DeSoto County, Florida Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
DeSoto County, FL Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageAmong the 5 least healthy counties in Florida
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 89% of counties in Florida
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in Florida
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | DeSoto County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 35,386 | 22,388,905 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 55.4 | 313.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.15% | 1.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.0 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,823 | 8,743,019 | 130,235,071 |
Population in DeSoto County grew by 1.4% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 35,386 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in DeSoto County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 21.4% of residents. That is 1.8 points above Florida as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 7,276 20.6% +1.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 7,328 20.7% +0.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 6,567 18.6% -2.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,586 21.4% +1.8 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Florida, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 44.2% of the people living in DeSoto County and men 55.8%.
- Women 44.2% Florida 51.0%
- Men 55.8% Florida 49.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in DeSoto County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
DeSoto County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | DeSoto County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $53,666 | $74,580 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.43% | 5.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.5% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in DeSoto County is about 28% lower than in Florida.
Housing
| Metric | DeSoto County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $220,318 | $311,338 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $932 | $1,668 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.5% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in DeSoto County is about 19.7 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $932 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in DeSoto County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 192 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | DeSoto County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.0 | 24.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.1 | 47.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 192 | 200 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,949 | $6,189 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.7% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,137 | 14,318 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,452 | 3,068 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Florida:
Taylor County (13.8 min), Monroe County (16.1 min), Franklin County (16.6 min).
Slowest:
Washington County (32.8 min), Osceola County (32.3 min), Liberty County (32.1 min).
The average commute time in DeSoto County is 23 minutes, shorter than the 24 minutes in Florida.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
DeSoto County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | DeSoto County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.0% | 30.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.53 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.4), Leon County (0.4), Alachua County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hamilton County (0.1), Hendry County (0.1), Hardee County (0.1).
Health
DeSoto County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | DeSoto County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.0 | 77.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 25.4% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 24.1% | 21.3% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Florida:
St. Johns County (0.8), Seminole County (0.8), Alachua County (0.8).
Lowest:
Glades County (0.8), Putnam County (0.8), Hendry County (0.8).
DeSoto County, FL Compared With Nearby Counties
DeSoto County, FL is the 5th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 35,386 residents against a local median of 201,064. The measure that sets DeSoto County, FL apart most is median household income: $53,666, 23% below the local median of $69,727. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median home price tells the same story from another angle: $220,318 against a local median of $265,501, 17% below it. The counties themselves spread $27,941 on median household income, so DeSoto County, FL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. DeSoto County, FL has the 6th highest median household income of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeSoto County, FL | 35,386 | $53,666 #6/6 | $220,318 #4/6 | 23.0 min #5/6 |
| Hardee County, FL | 25,673 | $61,052 | $38,262 | 21.9 min |
| Charlotte County, FL | 201,064 | $69,727 | $265,501 | 21.6 min |
| Highlands County, FL | 105,700 | $55,582 | $103,434 | 17.8 min |
| Sarasota County, FL | 459,530 | $83,523 | $414,479 | 22.2 min |
| Lee County, FL | 815,257 | $76,097 | $341,203 | 27.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about DeSoto County, Florida.
How many people live in DeSoto County, Florida?
About 35,386 people live in DeSoto County, Florida, in 12,823 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 41.0, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is DeSoto County, Florida urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, DeSoto County, Florida has 55 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 64% of the U.S. average of 86.
Is DeSoto County, Florida an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 4.1 times the median household income ($220,318 against $53,666), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $932 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in DeSoto County, Florida?
Unemployment in DeSoto County, Florida is 9.5%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in DeSoto County, Florida have a college degree?
11.0% of adults in DeSoto County, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 9), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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