A Winter Haven Guide
Moving to Winter Haven.
People move to Winter Haven for a job at the hospital or the logistics center, for remote work, or for lower costs than the big metros. This guide covers what they usually ask first: what living here is like, the work and the commutes, the costs, and where to look for a place.
A town built on water.
Winter Haven is a small city built around a chain of lakes, halfway between Orlando and Tampa. The lakes are joined by navigable canals, so you can boat or paddle from one to the next. The city keeps miles of trail along the shorelines. Downtown gathers around Central Park with its market, taprooms, and the Ritz Theatre, and LEGOLAND sits on the historic Cypress Gardens site on Lake Eloise. Our things to do guide covers all of it in detail.
Summers here are hot and wet, best spent at the pool or outside early in the day. Winters are dry and mild, which is how the town got its name.
Work and commutes
Work here, or commute from here.
The anchors in town are Winter Haven Hospital, a BayCare hospital that ranks among Polk County’s largest private employers, the LEGOLAND Florida Resort with its hotels and parks, Polk State College, and the CSX-served intermodal logistics center south of the city, one of Central Florida’s big freight and distribution hubs.
- Lakeland25 min drive
Polk's biggest city, home to Publix's headquarters and Florida Southern College
- Orlando55–65 min drive
The parks, the airport, and the I-4 corridor east
- Tampa~60 min drive
The Gulf side, the port, and the I-4 corridor west
Distances and travel times are approximate, under typical conditions.
What it costs.
Housing costs bring many people here, and they generally run below the Orlando and Tampa metros on either side. Beyond rent, budget the ordinary Florida realities: summer electricity for the air conditioning, car insurance that runs higher than most states, and no state income tax working in your favor.
What you’ll pay lays out every fee at The Jade in the open, and the floor plans page carries current pricing.
Where to look.
Most of Winter Haven is a short drive from the rest, so choose by what you want close to home. The Jade is a 15 minute walk from downtown and minutes from the Chain of Lakes. (Distances and travel times are approximate, under typical conditions.)
- Near downtownWalkable blocks, with the market, the taprooms and the trail close by.
- Along the chainWater out the window, with a boat ramp or dock nearby.
- The southeast sideNewer construction near LEGOLAND and the parkway, quickest onto the highway south.
Come see The Jade in person.
Tour The Jade before you sign anywhere. Every fee is published on the site.