+2.5%
20125,595estimate-0.2%
20115,607estimate-0.3%
20105,626census-2.4%
20095,766estimate-1.7%
20085,864estimate-2.1%
20075,987estimate+1.9%
20065,877estimate+0.8%
20055,833estimate+0.1%
20045,828estimate0.0%
20035,828estimate+1.4%
20025,747estimate+0.2%
20015,735estimate+0.8%
20005,691census+4.2%
19995,459estimate0.0%
19985,457estimate-0.1%
19975,465estimate+0.2%
19965,455estimate-1.1%
19955,517estimate+2.4%
19945,389estimate+2.7%
19935,247estimate+0.1%
19925,241estimate+5.9%
19914,947estimaten/a
19895,934estimate+0.6%
19885,899estimate+0.3%
19875,884estimate+2.3%
19865,751estimate-0.8%
19855,796estimate+0.6%
19845,760estimate+0.9%
19835,706estimate+0.2%
19825,692estimate-1.3%
19815,767estimaten/a
19794,684estimaten/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

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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$97.2M

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

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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$74.7M2017
Retail trade (NAICS 44-45): Census sales 2022$81M2022
Retail trade (NAICS 44-45): 2022 landing error39.4%2022
Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72): Census sales 2017$4.31M2017
Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72): Census sales 2022$6.61M2022
Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72): 2022 landing error16.7%2022

Economic Census anchors and the back-test

SectorCensus sales 2017Census sales 20222017 carried to 2022Landing error
Retail trade (NAICS 44-45)$74.7M$81M$113M39.4%
Accommodation and food services (NAICS 72)$4.31M$6.61M$7.72M16.7%
  • wide error: the 2017 carry-forward landed 39% from the 2022 Census figure for Retail trade (NAICS 44-45)

Business base

Aug 2026
Licensed food service, lodging and alcohol businesses35New licenses by month, Sep 2016 to Aug 2026Sep 20162 highAug 2026
Food service licenses19Aug 2026
Lodging licenses4Aug 2026
Alcoholic beverage licenses12Aug 2026
New licenses, last 12 months6Aug 2026
New business filings, last 12 months (postal city)139Sep 2026
Change on the 12 months before+23.0%Sep 2026
New filings, latest month7Sep 2026

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: Fort Meade, which is not the city limits.

No ZIP code has its Census internal point inside this place, so ZIP Code Business Patterns are not shown.

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Licenses by type

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

License typeFileActive
2010-SEATfood11
2APSalcohol10
2010-NOSTfood4
2014-MFDVfood4
2003-NAPTlodging4
3PSalcohol1
4COPalcohol1

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: Fort Meade)

Entity typeLast 12 months12 months before
Florida limited liability companies117102
Florida profit corporations155
Florida non-profit corporations76
Out of state entities registering in Florida00
Partnerships, trusts and other filings00

Building permits

Aug 2026
Housing units permitted, last 12 months12Housing units permitted by month, Sep 2016 to Aug 2026Sep 201611 highAug 2026
Change on the 12 months before-33.3%Aug 2026
Permit valuation, last 12 months$2.12MAug 2026
Units, latest month1Aug 2026
Single family units, last 12 months12Aug 2026
Units in buildings of 5 or more, last 12 months0Aug 2026
Units, latest annual table92025

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

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Monthly, last three years

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

MonthUnits1 unit5 or moreValuation
Aug 2026110$150K
Jul 2026000$0
Jun 2026330$461K
May 2026110$190K
Apr 2026000$0
Mar 2026220$300K
Feb 2026000$0
Jan 2026110$165K
Dec 2025330$755K
Nov 2025000$0
Oct 2025110$100K
Sep 2025000$0
Aug 2025000$0
Jul 2025000$0
Jun 2025000$0
May 2025000$0
Apr 2025110$309K
Mar 2025000$0
Feb 2025220$314K
Jan 2025220$390K
Dec 2024220$375K
Nov 20241110$1.23M
Oct 2024000$0
Sep 2024000$0
Aug 2024660$1.2M
Jul 2024440$735K
Jun 2024330$550K
May 2024000$0
Apr 2024110$150K
Mar 2024330$492K
Feb 2024220$395K
Jan 2024110$175K
Dec 2023000$0
Nov 2023110$170K
Oct 2023110$150K
Sep 2023220$450K

Annual table

YearUnits1 unit5 or moreValuation
2025990$1.87M
202433230$5.31M
202315150$2.86M
202228280$4.07M
202120200$2.75M
2020880$768K
2019440$437K
2018330$353K
2017220$458K
2016220$167K
2015330$250K
2014110$76.5K
2013110$76.5K
2012990$689K
2011550$383K

Property roll

2026 preliminary
Total just value$441M
Total taxable value (non school)$214M2026 preliminary
Total taxable value (school)$258M2026 preliminary
Just value, change on the prior roll+5.4%2025 final roll to 2026 preliminary
Taxable value (non school), change on the prior roll+7.5%2025 final roll to 2026 preliminary
Total just value, prior roll$418M2025 final roll
New construction value$6.34M2026 preliminary
Parcels2,4542026 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.

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Median single family just value$178K2026 preliminary
Qualified sales, last 12 months65Jun 2025 to May 2026
Median qualified sale price$220KJun 2025 to May 2026
Just value, residential$308M2026 preliminary
Just value, commercial$31.4M2026 preliminary
Just value, industrial$10.4M2026 preliminary
Just value, agricultural$31.9M2026 preliminary
Just value, vacant$11.6M2026 preliminary
Just value, institutional$14.4M2026 preliminary
Just value, government$21.7M2026 preliminary
Just value, other$11.2M2026 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
Residential1,601$308M$149M$4.07M1,748+5.2%
Commercial94$31.4M$29.7M$2.24Mn/a+9.0%
Industrial11$10.4M$10.2M$14.8Kn/a+1.5%
Agricultural120$31.9M$7.52M$26.9Kn/a+9.1%
Vacant416$11.6M$7.7M$0n/a+6.2%
Institutional34$14.4M$3.88K$0n/a-4.4%
Government80$21.7M$70.8K$0n/a+5.4%
Other97$11.2M$9.94M$0n/a+8.2%

Housing

2020 to 2024 ACS
Housing units2,717Homeownership rate, 1990 to 2024199074.9% high2024
Occupied units2,1962020 to 2024 ACS
Vacant units5212020 to 2024 ACS
Owner occupied households1,5382020-2024 5-Year
Renter occupied households6582020-2024 5-Year
Homeownership rate70.0%2020 to 2024 ACS
Cost burdened households, all tenures (over 30% of income)26.3%2025
Cost burdened renter households56.0%2025

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

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Severely cost burdened renters (over 50%)32.6%2025
Assisted housing developments2Assisted Housing Inventory
Assisted units83Assisted Housing Inventory
Median gross rent$0.9K2020 to 2024 ACS
Median single family sale price$225K2024

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 less549399
All households30.01-50% AMI19920210
All households50.01-80% AMI3624214
All households80.01-120% AMI118330
All householdsGreater than 120% AMI70804
Renters30% AMI or less334843
Renters30.01-50% AMI1913105
Renters50.01-80% AMI383810
Renters80.01-120% AMI67140
RentersGreater than 120% AMI5600
Owners30% AMI or less214556
Owners30.01-50% AMI1807105
Owners50.01-80% AMI32444
Owners80.01-120% AMI51190
OwnersGreater than 120% AMI65204

Single family sales by year

YearMedian priceSales
1996$45K44
1997$49K33
1998$55.5K46
1999$47K37
2000$53K44
2001$53.3K28
2002$54.2K40
2003$68K44
2004$72.2K52
2005$83K77
2006$110K63
2007$122K45
2008$118K23
2009$87.5K20
2010$67.5K18
2011$66.2K14
2012$35.3K16
2013$60K29
2014$58K29
2015$65K43

Assisted housing developments

Shimberg Center Assisted Housing Inventory.

DevelopmentAddressCityUnitsAssisted
Charlton Court701 S. HENDRY AVENUEFort Meade4949
Broadway Terrace Ap923 E BROADWAY STFort Meade3434

Fiscal

Sep 2026
Half-cent sales tax, latest month$30.8KHalf-cent sales tax distributions by month, Oct 2016 to Sep 2026Oct 2016$45.8K highSep 2026
Half-cent sales tax, fiscal year to date$368KFY2026 to Sep 2026
Half-cent sales tax, last 12 months$368KSep 2026
Half-cent sales tax, change on the 12 months before-3.6%Sep 2026
State revenue sharing, latest month$26.1KSep 2026
State revenue sharing, fiscal year to date$325KFY2026 to Sep 2026
State revenue sharing, last 12 months$325KSep 2026
State revenue sharing, change on the 12 months before+3.0%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

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Total revenues$21.7MFY2024
Revenues, change on the year before-1.6%FY2024
Total expenditures$18.5MFY2024
Expenditures, change on the year before-10.2%FY2024
Revenues per resident$4.16KFY2024
Long-term debt outstanding at year end$6.22MFY2024
Long-term debt, change on the year before-1.6%FY2024

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$30.8K
Aug 2026$30.2K
Jul 2026$30.1K
Jun 2026$31.7K
May 2026$33.7K
Apr 2026$31.3K
Mar 2026$30K
Feb 2026$33.1K
Jan 2026$28.7K
Dec 2025$30.5K
Nov 2025$29.4K
Oct 2025$28.6K
Sep 2025$32.1K
Aug 2025$31.1K
Jul 2025$32.4K
Jun 2025$34.1K
May 2025$35.2K
Apr 2025$33.9K
Mar 2025$30.6K
Feb 2025$33.6K
Jan 2025$30.7K
Dec 2024$31K
Nov 2024$28.1K
Oct 2024$28.9K
Sep 2024$33.5K
Aug 2024$32.7K
Jul 2024$34.1K
Jun 2024$35.8K
May 2024$37.8K
Apr 2024$36.4K
Mar 2024$33.5K
Feb 2024$36.8K
Jan 2024$33.2K
Dec 2023$34.3K
Nov 2023$33.3K
Oct 2023$34.5K

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$26.1K
Aug 2026$26.1K
Jul 2026$26.1K
Jun 2026$26.9K
May 2026$26.9K
Apr 2026$26.9K
Mar 2026$26.9K
Feb 2026$26.9K
Jan 2026$26.9K
Dec 2025$28.6K
Nov 2025$28.6K
Oct 2025$28.6K
Sep 2025$29.3K
Aug 2025$29.3K
Jul 2025$29.3K
Jun 2025$24.8K
May 2025$24.8K
Apr 2025$24.8K
Mar 2025$24.8K
Feb 2025$24.8K
Jan 2025$24.8K
Dec 2024$24.8K
Nov 2024$27K
Oct 2024$27K
Sep 2024$27K
Aug 2024$27K
Jul 2024$27K
Jun 2024$28.4K
May 2024$28.4K
Apr 2024$28.4K
Mar 2024$28.4K
Feb 2024$28.4K
Jan 2024$28.4K
Dec 2023$28.4K
Nov 2023$28.4K
Oct 2023$28.4K

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
FY2024$6.22M-1.6%
FY2023$6.32M-8.7%
FY2022$6.92M+35.1%
FY2021$5.13M-2.8%
FY2020$5.28M+1.3%
FY2019$5.21M+3.9%
FY2018$5.01M-2.8%
FY2017$5.15M-4.6%
FY2016$5.4M-3.5%
FY2015$5.6M-2.3%
FY2014$5.73M-0.7%
FY2013$5.77Mn/a

Revenues by category, FY2024

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

CategoryFY2024FY2023Change
General Government Taxes$2.5M$2.38M+5.3%
Permits, Fees, and Special Assessments$761K$658K+15.6%
Intergovernmental Revenues$4.04M$4M+1.1%
Charges for Services$9.42M$9.49M-0.6%
Judgments, Fines, and Forfeits$149K$101K+48.2%
Miscellaneous Revenues$2.25M$2.65M-15.1%
Other Sources$2.58M$2.79M-7.4%
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)$2.39M$2.87M-16.8%
Public Safety$3.18M$2.93M+8.4%
Physical Environment$8.87M$10M-11.4%
Transportation$431K$451K-4.4%
Economic Environment$307K$337K-9.0%
Culture / Recreation$743K$1.21M-38.4%
Other Uses and Non-Operating$2.58M$2.79M-7.4%
Other Usesn/an/an/a

Bank deposits

June 30, 2026
Deposits (offices reporting this city)$39.4MDeposits, June 30 each year, 1994 to 20261994$64.2M high2026
Change on a year earlier+23.2%June 30, 2026
Change, real+19.4%June 30, 2026
Branches1June 30, 2026
Institutions1June 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 Fort Meade.

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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 TrustFt. Meade Branch214 Weat Broadway StreetFort Meade$39.4M

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