The Town Files

Medulla, Florida

Community in Polk County · population 10,871 (2020 Census)

Map: where Medulla is in FloridaMedulla
Median home
$319,800
Household income
$70,802
Jan low / Jul high
51° / 92°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
60
Median age
36.6

Medulla is a community of 10,871 people in Polk County, Florida. The median home is worth $319,800, close to the typical Florida town ($331,600). It ranks better for young professionals than 87% of Florida towns, more of a college town than 72% of Florida towns.

How Medulla ranks

Percentile among Florida towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Florida towns.

Medulla lifestyle rankings vs other Florida townsRetirement35th pctFamilies54th pctQuiet33rd pctWalkability50th pctFirst-time buyers38th pctYoung professionals87th pctVibrancy41st pctHip & trendy29th pctCollege town72nd pctUpscale56th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling47th pctTransit53rd pctDriving56th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Medulla is worth $319,800, close to the typical Florida town ($331,600). Homes cost about 4.5 times the median household income of $70,802, which is more affordable than 52% of Florida towns. Median rent is $1,287 a month. 66.2% of households own their home.

Medulla vs Polk County vs typical Florida townMedullaPolk CountyTypical Florida townHome value$319,800$266,500$331,600Household income$70,802$65,978$71,140Monthly rent$1,287$1,363$1,569
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Florida towns with 500+ people.
HousingMedullaTypical Florida town
Median home value$319,800$331,600
Median rent$1,287$1,569
Median household income$70,802$71,140
Home value ÷ income4.5×4.5×
Homeownership66.2%73.5%
Median year built19951985
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Medulla

PeopleMedullaTypical Florida town
Median age36.642.8
Age 65 and over15.2%20.2%
Under 1823.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher31.5%28.8%
Below the poverty line8.7%11.3%
Veterans7.8%—
Born outside the U.S.13.3%—
Work from home13.5%13.5%
Average commute25.9 min27.5 min
Homes with broadband90.7%92.4%

Weather in Medulla

July highs average 92.1°F and January lows 50.6°F. About 56.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Florida town: 0.0 in). Expect about 119 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 3 nights at or below freezing.

Medulla monthly temperatures and precipitation50°60°70°80°90°100°74°51°Jan77°53°Feb80°57°Mar85°61°Apr90°67°May91°72°Jun92°74°Jul92°74°Aug90°73°Sep86°67°Oct80°59°Nov76°54°DecPrecipitation (in)3.02.33.12.83.88.78.89.17.63.01.92.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Lakeland 2 station (3.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

60 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Medulla since 1950, compared with 35 for the typical Florida town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on October 18, 2019 about 4.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on August 4, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Medulla by decade41950s61960s101970s61980s191990s112000s32010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 43 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on March 30, 1996.

Severe weather in Polk County since 1996

Storm events in Polk County since 1996 by typeHail206Flood30Tornado63Wildfire15Dense Fog54Lightning42Heavy Rain17Flash Flood8
NOAA Storm Events Database, Polk County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 22 deaths recorded.

Polk County has been included in 42 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, tornado, freezing.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
October 11, 2024HurricaneDR-4834: Hurricane Milton
October 7, 2024HurricaneEM-3622: Hurricane Milton
August 10, 2024Tropical StormDR-4806: Hurricane Debby
August 3, 2024Tropical StormEM-3605: Tropical Storm Debby
August 31, 2023HurricaneDR-4734: Hurricane Idalia

Jobs and pay in Polk County

Polk County had 260,590 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $55,697 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in 2023; in Medulla itself the ACS puts it at 2.9%.

Largest industries in Polk CountyHealth care & social assistan…34,979 jobs · $61,302Retail31,939 jobs · $38,548Transportation & warehousing28,758 jobs · $53,959Hotels & restaurants21,705 jobs · $25,533Manufacturing19,343 jobs · $72,412Administrative & support18,421 jobs · $43,732
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Polk County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Polk 3.7%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Medulla

Medulla questions

Is Medulla, Florida a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Medulla scores better for retirees than 35% of Florida towns and quieter than 33%. 15.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.6).

How much does a house cost in Medulla?

The median owner-occupied home in Medulla is valued at $319,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $70,802, so homes cost about 4.5 times income. Median rent is $1,287 a month.

What is the weather like in Medulla?

July highs average 92.1°F and January lows 50.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 56.8 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Medulla get tornadoes?

60 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Medulla since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on October 18, 2019. The typical Florida town has had 35.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Medulla's Census boundary (GEOID 1243925). Comparisons use the median of Florida towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.