66.93%
VPK Participation
2024-2025 Hardee County
+0.13% vs Florida
Research suggests that children who complete VPK are more ready for kindergarten than those who don’t.
Source: Division of Early Learning
34.2%
Kindergarten Readiness
Fall 2024 Hardee County
-16.8% vs Florida
State law requires statewide kindergarten screening be administered within the first 30 days of kindergarten for all kindergarten students. The results of this screening provide valuable information about a child’s readiness for school, help teachers plan instruction to meet each child’s individual needs and offer useful information to parents.
Source: FL Health Charts
13.2%
Preterm Births
2022 Average Hardee County
+2.7% vs Florida
Preterm birth can be a reflection of a community’s health. Preterm birth is triggered by multiple, interacting biological and environmental factors. Health consequences of preterm birth include developmental delays, chronic respiratory problems and vision and hearing impairment. Having a preterm baby impacts families emotionally and financially.
Source: FL Health Charts
85%
High School Graduation Rate
2022-2023 Average Hardee County
-3% vs Florida
High School graduation rates capture the percentage of students who obtain all required classes and testing within four years of high school.
Source: US News
10.4%
Graduates with a Bachelor’s Degree
2018-2022 Hardee County
-52.2% vs Florida
This percentage reflects the number of residents who have obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Source: The Florida Scoreboard & US Census Bureau
33.6%
Single-Parent Households
2022 Hardee County
+5.7% vs Florida
In 2022, 33.6% of households with children in Hardee County were headed by single parents.
Source: FRED Economic Data
33.4%
Rent-Occupied Households
2022 Hardee County
-0.3% vs Florida
The percentage of renter-occupied housing is related to the affordability of homeownership. When owning a home is less affordable, more housing units will be renter-occupied.
Source: FL Health Charts
30%
ALICE Rate
2022 Hardee County
-3% vs Florida
ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed — households that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic cost of living for the county. While conditions have improved for some households, many continue to struggle, especially as wages fail to keep pace with the rising cost of household essentials (housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and a basic smartphone plan).
$44,665
Median Household Income
2022 Hardee County
-$20,705 vs Florida
In 2022, Hardee County, FL had a population of 25.5k people with a median age of 35.2 and a median household income of $44,665. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Hardee County, FL declined from 25,632 to 25,528, a −0.406% decrease and its median household income grew from $41,395 to $44,665, a 7.9% increase.
Source: Data USA
49.9%
In Civilian Labor Force
2018-2022 Hardee County
-9.1% vs Florida
This category includes all civilians 16 years old and over who either (1) were “at work,” that is, those who did any work at all during the reference week as paid employees, worked in their own business or profession, worked on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers on a family farm or in a family business; or (2) were “with a job but not at work,” that is, those who did not work during the reference week but had jobs or businesses from which they were temporarily absent due to illness, bad weather, industrial dispute, vacation, or other personal reasons. Excluded from the employed are people whose only activity consisted of work around the house or unpaid volunteer work for religious, charitable, and similar organizations; also excluded are all institutionalized people and people on active duty in the United States Armed Forces.
Source: US Census Bureau
25,760
Population
2023 Hardee County
-22,584,966 vs Florida
25,760 people call Hardee County home. Growing the population to support a more robust economy is a key component of The Development Group’s strategic plan.
Source: US Census Bureau
110.9
Crime Rate
2022 Hardee County
-39.7 vs Florida
This measures the number of crimes reported per 100,000 citizens, including both violent crimes and property crimes. The number of crimes reported in Hardee County is approximately one quarter of the rate, based on the population.
Source: FL Health Charts
0%
Voter Turnout
2022 Hardee County
-12.86% vs Florida
In the 2022 general election, 41.14% of registered voters in Hardee County participated in the election.
Source: Hardee County Supervisor of Elections Summary Results – Election Night Reporting (electionsfl.org)
0%
Overweight & Obesity Rate
2021 Hardee County
+11% vs Florida
Overweight and obesity are both labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height. The terms also identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems. The risk for the following conditions increases as weight increases into the overweight or obese range: coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, certain cancers (breast, colon, uterus), hypertension, high cholesterol or high triglycerides, stroke, liver and gallbladder disease, sleep apnea and breathing problems, osteoarthritis and gynecological problems.
Source: Florida Department of Health Health Status Report (floridahealth.gov)
47%
of 3rd Graders Reading at Grade Level
Hardee County 2022
-6% vs Florida
The percent of students in 3rd grade achieving a passing level of 3 or above on the Florida Standards Assessments for English Language Arts. Florida public school students participate in the English language arts reading and writing assessments aligned to the Florida Standards. These assessments provide parents, teachers, policy makers, and the general public with information about how well students are learning the Florida Standards.
Source: FL Health Charts