Editing Medulla, Florida

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!--See the Table at Infobox Settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage-->
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
| official_name                   = Medulla, Florida
| other_name                      = 
| native_name                     = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
| nickname                        = 
| settlement_type                 = [[Census-designated place]]
| motto                           = 
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| image_map                       = Polk_County_Florida_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Medulla_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize                         = 250x200px
| map_caption                     = Location in [[Polk County, Florida|Polk County]] and the state of [[Florida]]
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<!-- Location ------------------>
| subdivision_type                = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name                = United States
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[Florida]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of counties in Florida|County]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Polk County, Florida|Polk]]
| subdivision_type3               = 
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| subdivision_name4               = 
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| established_title               = <!-- Settled -->
| established_date                = 
| established_title2              = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
| established_date2               = 
| established_title3              = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
| established_date3               = 
<!-- Area    --------------------->
| area_magnitude                  = 
| unit_pref                       = Imperial
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_12.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 31, 2021}}</ref>
| area_total_km2                  = 14.64
| area_land_km2                   = 14.50
| area_water_km2                  = 0.14
| area_total_sq_mi                = 5.65
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 5.60
| area_water_sq_mi                = 0.05
| area_water_percent              = 
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<!-- Population   ----------------------->
| population_as_of                = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
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| population_note                 = 
| population_total                = 10871
| population_density_km2          = 749.74
| population_density_sq_mi        = 1941.94
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<!-- General information  --------------->
| timezone                        = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset                      = -5
| timezone_DST                    = EDT
| utc_offset_DST                  = -4
| coordinates                     = {{coord|27|57|45|N|81|58|51|W|region:US-FL|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes             = <ref name="GR3"/>
| elevation_m                     = 
| elevation_ft                    = 161
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
| postal_code_type                = 
| postal_code                     = 33811, 33813
| area_code                       = 863
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 12-43925<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = 0286674<ref name="GR3">{{GNIS|286674}}</ref>
| website                         = 
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}}

'''Medulla''' is an [[Unincorporated area|unincorporated]] community and [[census-designated place]] (CDP) in western [[Polk County, Florida|Polk County]], [[Florida]], United States. It is part of the [[Lakeland, Florida|Lakeland]]&ndash;[[Winter Haven, Florida|Winter Haven]] [[Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. Medulla is an affluent residential community located south of the [[Lakeland, Florida|Lakeland]] city limits, and north of the [[Mulberry, Florida|Mulberry]] city limits. Medulla neighbors [[Lakeland Highlands, Florida|Lakeland Highlands]], and together the two communities make up much of what is known as south (unincorporated) [[Lakeland, Florida|Lakeland]]. The population was 8,892 at the 2010 census. The area is addressed to Lakeland, with zip codes 33811 and 33813.

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the CDP has a total area of {{convert|5.7|mi2|km2}}, of which {{convert|5.7|mi2|km2}} is land and {{convert|0.04|mi2|km2}} (0.35%) is water.

==History==
A post office was established at Medulla in 1881, and remained in operation until 1909.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=FL&county=Polk | title=Polk County | publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | access-date=6 June 2015}}</ref> Before the post office opened, the community was called Spring Hill.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FLROAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4_sDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1418%2C2813009 | title=Polk towns named from various sources | work=Lakeland Ledger | date=Jul 8, 1987 | access-date=6 June 2015 | author=Sawyer, Martha F. | pages=5C}}</ref> The name Medulla was given to the area due to its connecting link on the stagecoach rail-line between Bartow and Fort Meade, similar to how the [[medulla oblongata]] (in the lower part of the brain) connects with spinal cord.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n7wwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CPwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1280%2C137027 | title=Conversation pieces: Polk history about towns lost and found | work=Lakeland Ledger | date=Jun 1, 1988 | access-date=7 October 2015 | author=Sawyer, Martha F. | pages=10C}}</ref> Medulla saw a period of rapid growth throughout the 1990s and early 2000s with development of Deer Brooke, a mega [https://www.trulia.com/voices/In_My_Neighborhood/what_does_deed_restricted_mean_Can_it_mean_diff-360915 deed restricted community]. Development of many other smaller subdivisions soon followed.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|2020= 10871
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 6,637 people, 2,567 households, and 1,791 families residing in the CDP. The population density was {{convert|1,169.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,739 housing units at an average density of {{convert|482.6|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units&nbsp;|units|}}. The racial makeup of the CDP was 84.53% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 11.65% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.03% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.62% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.02% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.82% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 1.34% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 5.20% of the population.

There were 2,567 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.2% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 33.6% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $45,460, and the median income for a family was $51,691. Males had a median income of $35,698 versus $26,341 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the CDP was $21,459. 6.0% of the population and 4.2% of families were below the [[poverty line]]. Out of the total population, 4.0% of those under the age of 18 and 7.4% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

==References==
<references />

{{Polk County, Florida}}

[[Category:Census-designated places in Polk County, Florida]]
[[Category:Unincorporated communities in Polk County, Florida]]