Rank

2271of 3,144

Hardee, Florida

Score 5.80 / 10· population 25,760

Hardee County has three towns, Wauchula, Bowling Green and Zolfo Springs, and its own mining department to oversee phosphate mine reclamation. Natural resource and mining work was 12.0% of local jobs in 2024, against 0.7% statewide, and government held 23.6%, about twice Florida's share. In 2022, Hurricane Ian's rain flooded the county as the Peace River and other area rivers crested at record levels.

Sources
  • Hardee County's municipalities are the City of Bowling Green, the City of Wauchula and the Town of Zolfo Springs hardeecountyfl.gov
  • Hardee County has a Mining Department, with a Phosphate Mining Ordinance, that coordinates with state and federal agencies to assure timely reclamation hardeecountyfl.gov
  • Natural Resource & Mining was 12.0% of Hardee County's average annual employment in 2024, versus 0.7% for Florida edr.state.fl.us
  • Government was 23.6% of Hardee County's average annual employment in 2024, versus 11.3% for Florida edr.state.fl.us
  • Hurricane Ian's 2022 rainfall caused significant flooding in Hardee and neighboring counties when the Peace, Myakka and Alafia Rivers and Horse Creek crested to record levels nhc.noaa.gov

v4 — beta, 30 October 2026, sourced values

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Eleven factors

Government behavior

  1. Fraser Institute state ranking (state)7.6
  2. 2A (state)8.0
  3. GOP + LP vote for President7.8
  4. Sales tax3.6
  5. Property tax6.7

Environment

  1. Air quality6.0
  2. Floods / hurricanes0.9

Private behavior

  1. Homicide rate6.4
  2. Life expectancy2.8
  3. Government employees2.7
  4. Single-parent households2.0

Neighbors