Hardee County, Florida
County Distress Index score and five-domain breakdown for Hardee County. Population: 25,760 (small).
Data: Census, BLS, Urban Institute, HUD, US Courts | Scores as of 2026-03-17
Hardee County, FL shows significant household financial distress with a score of 77.3 — 24th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Florida, it ranks 2nd of 67 counties. It scores higher than all 5 of its neighboring counties.
Five-Domain Breakdown
How Hardee County compares to all U.S. counties across five dimensions of financial distress. Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed.
Housing Cost Burden
Primary DriverIncome & Poverty
Community Vulnerability
Employment & Wages
Debt & Delinquency
How Hardee County Compares
Neighboring Counties
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardee County, FL | 77.3 | Serious Stress | — |
| DeSoto County, FL | 76.2 | Serious Stress | -1.1 |
| Highlands County, FL | 73.5 | Serious Stress | -3.8 |
| Polk County, FL | 66.5 | Serious Stress | -10.8 |
| Hillsborough County, FL | 59.2 | Elevated | -18.1 |
| Manatee County, FL | 53.8 | Elevated | -23.5 |
Population Peers
Counties with similar population (small) and closest distress scores nationally.
| County | Score | Zone | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halifax County, NC | 77.3 | Serious Stress | -0.0 |
| Adair County, OK | 77.2 | Serious Stress | -0.1 |
| Bertie County, NC | 77.1 | Serious Stress | -0.2 |
| Yazoo County, MS | 77.1 | Serious Stress | -0.2 |
| Ripley County, MO | 77.0 | Serious Stress | -0.4 |
Download Data
Export all distress indicators for Hardee County as a CSV file.
Resources
Hardee County scores in the Serious Stress zone. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial hardship, free help is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the distress score for Hardee County, Florida?
Hardee County has a County Distress Index score of 77.3 out of 100, placing it in the Serious Stress zone. It ranks 24th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 2nd in Florida out of 67 counties.
What drives financial distress in Hardee County?
The primary driver of distress in Hardee County is Housing Cost Burden, where the county scores 84.7 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Rent-Burdened (30%+), Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+), Mortgage-Burdened (30%+).
How does Hardee County compare to neighboring counties?
Hardee County (77.3) can be compared to its 5 neighboring counties: DeSoto County, FL (76.2); Highlands County, FL (73.5); Polk County, FL (66.5).
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.
What is the population of Hardee County?
Hardee County, Florida has a population of approximately 25,760 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a small county.