Lake County's 50 largest employers — and where to live near each.

1

Educationest. ~5,500 employees

Lake County School District

Tavares, FL

Lake County Schools is the largest employer in the county, operating more than 55 schools from Clermont in the south to Eustis and Leesburg in the north. The district has expanded significantly as western Lake County has become one of the fastest-growing residential markets in Florida, attracting families from Orlando who want lower home prices and newer schools.

2

Governmentest. ~2,500 employees

Lake County Government

Tavares, FL

Lake County's government is headquartered in Tavares — a charming lakeside city known as "America's Seaplane City" — and employs sheriff's deputies, circuit-court staff, public works engineers, and social services professionals. Tavares' waterfront character and small-town atmosphere make it a rewarding place for public-sector employees to live and work.

3

Healthcareest. ~1,800 employees

AdventHealth Waterman

Tavares, FL

AdventHealth Waterman is the primary acute-care hospital for central and northern Lake County, offering cardiac care, orthopedics, and a women's health center in Tavares. It is the dominant healthcare employer in the county's historic heart and draws clinical professionals who want to live in the lakefront communities surrounding the hospital.

4

Retail & Distributionest. ~1,500 employees

Amazon (Leesburg Fulfillment Center)

Leesburg, FL

Amazon's Leesburg fulfillment center on US-27 is one of Lake County's largest single employers, processing packages for Central Florida and distributing them through a dense network of last-mile delivery stations. The facility draws workers from Leesburg, Fruitland Park, and the more affordable communities of western Lake County.

5

Healthcareest. ~1,000 employees

AdventHealth South Lake

Clermont, FL

AdventHealth South Lake is a 122-bed hospital in Clermont that anchors healthcare services for the booming southern Lake County corridor from Minneola to Groveland. As Clermont's population has surged — driven by its proximity to Orlando, excellent schools, and hillside terrain — this hospital has grown to become one of the most important employers in the south county.

6

Higher Educationest. ~1,200 employees

Lake-Sumter State College

Leesburg, FL

Lake-Sumter State College operates three campuses — in Leesburg, Clermont, and The Villages — providing workforce education and transfer pathways for Lake and Sumter county residents. Its faculty and staff community spans the county, with many choosing the older lakefront communities of Leesburg, Eustis, or Mount Dora for their historic charm and competitive home prices.

7

Retail & Distributionest. ~3,000 employees

The Villages (CDC / Community Development)

Lady Lake, FL

The Villages — the world's largest retirement community, spanning Lake, Sumter, and Marion counties — employs thousands of service, healthcare, hospitality, and trades workers based in Lady Lake and the broader south Lake County area. Its golf courses, recreation centers, pools, and retail districts create steady year-round employment for Lake County residents.

8

Retail & Distributionest. ~1,200 employees

Walmart (Stores & Distribution)

Multiple Lake County Locations

Walmart operates stores in Clermont, Leesburg, Tavares, Eustis, and Lady Lake — effectively covering every major trade area in Lake County. The density of Walmart locations across the county makes it one of the largest single-brand retail employers in the region, with career-path managers often living in the communities their stores serve.

9

Retail & Distributionest. ~600 employees

Target Distribution Center (Clermont)

Clermont, FL

Target's Clermont distribution center is one of its largest Florida facilities, leveraging the city's strategic location on US-27 between Orlando and Tampa to serve stores throughout the I-4 corridor. Distribution coordinators and warehouse managers who work here often choose Clermont's newer communities in the hills south of downtown.

10

Governmentest. ~650 employees

City of Leesburg

Leesburg, FL

Leesburg is Lake County's largest city and employs police officers, firefighters, utilities workers, and administrative staff who manage a community that has grown considerably as The Villages' northern expansion brings new retail and healthcare investment to US-27 and US-441. The city's lakefront park and historic downtown attract employees who want a slower-paced, community-oriented lifestyle.

11

Governmentest. ~600 employees

City of Clermont

Clermont, FL

Clermont is one of Florida's fastest-growing cities and its municipal government has expanded rapidly to keep pace with new residential, commercial, and sports-destination development. City employees manage a community that has become the leading bedroom suburb for Orlando workers seeking hillside topography, new construction, and top-rated schools.

12

Hospitality & Entertainmentest. ~400 employees

National Training Center (Clermont)

Clermont, FL

The National Training Center in Clermont is a premier Olympic and Paralympic sports training facility developed around Lake Clermont. It draws elite athletes in cycling, triathlon, and swimming training, creating employment for coaches, sports scientists, hospitality staff, and facility technicians who live in Clermont's cycling-friendly communities.

13

Retail & Distributionest. ~700 employees

Publix Super Markets

Multiple Lake County Locations

Publix operates grocery stores in Clermont, Minneola, Leesburg, Eustis, Mount Dora, Lady Lake, and Tavares, making it one of the most widely distributed employers in Lake County. Store managers and pharmacy staff here participate in one of the fastest-growing supermarket markets in Central Florida.

14

Retail & Distributionest. ~500 employees

Lowe's (Stores & Regional Ops)

Clermont / Leesburg, FL

Lowe's operates stores in Clermont and Leesburg that serve Lake County's extremely active home-construction and renovation market. Southern Lake County is one of the busiest new-home construction zones in the state, and Lowe's stores here generate strong revenues that support larger management teams and more robust staffing.

15

Retail & Distributionest. ~480 employees

Home Depot (Stores)

Clermont / Leesburg, FL

Home Depot stores in Clermont and Leesburg anchor the home-improvement retail market for Lake County, serving both professional contractors and the large population of homeowners who have moved to the county's new residential communities in recent years. Pro-desk specialists and department managers often settle in the same communities they serve.

16

Transportationest. ~400 employees

FedEx Ground (Lake County Distribution)

Leesburg, FL

FedEx Ground's Lake County hub processes last-mile deliveries for the US-27 and US-441 corridors, serving one of Florida's fastest-growing residential markets. Route drivers and package handlers are often drawn to Leesburg's affordable home prices and The Villages' overflow communities.

17

Governmentest. ~400 employees

City of Tavares

Tavares, FL

Tavares serves as the Lake County seat and has earned national recognition for its downtown seaplane base, waterfront boardwalk, and small-town livability. Its municipal workforce manages the county's administrative hub while preserving the character that makes Tavares one of Florida's most distinctive small cities.

18

Governmentest. ~380 employees

City of Eustis

Eustis, FL

Eustis is one of the Lake County cities experiencing new residential growth as buyers seeking lakefront properties and historic neighborhoods are priced out of Orlando. Its municipal government manages a historic downtown, a vibrant arts community, and the Orange Avenue commercial corridor.

19

Governmentest. ~350 employees

City of Mount Dora

Mount Dora, FL

Mount Dora is Lake County's most visited city — a Victorian lakeside town known for its antique shops, art festivals, and historic architecture. The city's small but dedicated municipal workforce manages a tourism-focused economy, and employees here often work within walking distance of the lakefront amenities that make Mount Dora one of Florida's most charming addresses.

20

Transportationest. ~350 employees

UPS (Lake County Distribution)

Leesburg, FL

UPS operates a package hub in Leesburg that handles deliveries for Lake and Sumter counties, serving the large retiree and e-commerce market anchored by The Villages. Drivers in this district cover long rural routes through Leesburg, Eustis, and the citrus-country communities of northwest Lake County.

21

Governmentest. ~400 employees

Lake County Health Department

Tavares, FL

The Florida Department of Health in Lake County operates public health clinics in Tavares, Leesburg, and Clermont, providing immunizations, maternal-infant health, and environmental health services to the county's full geographic range. Public health nurses and epidemiologists based here serve one of Florida's more diverse demographic mixes — from citrus-industry workers to retiree resort residents.

22

Governmentest. ~300 employees

South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD — Lake Ops)

Mount Dora / Tavares, FL

The St. Johns River Water Management District manages water resources for Lake County's extensive system of freshwater lakes, springs, and aquifer recharge areas. Hydrologists, environmental scientists, and field operations staff work from offices in Mount Dora and across the county's rural lands.

23

Telecommunicationsest. ~350 employees

Spectrum (Charter Communications)

Leesburg, FL

Spectrum (Charter Communications) provides internet, cable, and phone services throughout Lake County and maintains field-operations centers in Leesburg and Clermont. Technicians and service coordinators cover Lake County's mix of dense suburban communities in the south and rural communities in the north.

24

Utilitiesest. ~400 employees

Duke Energy Florida (Lake County Grid)

Leesburg / Clermont, FL

Duke Energy Florida maintains substations, transmission lines, and service operations throughout Lake County, supporting the electrical grid for both the rapidly expanding southern communities and the rural northern citrus lands. Linemen, substation operators, and engineers in this region often live in Leesburg or Clermont.

25

Retail & Distributionest. ~400 employees

Winn-Dixie / Southeastern Grocers

Multiple Lake County Locations

Winn-Dixie stores in Leesburg, Clermont, Eustis, and Lady Lake serve the county's budget-conscious shoppers and seasonal residents. The chain is an important employer in the communities north of Clermont where Walmart and Publix do not dominate, giving store associates a stable year-round position close to home.

26

Retail & Distributionest. ~300 employees

CarMax

Clermont, FL

CarMax's Clermont location captures the growing automotive retail demand of southern Lake County. As thousands of new residents arrive in Clermont's expanding communities each year, the demand for reliable used vehicles remains exceptionally strong — making this one of CarMax's busier Florida locations.

27

Healthcareest. ~500 employees

AdventHealth Waterman Medical Plaza Network

Tavares / Leesburg, FL

Beyond its main hospital, AdventHealth Waterman operates outpatient surgery centers, imaging facilities, and multi-specialty physician offices across Tavares and Leesburg. This extended network of care facilities employs additional nurses, imaging technologists, and medical assistants who round out the AdventHealth workforce in north Lake County.

28

Healthcareest. ~400 employees

Leesburg Regional Medical Center (Heritage Clinic)

Leesburg, FL

Leesburg Regional Medical Center operates outpatient clinics and specialty physician offices along US-441 in Leesburg, providing the community with cardiovascular, orthopedic, and cancer-care services. Healthcare professionals here find Leesburg's lakefront communities and affordable housing to be a practical and appealing base.

29

Healthcareest. ~800 employees

The Villages Health

Lady Lake, FL

The Villages Health operates a system of primary-care and specialty physician practices exclusively serving Villages residents, with locations scattered across Lady Lake and the South Lake County corridor. It is a major employer of physicians, nurse practitioners, and medical assistants who want a concierge-style practice environment serving an active senior population.

30

Healthcareest. ~350 employees

BayCare Lake Wales / AdventHealth (South Lake Medical)

Clermont, FL

Outpatient medical campuses operated by AdventHealth and independent physician groups in the Clermont–Minneola corridor serve the surge of healthcare demand created by Lake County's rapid population growth. Specialty practices, imaging centers, and urgent-care clinics are among the fastest-growing segments of healthcare employment in south Lake County.

31

Telecommunicationsest. ~300 employees

Comcast (Lake County Field Operations)

Leesburg, FL

Comcast's Lake County field technicians and network engineers manage cable and broadband infrastructure for one of Florida's fastest-growing residential markets. As Clermont and Minneola continue to add thousands of new homes annually, Comcast's installation and maintenance workforce in the county has grown substantially.

32

Governmentest. ~250 employees

City of Groveland

Groveland, FL

Groveland is one of Lake County's fastest-growing cities, having emerged from its agricultural roots to become a major new-home construction market. Its expanding municipal workforce now manages rapid residential growth, new commercial corridors, and infrastructure expansion that makes Groveland one of the most active planning environments in Florida.

33

Governmentest. ~220 employees

City of Minneola

Minneola, FL

Minneola has become one of Florida's most rapidly developing cities, with new master-planned communities emerging on its rolling hilltop terrain along US-27. Its municipal staff manages infrastructure permitting, parks, and public safety for a community whose population has grown dramatically as young families migrate from Orange County.

34

Transportationest. ~200 employees

Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority (LYNX — Lake)

Clermont / Leesburg, FL

LYNX operates bus service to Clermont and the Lake County corridor, connecting residents without vehicles to employment centers in Orange County. Bus operators and transportation supervisors assigned to Lake County routes often live along the US-27 corridor in Clermont or Minneola.

35

Educationest. ~300 employees

Montverde Academy

Montverde, FL

Montverde Academy is a nationally ranked independent boarding and day school famous for its basketball program and international student body. Its faculty and staff form the primary professional employment base of the quiet hilltop community of Montverde, which sits on the boundary of Lake and Orange counties.

36

Hospitality & Entertainmentest. ~200 employees

Howey-in-the-Hills / Lake Harris Fishing Industry

Howey-in-the-Hills, FL

Lake Harris and the surrounding Clermont Chain of Lakes support a small but distinct hospitality-and-fishing economy centered on Howey-in-the-Hills, where the Mission Inn Golf & Tennis Resort employs hotel, culinary, and golf-operations staff in a historic Mediterranean-revival setting.

37

Governmentest. ~180 employees

Fruitland Park City Government

Fruitland Park, FL

Fruitland Park is a small lakeside city between Leesburg and The Villages that employs a compact municipal workforce managing police, public works, and parks. Its residents benefit from The Villages' retail expansion to the south while retaining the quiet lakefront character of old Lake County.

38

Educationest. ~300 employees

Cornerstone Charter Schools (Lake County)

Clermont, FL

Cornerstone Charter Academy and a cluster of other Lake County charter schools in the Clermont–Minneola area employ teachers, instructional coaches, and support staff serving the fast-growing family demographic of south Lake County. These schools have drawn educators who want smaller classroom sizes and a tighter-knit professional community.

39

Healthcareest. ~350 employees

AdventHealth (Lake County Home Health & Hospice)

Tavares, FL

AdventHealth's home-health and hospice division serving Lake County employs visiting nurses, home health aides, and care coordinators who travel throughout the county's communities providing post-acute care. The aging population of Lady Lake, Leesburg, and the surrounding lake communities drives significant ongoing demand for these services.

40

Retail & Distributionest. ~250 employees

Marshalls / HomeGoods (TJX — Clermont)

Clermont, FL

TJX Companies operates Marshalls and HomeGoods stores in the Clermont retail corridor, serving the growing home-furnishings demand of southern Lake County's new-residential communities. The stores are anchors in the Citrus Tower Boulevard retail district, one of the most active commercial developments in Lake County.

41

Constructionest. ~400 employees

South Lake Chamber of Commerce Cluster Employers

Clermont / Minneola, FL

Major homebuilders including Meritage Homes, D.R. Horton, Lennar, and Pulte have made the Clermont–Minneola–Groveland corridor one of their most active Florida markets, collectively employing thousands of construction trades workers, project superintendents, and community sales managers who live within the very subdivisions they're building.

42

Healthcareest. ~250 employees

Universal Health Services (Lake Behavioral Hospital)

Leesburg, FL

Universal Health Services operates a behavioral health hospital in Leesburg providing inpatient psychiatric and addiction-recovery services for Lake County and surrounding areas. Behavioral health clinicians here often choose the quieter lakeside communities of Tavares, Eustis, or Leesburg for their lower cost of living relative to Orlando.

43

Financial Servicesest. ~200 employees

Ameris Bank (Lake County Operations)

Leesburg / Clermont, FL

Ameris Bank and a cluster of regional banks — including Seacoast Bank, South State Bank, and First Horizon — operate branches across Lake County's major trade corridors, serving the homebuyer, small-business, and agricultural lending markets that characterize a county still balancing rapid growth with its rural heritage.

44

Governmentest. ~200 employees

Florida National Guard (Camp Blanding Corridor Support)

Umatilla, FL

The Florida National Guard's Umatilla armory and training support staff — linked to Camp Blanding in Bradford County — employ part-time and full-time soldiers who handle logistics, communications, and engineering support for Guard readiness. Full-time Guard technicians and AGRs stationed here often live in the quiet communities of north Lake County.

45

Hospitality & Entertainmentest. ~200 employees

Clarcona Horseman's Park / Orange County Adjacent Employers

Montverde / Oakland, FL

The equestrian and outdoor-recreation economy along the Lake–Orange county boundary — centered on the West Orange Trail, Oakland Nature Preserve, and equestrian facilities near Montverde — employs horse trainers, trail guides, parks staff, and recreation managers who prize the rural atmosphere of Oakland and Montverde.

46

Governmentest. ~300 employees

City of Lady Lake

Lady Lake, FL

Lady Lake is the Lake County gateway community for The Villages retirement complex, and its municipal government manages a densely developed US-441 and US-27 commercial corridor that serves thousands of daily visitors from the surrounding retirement community. Police and public-works employees here work in one of Florida's most economically active small-city retail markets.

47

Healthcareest. ~280 employees

Citrus Valley Health Partners / Leesburg Clinics

Leesburg, FL

A network of independent physician groups, urgent-care centers, and specialty clinics along US-441 in Leesburg collectively serves one of the highest-density retiree patient populations in the United States. Primary-care physicians and specialists in this corridor serve The Villages and surrounding Lake County communities with high-acuity chronic-disease management.

48

Retail & Distributionest. ~250 employees

Harbor Freight Tools (Retail & Regional Ops)

Clermont / Leesburg, FL

Harbor Freight Tools stores in Clermont and Leesburg serve Lake County's large population of trades contractors and DIY homeowners. These stores are anchors in both counties' tool and equipment retail market, and their managers benefit from the same hillside Clermont communities as the growing trades workforce they serve.

49

Hospitality & Entertainmentest. ~300 employees

Mission Inn Resort & Club

Howey-in-the-Hills, FL

Mission Inn Resort & Club is a 1,000-acre lakeside resort in Howey-in-the-Hills featuring two championship golf courses, a marina, and a full-service hotel. It is the primary hospitality employer for northwest Lake County, drawing culinary, golf operations, and hotel management professionals who appreciate the resort's historic setting and quieter pace of life.

50

Insuranceest. ~180 employees

Florida Blue (Lake County Clinics)

Clermont / Leesburg, FL

Florida Blue operates health-management clinics and insurance-service offices in Clermont and Leesburg to serve its large Lake County membership, which has grown rapidly as the county's population — including many Medicare-age residents from The Villages corridor — has increased. Licensed health advisors and care-navigation staff are key positions here.