Hardee County, Florida Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hardee 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 average
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D
Income Well below averageLess wealthy than 92% of counties in Florida
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F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in Florida
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hardee County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,673 | 22,388,905 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 40.3 | 313.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.75% | 1.47% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.6 | 40.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 8,218 | 8,743,019 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hardee County declined by 10.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 25,673 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hardee County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 23.6% of residents. That is 4.2 points above Florida as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,066 23.6% +4.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,213 20.3% -0.3 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,469 17.4% -3.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 4,164 16.2% -3.4 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 45.5% of the people living in Hardee County and men 54.5%.
- Women 45.5% Florida 51.0%
- Men 54.5% Florida 49.0%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hardee County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Hardee County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Hardee County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,052 | $74,580 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.84% | 5.42% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hardee County is about 18% lower than in Florida.
Housing
| Metric | Hardee County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $38,262 | $311,338 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $961 | $1,668 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 71.4% | 67.6% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hardee County is about 3.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $961 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hardee County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 182 hours, about 7.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hardee County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.9 | 24.0 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.7 | 47.9 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 182 | 200 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,646 | $6,189 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.3% | 15.7% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 5,380 | 14,318 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 977 | 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 Hardee County is 22 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
Hardee County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Hardee County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.8% | 30.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.91 | 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
Hardee County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Hardee County | Florida Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 77.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 24.2% | 19.5% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 23.5% | 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).
Hardee County, FL Compared With Nearby Counties
Hardee County, FL is the smallest of the 6 counties compared here, 25,673 residents against a local median of 201,064. Where Hardee County, FL breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 83% below the local median of $230,129 at $38,262.
The counties themselves spread $241,130 on median home price, so Hardee County, FL sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hardee County, FL has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardee County, FL | 25,673 | $61,052 #4/6 | $38,262 #6/6 | 21.9 min #3/6 |
| DeSoto County, FL | 35,386 | $53,666 | $220,318 | 23.0 min |
| Polk County, FL | 790,685 | $66,901 | $230,129 | 26.0 min |
| Highlands County, FL | 105,700 | $55,582 | $103,434 | 17.8 min |
| Manatee County, FL | 429,651 | $78,967 | $344,563 | 23.7 min |
| Charlotte County, FL | 201,064 | $69,727 | $265,501 | 21.6 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hardee County, Florida.
How big is Hardee County, Florida by population?
About 25,673 people live in Hardee County, Florida, in 8,218 households of 2.9 people on average. The median age is 36.6, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Hardee County, Florida mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Hardee County, Florida has 40 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 47% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Hardee County, Florida?
The median home costs 0.6 times the median household income ($38,262 against $61,052), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $961 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How educated are people in Hardee County, Florida?
9.8% of adults in Hardee County, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 10), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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