Central Florida is one of the hottest retirement and vacation home markets in the country. There are plenty of good reasons for it, like its diversity of landscapes, natural features, man-made attractions, untouched wilderness, quaint and quirky small towns, thriving cities, and cultures, plus pretty amazing weather year-round and lots of beautiful resort-style 55+ communities. 

If you're not from around here, you probably think of Orlando's theme parks and resorts when you think of Central Florida. But they're just the tip of the iceberg of what the area has to offer. 

Polk County, FL isn't far from the excitement of Orlando, and it's one of the great counties in Central Florida. It's worth a closer look if you're trying to narrow down your shortlist of locations for a new or second home here. Below are some fast facts and information about the county to help determine if it might be the right place for you to buy. 

  • Polk County is centrally located in the state and has a good balance of urban, suburban, and rural areas
  • It has more than 620,000 residents
  • There are lots of small family farms in the county
  • Just over one-fourth of the population is between the ages of 45 and 64, while almost 20 percent is 65 and older
  • The county leans slightly Republican
  • Median home value in Polk County at the end of 2015 was $134,700, a 6.1 percent increase from a year earlier
  • The I-4 corridor runs through Polk County, which is roughly midway between the Orlando and Tampa Bay areas
  • From most places in the county, you're only a little more than one hour's drive from downtown Orlando and about 45 minutes from downtown Tampa
  • Lakeland is the county's most populous city, with over 100,000 residents
  • Other larger Polk County cities include Winter Haven, Haines City, Bartow, Lake Wales, and Auburndale
  • Lakeland's leading claim to fame is the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world, located at Florida Southern University
  • Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales is a gorgeous, lesser known Central Florida attraction for nature and architecture lovers
  • Orlando may get all the attention for theme parks, but Winter Haven is home to Legoland, a fantastic place to take the grandkids
  • Polk County has over 550 lakes, and they're a significant part of the lifestyle and recreation in the area
  • Winter Haven is nicknamed “The Chain of Lakes City” because you can travel across 25 lakes (between two chains) connected by navigable canals
  • With over 40 state and county parks, there's no shortage of camping, RVing, hiking, birdwatching, boating, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and other fun outdoor opportunities