The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 8 local governments in Hardee County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.
Kind of government
Census count (2022)
Listed on this page
County government
1
1
Cities, towns, villages and townships
3
2
School districts (school boards)
1
1
Special districts (elected boards)
3
1
Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).
About these counts
The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments, though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.
Who lives in Hardee County
25,675people
35.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$60,489 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
25.3%below the U.S.: 12.5%
12.1%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$153,600median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.9%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
11.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
5%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
20.1%U.S.: 8.4%
49.7%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
24.5%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%
Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 42.3% · White 46.4% · Black 7.2% · Asian 1.1% · Other or more than one race 2.9% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)
Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).
About these figures
The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.
Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.
Jobs in Hardee County
5.1%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 4.9%. Florida: 4.2%.
539people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
9,952people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
10,491in the September 2026, preliminary.
Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.
Every month, last two years
Month
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
September 2026 (preliminary)
5.1%
539
9,952
10,491
August 2026
5.5%
572
9,801
10,373
July 2026
6.0%
602
9,411
10,013
June 2026
5.6%
579
9,688
10,267
May 2026
5.2%
543
9,981
10,524
April 2026
5.2%
547
9,922
10,469
March 2026
5.2%
545
10,027
10,572
February 2026
5.5%
583
9,994
10,577
January 2026
5.8%
603
9,820
10,423
December 2025
5.3%
563
9,975
10,538
November 2025
5.9%
620
9,879
10,499
October 2025
not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 2025
4.9%
514
9,870
10,384
August 2025
5.3%
546
9,744
10,290
July 2025
5.4%
531
9,320
9,851
June 2025
4.7%
476
9,754
10,230
May 2025
4.1%
433
10,089
10,522
April 2025
3.8%
392
10,004
10,396
March 2025
4.1%
424
9,908
10,332
February 2025
4.0%
414
9,847
10,261
January 2025
4.2%
429
9,816
10,245
December 2024
3.6%
374
9,896
10,270
November 2024
4.4%
444
9,751
10,195
October 2024
4.1%
419
9,748
10,167
Yearly averages
Year
Rate
Unemployed
Employed
Labor force
2025 (11 months)
4.7%
486
9,837
10,323
2024
4.1%
417
9,744
10,161
2023
3.5%
362
9,933
10,295
2022
3.5%
340
9,421
9,761
2021
4.4%
430
9,423
9,853
2020
6.0%
564
8,826
9,390
2019
4.5%
421
8,863
9,284
2018
4.7%
455
9,232
9,687
2017
5.2%
516
9,314
9,830
2016
6.0%
603
9,526
10,129
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. Florida's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.4% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.
Crime reported in Hardee County
234.9 per 100,0002024. Florida: 275.2.
840.1 per 100,0002024. Florida: 1,401.8.
0murders2024, 66 violent crimes in all.
2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.
Earlier years
Year
Violent
Rate
Property
Rate
2024
66
234.9
236
840.1
2023
55
199.4
309
1,120.1
2022
88
318.8
316
1,144.7
2020
94
329.4
480
1,681.9
2019
72
250.1
488
1,694.9
2018
67
229.7
529
1,813.8
2017
72
246.9
471
1,615.0
2016
81
276.4
521
1,777.6
By police agency (3)
Agency
Year
Violent
Property
People served
Hardee County Sheriff's Office
2024
51
177
18,934
Wauchula Police Department
2024
14
43
4,958
Bowling Green Police Department
2023
4
44
2,448
Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in Florida · the U.S.
Police staffing
2.83 per 1,000 residents2025, 3 agencies serving 25,829 people.
73sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
57civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (3), 2025
Agency
Officers
Civilians
People served
Hardee County Sheriff's Office
54
54
18,349
Wauchula Police Department
14
3
5,007
Bowling Green Police Department
5
0
2,473
Earlier years
Year
Officers
Per 1,000
Civilians
Agencies
2025
73
2.83
57
3
2024
78
2.96
62
3
2021
70
2.65
26
3
2020
100
3.74
34
3
2019
96
3.56
32
3
2018
95
3.47
32
3
2017
80
2.92
25
3
2016
92
3.34
32
3
Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.
Quick answers
Who is the Hardee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller?
Victoria L. (Vickie) Rogers is the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller of Hardee County, Florida.
Who is the Hardee County Property Appraiser?
Kathy L. Crawford is the Property Appraiser of Hardee County, Florida.
Who is the Hardee County Sheriff?
Vent Crawford is the Sheriff of Hardee County, Florida.
Who is the Hardee County Supervisor of Elections?
Diane Smith is the Supervisor of Elections of Hardee County, Florida.
Who is the Hardee County Tax Collector?
Alisa W. Lee is the Tax Collector of Hardee County, Florida.
Who are the Hardee County commissioners?
Tim Wells (District 1); Noey Flores (District 2); Donald Chancey (District 3); Russell Melendy (District 4); Kenny Miller (District 5).
Who is on the Hardee County School Board?
Sonja Bennett (Superintendent of Schools); Stacy Sharp (District I); Andrew Smith (District II); Claire Cornell (District III (Vice Chair)); Marie Dasher (District IV); Mark Gilliard (District V (Chair)).
What is the population of Hardee County?
About 25,675 people, with a median age of 35.8; the median household income is $60,489 and 25.3% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Hardee County?
5.1% in September 2026 (preliminary): 539 people unemployed in a labor force of 10,491, against 4.9% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Hardee County?
8 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 3 municipal, 1 school district and 3 special district governments.
What cities and towns are in Hardee County?
2: Wauchula, Zolfo Springs. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.
Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from each county Supervisor of Elections' official lists and candidate filings and the bodies' own websites; each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.
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