Hardee County, FL

County

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2024 Population
25,675
US Senator
Rick Scott
Republican Party
US Senator
Ashley Moody
Republican Party
2024 Median Age
35.8
0.279% 1-year decrease
2024 Poverty Rate
25.3%
4.44% 1-year increase
2024 Median Household Income
$60,489
11.5% 1-year growth
2024 Median Property Value
$153,600
18.7% 1-year growth
2024 Employed Population
9,942
4.66% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Hardee County, FL reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

92.6% of the residents in Hardee County, FL are U.S. citizens.

In 2024, the median property value in Hardee County, FL was $153,600, and the homeownership rate was 71.4%.

Most people in Hardee County, FL drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 26.8 minutes. The average car ownership in Hardee County, FL was 2 cars per household.

United StatesFloridaWauchula, FL

Population & Diversity

Hardee County, FL is home to a population of 25.7k people, from which 92.6% are citizens. As of 2024, 11.7% of Hardee County, FL residents were born outside of the country (3.01k people).

In 2024, there were 2.85 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (11.9k people) in Hardee County, FL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.18k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 3.55k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

92.6%
2024 Citizenship
93.4%
2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 92.6% of Hardee County, FL residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Hardee County, FL was 93.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Hardee County, FL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Hardee County, FL
  1. White (Non-Hispanic)
    11.9k ± 185
  2. Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
    4.18k ± 766
  3. Other (Hispanic)
    3.55k ± 742
42.3%
Hispanic Population
10.9k people

In 2024, there were 2.85 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (11.9k people) in Hardee County, FL than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.18k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 3.55k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

42.3% of the people in Hardee County, FL are hispanic (10.9k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Hardee County, FL as a share of the total population.

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Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Florida.
Most Common Origin
  1. Cuba
    1,008,771 ± 24,085 people
  2. Haiti
    353,350 ± 14,476 people
  3. Colombia
    307,955 ± 13,528 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Florida was Cuba, the natal country of 1,008,771 Florida residents, followed by Haiti with 353,350 and Colombia with 307,955.

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Foreign-Born Population

11.7%
2024 Foreign-Born Population
3.01k people
10.7%
2023 Foreign-Born Population
2.74k people

As of 2024, 11.7% of Hardee County, FL residents (3.01k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Hardee County, FL was 10.7%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Hardee County, FL compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period
  1. Vietnam
    400 ± 144
  2. Gulf War (1990s)
    182 ± 97
  3. Gulf War (2001-)
    150 ± 82

Hardee County, FL has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.2 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Hardee County, FL.

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Economy

The economy of Hardee County, FL employs 9.94k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Hardee County, FL were Retail Trade (1,427 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,295 people), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (1,100 people), and the highest paying industries were Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation ($185,156), Utilities ($73,810), and Wholesale Trade ($65,833).

Employment

Occupations

9.94k
2024 Value
± 820
4.66%
1 Year growth
± 11.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hardee County, FL grew at a rate of 4.66%, from 9.5k employees to 9.94k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Hardee County, FL, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (1,222 people), Management Occupations (1,149 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (788 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Hardee County, FL.

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Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Florida (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

9.94k
2024 Value
± 820
4.66%
1 Year growth
± 11.4%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Hardee County, FL grew at a rate of 4.66%, from 9.5k employees to 9.94k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Hardee County, FL, are Retail Trade (1,427 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (1,295 people), and Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (1,100 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Hardee County, FL, though some of these residents may live in Hardee County, FL and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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Median Earnings by Industry

$41,433
Median earning men ± $3,446
$32,232
Median earning women ± $4,869

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($78,125), Manufacturing ($67,705), and Construction ($62,122).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($51,656), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($50,073), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($41,521).

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Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.
Y-Axis
4.23%
Year-over-year growth
Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 9.69M people employed in Florida. This represents a 4.23% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 12.6%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Florida.

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Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments
  1. 42
    Other Services (except Public Administration)
  2. 29
    Retail Trade
  3. 24
    Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll
  1. $35.1k
    Health Care and Social Assistance
  2. $21.5k
    Retail Trade
  3. $20k
    Manufacturing

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Florida went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (43%), followed by Jill Stein (0.396%).

Rick Scott and Ashley Moody are the senators currently representing the state of Florida. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Florida is currently represented by 26 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Voting results are not available for Hardee County, FL. Showing the available data for Florida.
2024 Election Results
  1. Donald J. Trump (56.1%)
    Republican Party
  2. Kamala Harris (43%)
    Democratic Party
  3. Jill Stein (0.396%)
    Green Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Florida went to Donald J. Trump with 56.1% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (43%), followed by Jill Stein (0.396%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Florida for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

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Senator Elections

US Senators from Florida

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Florida.
Rick Scott
Senator from Florida1
Assumed office on January 8, 2019
Inauguration delayed in order to finish his term as Governor of Florida.
Ashley Moody
Senator from Florida2
Assumed office on January 21, 2025
While elections for full class 3 terms will take place in 2028, Florida will hold a special election in 2026 to elect a senator to complete the remainder of Marco Rubio's term.

Rick Scott and Ashley Moody are the senators currently representing Florida.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Florida over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

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Housing & Living

The median property value in Hardee County, FL was $153,600 in 2024, which is 0.462 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $129,400 to $153,600, a 18.7% increase. The homeownership rate in Hardee County, FL is 71.4%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Hardee County, FL have an average commute time of 26.8 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Hardee County, FL is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 16.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Hardee County, FL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.79%.

Housing

Property

$153,600
Median Property Value 2024
±$26,119
$5,868
Median Property Taxes
±$575

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Hardee County, FL the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Hardee County, FL compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

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Rent vs Own

71.4%
Homeownership
2024
67.9%
Homeowners with Mortgage
2024

In 2024, 71.4% of the housing units in Hardee County, FL were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 71.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Hardee County, FL compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

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Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
$60,489
Median Household Income
± $6,151
8.22k
Number of Households
± 732

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.22k households in Hardee County, FL grew to $60,489 from the previous year's value of $54,231.

The following chart displays the households in Hardee County, FL distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

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Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Hardee County, FL is from Florida.
0.473
2023 Wage GINI in Florida
0.474
2022 Wage GINI in Florida

In 2023, the income inequality in Florida was 0.473 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.136% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Florida was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Florida in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Florida across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

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Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024
  1. Drove Alone (69.7%)
  2. Carpooled (22.5%)
  3. Worked At Home (4.28%)

In 2024, 69.7% of workers in Hardee County, FL drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (22.5%) and those who worked at home (4.28%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

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Commute Time

26.8 minutes
Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Hardee County, FL have a longer commute time (26.8 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.67% of the workforce in Hardee County, FL have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Hardee County, FL compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

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Car Ownership

2 cars
Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Hardee County, FL distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Hardee County, FL have 2 cars.

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Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 16.8% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Hardee County, FL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.79%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

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Poverty & Diversity

25.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Hardee County, FL (6.03k out of 23.8k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 35 - 44 and then Males 55 - 64.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Hardee County, FL is Hispanic, followed by White and Other.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

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Children in Poverty

In 2025, 23.5% of the children was living in poverty in Hardee County, FL. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 14.7%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

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Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 269 in Hardee County, FL. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 43.1 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

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Health

79.9% of the population of Hardee County, FL has health coverage, with 30.2% on employee plans, 24.8% on Medicaid, 12.7% on Medicare, 11.7% on non-group plans, and 0.548% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Hardee County, FL see 6,356 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (6,356 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1710 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 5152 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 52.1% were men and 47.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

6,356 to 1
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Hardee County, FL

Primary care physicians in Hardee County, FL see an average of 6,356 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (6,356 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Hardee County, FL in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

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Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 27% under 18 years, 22.7% between 18 and 34 years, 34.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 16.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 52.1% were men and 47.9% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

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Uninsured People

20.1%
Uninsured
30.2%
Employer Coverage
24.8%
Medicaid
12.7%
Medicare
11.7%
Non-Group
0.548%
Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Hardee County, FL grew by 19.4% from 16.8% to 20.1%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Hardee County, FL changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 87.4 in Hardee County, FL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Hardee County, FL.

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Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 40.3% in Hardee County, FL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Hardee County, FL.

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Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 17.9% in Hardee County, FL.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Hardee County, FL.

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