Hardee County, Florida
Located in Florida, Hardee County has a population of 25,675 residents and a median age of 35.8 years, making it the #1,630 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 25.3%. The median home value is $153,600, and the median household income is $60,489, which is 20% below the national median.
Demographics
Hardee County has a population of 25,675, making it the #1,630 most populous county in the US. The median age is 35.8 years, which is 8.0% below the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Hardee County is $60,489, ranking #2,043 out of 3,222 counties — 19.5% below the national median. The poverty rate is 25.3% and unemployment stands at 5.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Hardee County is $153,600 (-45.5% vs national). Renters pay a median of $962/mo and the homeownership rate is 71.4%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Hardee County, 12.1% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 64.1% below the national average, ranking #3,098 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Hardee County is 74.0 years. 28.3% of adults report poor or fair health and 17.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
21.0% of adults in Hardee County smoke , 40.3% are obese , and 17.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 25.7 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Hardee County is 6.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 14.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 35.9 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
23.5% of children in Hardee County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 37.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Hardee County is 45.7%. The mean commute time is 30.2 min, which is 9.3% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Hardee County voted Republican with a margin of 56.3%. The vote was 21.5% Dem / 77.8% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 11.2 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Hardee County, Florida
Hardee County, Florida has a total population of 25,675, making it the 1,630th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Hardee County is 35.8 years, which is 8.0% below the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Hardee County is $60,489, which ranks #2,043 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 19.5% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 25.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.9%.
The median home value in Hardee County is $153,600, 45.5% below the national median. Renters in Hardee County pay a median gross rent of $962 per month. The homeownership rate is 71.4%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Hardee County, 12.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 64.1% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 79.9% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 30.2 min.
Hardee County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 46.4% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (42.3%) and Black (non-Hispanic) (7.2%).
All data for Hardee County, Florida comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.