Hardee County today
What this means
Twelve month change in Hardee County: +1.3%, essentially flat.
Permits January to September 2026: 115 homes, 37% more than 2025.
Treat these as area figures and confirm rent with comps. Sources and method: how these figures are built.
Quick facts
| Hardee County | Compared with Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2025 estimate | 25,932 | 0.1% of Florida |
| Growth since 2020 | 2.4% | -6.5 pts |
| Median home value | $153,600 | 57% lower |
| Median gross rent | $962 | 42% lower |
| Median household income | $60,489 | 19% lower |
| Owner occupied homes | 71.4% | +3.8 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 16.1% | -5.2 pts |
| Average commute | 27 min | 4% lower |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 9.3% | -4.9 pts |
| Housing units permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 4.0 | 47% lower |
| Veterans, share of adults | 5% | -2.4 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $1,264 | 54% lower |
| Average homeowners insurance with wind | $3,376 |
Census figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; see sources and methods.
Living in Hardee County
52%, higher than Florida's 5.58%; lots of manufactured homes (27.1% of the stock); and cheaper homes than most of Florida (median $153,600).
Heartland county seated at Wauchula, about 638 square miles in the phosphate region known as Bone Valley. County seat: Wauchula. Created in 1921.
The population centers are Wauchula, Bowling Green and Zolfo Springs. Wauchula alone has about 4,927 residents.
What anchors the area
- Economy: phosphate mining; agriculture
- Known for: Paynes Creek Historic State Park
A younger county by Florida standards: 16.1% are 65 or older. Households are large, averaging 2.91 people.
Growth and where it is heading
Population went from 25,326 in April 2020 to 25,932 in July 2025 (2.4%; Florida 8.9%). Year over year: -0.67%.
| 2025 building permits | Units |
|---|---|
| Single family | 86 |
| 2 to 4 units | 2 |
| 5 or more units | 16 |
| Total | 104 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 4.0 (well below Florida, 7.6) |
More on corridors and rents: Central Florida investor guide.
Risks to price in
No hurricane landfall in Hardee County since 2000 in the record we use. Wind and rain from storms still reach inland.
State data puts the typical homeowners policy with wind at $3,376 a year in Hardee County.
Older stock (42.2% built before 1980) means insurers will look hard at roofs, wiring and plumbing. Insurance and inspections
27.1% of homes are manufactured, so loan options depend on how the home is titled and set. Manufactured home loans
Flood, storms and jobs
| Hardee County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes in a FEMA high risk flood zone | 484 (5.3%) | 13.3% |
| Homes with federal flood insurance | 118 (1.3%) | 13.7% |
| Insured share inside high risk zones | 14.9% | |
| Flood insurance claims since 2000 | 107, $5,792,841 paid | |
| Costliest flood events for insured homes | Hurricane Ian ($4,292,944); Hurricane Irma ($1,138,000); Other or unnamed flooding ($222,834) | |
| Major federal disasters declared since 2000 | 15 (9 hurricane, 2 severe storm, 1 tropical storm) |
The county (unincorporated areas) holds CRS class 10, which gives no discount on federal flood policies. Flood map date: 11/06/13.
Where people work: health care and social assistance (16%), retail (16%), hotels and restaurants (10%), out of 4,829 private jobs in Hardee County (2023). Hotels and restaurants hold 10% of those jobs (close to Florida's 13%).
Buying a home in Hardee County
| 2026 loan limit, one unit | Amount |
|---|---|
| FHA | $541,287 |
| Conforming (above this is jumbo) | $832,750 |
The median priced home fits under the FHA limit with room to spare. FHA limits
The median home equals 2.5 years of median household income (4.8 for the state). That makes ownership easier to reach than in most of the state.
Loans made here in 2025
| Loan type | Loans | Share | Florida share | Average loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional | 193 | 65.2% | 72.2% | $188,782 |
| FHA | 74 | 25% | 17.8% | $280,000 |
| VA | 19 | 6.4% | 9.9% | $308,158 |
| USDA | 10 | 3.4% | 0.2% | $260,000 |
| Purpose | Share of 2025 loans |
|---|---|
| Home purchase | 59.5% |
| Cash out refinance | 12.8% |
| Rate and term refinance | 11.1% |
| Home improvement | 7.4% |
Total loans rose 0% from 2024 (296 to 296). FHA carries more weight here (25% of loans). 10 USDA loans show that parts of the county qualify.
Loans that fit the local numbers
- Conventional: used for 65.2% of loans; mortgage insurance comes off later.
- FHA: lower scores and higher debt ratios allowed; limit $541,287.
- USDA: outside the main towns, many addresses in a county of 25,932 can qualify.
Down payment help and taxes
Assistance with cash to close is offered statewide by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Property taxes run about 0.82% of value for current owners (median bill $1,264); a new buyer's bill resets to the purchase price. Homestead and tax caps
Investing in Hardee County
DSCR loans often price above this rate. Method. DSCR loans
Run your own numbers
Long term rentals
| Hardee County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 28.6% | -3.8 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 29.8% | -5.4 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 2.7% | -4.9 pts |
Rental vacancy is tight.
Short term rentals
| Item | Here |
|---|---|
| County tourist tax | 2% |
| Plus state sales tax | 6% (plus any county surtax) |
| Homes held for seasonal use | 8.3% (+0.5 pts vs Florida) |
Zoning, registration and HOA rules decide if a home can rent nightly. State rules
Property types
| Housing stock | Share |
|---|---|
| Single family detached | 57.7% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 10.2% |
| Manufactured homes | 27.1% |
| 2025 loans on 2 to 4 unit properties | 0.34% |
Largest cities and towns in Hardee County
Among places with at least 1,000 residents, Wauchula has the highest median value ($191,800) and Zolfo Springs the lowest ($115,100); Bowling Green shows the best rent to price ratio (10.39% gross).
| Place | Population | Median value | Median rent | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wauchula | 4,927 | $191,800 | $1,017 | $53,013 |
| Bowling Green | 2,226 | $116,800 | $1,011 | $45,357 |
| Zolfo Springs | 2,158 | $115,100 | $967 | $60,946 |
| Fort Green Springs | 762 | $76,900 | Not reported | $81,042 |
| Lemon Grove | 547 | Not reported | $898 | $26,971 |
| Gardner | 381 | $86,400 | Not reported | Not reported |
| Ona | 44 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Fort Green | 39 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Limestone | 25 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
Census places, including unincorporated communities. Linked places have their own guide.
Compare with neighboring counties
| County | Median value | Median rent | Growth since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardee County | $153,600 | $962 | 2.4% |
| DeSoto County | $174,100 | $932 | 9.1% |
| Highlands County | $187,900 | $1,035 | 9.8% |
| Hillsborough County | $371,500 | $1,667 | 7.8% |
| Manatee County | $391,400 | $1,671 | 17.1% |
| Polk County | $266,500 | $1,363 | 20.7% |
Other Florida markets
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5 year estimates. 2020 to 2024.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 2025. July 1, 2025.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual. 2025.
- FFIEC HMDA Data Browser, originated loans. 2025 and 2024.
- LendingTree: 2026 FHA loan limits in Florida by county (HUD figures). 2026.
- Florida Realtors: FHFA sets 2026 conforming loan limits. 2026.
- Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research: 2026 local option tourist tax rates. 2026.
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, July 2026 Insurance Stability Unit report (average homeowners premium with wind, as of March 31, 2026). March 31, 2026.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. week of October 22, 2026.
- Wikipedia: List of counties in Florida. checked October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file. 2024.
- Wikipedia county article and statewide lists (colleges, teams, airports); Florida Defense Support Task Force installation map. checked October 2026.
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes, middle tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. September 2026.
- Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (county annual, metro and state quarterly, all transactions). through Q2 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, January to September 2026 and 2025. September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates. as of August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims (2000 to 2026). as of September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book (Community Rating System class). August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries (2000 to 2026). October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. 2023.
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024, median gross rent by bedrooms (B25031). 2020 to 2024.
- Hurricane landfalls: Wikipedia, List of Florida hurricanes (2000 to present). checked October 2026.
Estimates from public data; they change over time. General information, not investment, tax or legal advice, and not a loan offer. Methods and assumptions.