Is Haines City a good place to live in Florida?

Living in Haines City, FL

Haines City is a medium-sized city located in the state of Florida. The city has a population of 22,138 inhabitants. The majority of Haines City residents report their race to be White; this is followed by Black and Asian. Additionally, more than a quarter of the population of Haines City are of Hispanic or Latino origin, and 38% of the population also speak Spanish.

Living in Haines City can be a fulfilling experience for anyone relocating to the city. Having said that, in the state of Florida, there are many desirable places to live, so choose wisely! With useful information like cost of living, weather, education, employment and other key data points, finding the best places to live in Haines City and in the areas around Haines City is a much easier task.

Haines City has a livability score of 76 out of 100 and is ranked #324 in Florida and #4,011 in the USA. Compared to the United States average, Haines City ranks among some of the best places to live in the country! If we dig down a little deeper into each category within the livability score, we see that Haines City has higher than average grades for the following: amenities (A+), crime (B), cost of living (B+) and weather (A+). There is at least one category that you should be aware of in Haines City. The following was graded with a discouraging score: education (F) and employment (D-).

Conveniently located amenities and interesting attractions are a great way to continuously enjoy Haines City on a regular basis. Knowing that there are an abundance of amenities and things to do can ensure that you always have access to nearby grocery stores, restaurants and coffee shops.

Crime rates can be the deciding factor for anyone looking to relocate to a new area. Haines City gets top scores for their low violent crime rates of 121 crimes per 100,000 residents, which are significantly lower than the national average.

Haines City real estate prices and overall affordability will play a huge role in determining if the area is the right fit for you. Of course there are probably some other items on your “wish list”, but even before they are considered, let’s take a look at the home prices and affordability in Haines City. Median real estate prices in Haines City come in at $105,300, which is 36.9% lower than the Florida average. The home price to income ratio compares the median home prices to the median household income. In Haines City, the home price to income ratio is 3.2, which is 5.9% lower than the Florida average. Year over year appreciation rates for homes in the Haines City area were 9.6% and the 5 year appreciation rates came in at 12.3%. Why is this important? Knowing the appreciation rates for any area is a quick and easy way to determine if you will see a solid return on your investment.

HAINES CITY — For the third year in a row, Haines City is among Florida's safest cities and officials are chalking that up to smart police work. 

SafeWise.com, which researches, tests, and reviews home security systems, listed Haines City as one of the 50 safest cities in Florida for 2021. It is the only Polk County city to crack the top 50 on the SafeWise list. The organization uses data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to calculate its annual report on the safest cities in the Sunshine State.

"For the hard work of our staff to be recognized now for three years in a row is an honor," Haines City Police Chief Jim Elensky said. "It's great to serve a growing, thriving community, but we can't be complacent. We'll continue to work with City Manager Deric Feacher and his supportive administration and our supportive City Commission to ensure that we have the technology, equipment and manpower needed to keep this momentum going." 

HCPD spokesman Mike Ferugson said they use intelligence-led policing, which utilizes a mapping system that tracks all crimes, locates ‘hot spots,’ and picks up on patterns. HCPD also communicates with neighboring agencies to see if crimes are connected there. 

"When I became chief in 2017, I implemented an intelligence-led policing model that allows us to be proactive instead of reactive," Elensky added. "We continuously monitor crime trends, examine our suppression strategies and make sure we have our officers in the right place. The results speak for themselves." 

It’s not just a security research company that says Haines City is safe. According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Uniform Crime Report, the crime rate in Haines City fell by 22% last year to 1,643 crimes per 100,000 residents - the lowest where data was available and likely, the lowest ever for the city. 

In addition to the overall crime rate falling in 2020, Haines City saw the violent crime rate decrease by 6.4%, while the property crime rate fell by 23.5%, according to the UCR. It was the second year in a row that the property crime rate fell by more than 10%. 

With a population of nearly 26,000, Haines City was ranked 45 by SafeWise. Marco Island was ranked first in the state for safety, with Parkland, Weston, Winter Springs, and North Palm Beach in the top five. 

Other Polk County towns on the list are: 

• • 67 — Lake Wales  
• • 83 — Lakeland  
• • 85 — Winter Haven  
• • 92 — Bartow  
• • 109 — Auburndale  

According to SafeWise, Florida is among the most concerned-about-safety states in the country, with 59% of respondents saying they feel daily concern for their safety. Florida was the fourth in the nation for highest levels of concern over package theft and COVID-19. Package theft affected 22% of respondents, making it the top concern in Florida among respondents. 

75% of Floridians worry about the pandemic every day — the fourth-highest in the nation.  

As in Haines City, crime rates in the Sunshine State remain on par with the rest of the country. Violent crime remained the same as last year and property crime rates have been dropping since 2019. 

Ledger reporter Kimberly C. Moore can be reached at  or 863-802-7514. Follow her on Twitter at @KMooreTheLedger. 

SafeWise.com’s top 10 safest Florida cities: 

• 1. Marco Island 
• 2. Parkland 
• 3. Weston 
• 4. Winter Springs 
• 5. North Palm Beach 
• 6. Oviedo 
• 7. Cooper City 
• 8. Safety Harbor 
• 9. Minneola 
• 10. Sweetwater 

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