Signature · 3 LILA tracts (50% of tracts)
Hardee County, FL
Hardee County's signature pressure is desert tracts: 3 LILA tracts (50% of the book) alongside 24.7% low-access.
- 24.7%
- low-access pop.
- 3
- food-desert tracts
- 24.9%
- on SNAP
- 26K
- residents (ACS 2024)
USDA FARA access plate
County Hardee County, FL
LA-ELEVATED · ABOVE-NATIONAL · LILA-POCKET · SNAP-HEAVY · VEH-OK · DENSITY-DENSE
- LA-ELEVATED 24.7% low-access
- ABOVE-NATIONAL +2.6 pts vs US
- LILA-POCKET 3 food-desert tracts
- SNAP-HEAVY 24.9% SNAP
- VEH-OK 6.0% no vehicle
- DENSITY-DENSE 50% tracts LILA
Nearest low-access peer: Liberty County (+ 1.2 pts)
The food-access picture
According to the USDA Food Access Research Atlas, Hardee County ranks #1,310 of 3,079 U.S. counties by low-access share and #43 of 67 counties in FL (24.7% low-access; 3 food-desert tracts).
- #1,310
- national by low-access %
- #43
- in FL
- 3
- low-access tracts
- 4K
- food-desert residents
Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA).
Signature read: 3 LILA tracts (50% of tracts) .
How Hardee County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Hardee County's 24.7% low-access share is elevated, higher than 58% of them and ranked #1,310 most-affected nationwide.
Hardee County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
6 census tracts grouped by USDA classification · 3 LILA.
Hardee County is mostly rural by USDA tract type (5 rural, 1 urban), so most tracts are held to the 10-mile test and only the 1 urban tract faces the 1-mile one.
Hardee County low-access neighbourhood
Poles + nearest peers in Florida, not a full county-board reprint
- Glades
Glades 56.2%
56.2 % low-access
- Collier
Collier 26.9%
26.9 % low-access
- Manatee
Manatee 26.7%
26.7 % low-access
- Liberty
Liberty 25.9%
25.9 % low-access
- Hardee
Hardee 24.7%
24.7 % low-access
- Orange 22.1
Orange 22.1%
22.1 % low-access
- Gilchrist 0.1
Gilchrist 0.1%
0.1 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 6 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 27,731 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 3 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 3 |
| Low-Access Population | 6,859 |
| Low-Access Share | 24.7%above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 3,611 |
ACS 2024 · elevated SNAP band
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 25,675 |
| Median Household Income | $60,489 |
| Poverty Rate | 25.3%well above the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,048 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 24.9%well above the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 6.0%below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 6.9% |
Thick SNAP store book in Hardee County
Hardee County has 26 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 7 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 11 locations (42% of the total), followed by combination grocery/other.
Where the store book sits, by town
4 towns share the 26 authorized stores; Wauchula holds 73% of them. 2 of the 4 towns have no grocery-grade outlet, only convenience or dollar/combination stores: Bowling Green, Ona.
| Town | SNAP stores | Grocery-grade |
|---|---|---|
| Wauchula | 19 | 6 |
| Bowling Green | 3 | none |
| Zolfo Springs | 3 | 1 |
| Ona | 1 | none |
Convenience Store · 11
- circle k 2707034, wauchula
- circle k 2707084, wauchula
- circle k 2707697, zolfo springs
- cracker trail country store, ona
- mobil mart, wauchula
- murphy usa 6698, wauchula
- presco food store, bowling green
- preston foods, wauchula
- speedway 6587, wauchula
- sunoco of 7 mile, wauchula
- wauchula food store, wauchula
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- cvs pharmacy 2030, wauchula
- dollar general 10718, bowling green
- dollar general 10067, wauchula
- dollar general 11636, zolfo springs
- dollar tree 5160, wauchula
- family dollar store 731, wauchula
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- cardenas market, wauchula
- ranchito meats and produce, zolfo springs
- wauchula supermarket, wauchula
Small Grocery Store · 2
- burgin farmers market nafmnp, wauchula
- fiesta supermarket, bowling green
Super Store · 2
- walmart supercenter 759, wauchula
- winn dixie 2550, wauchula
Large Grocery Store · 1
- mangos market inc, wauchula
Supermarket · 1
- save a lot 30041, wauchula
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator (currently authorized stores, a live third population, not the 2019 Atlas or ACS 2024 snapshot above).
Other Counties in Florida
One of 66 counties in Florida, 6 are shown here.
Compare Hardee County vs Alachua County → · All Florida counties →
Nationwide peers for Hardee County's low-access or SNAP share
Two USDA/ACS-derived peer sets for Hardee County, both outside Florida so the neighborhoods are not the same-state county list above.
Similar low-access share
Nearest low-access rates outside FL (24.7% here).
- San Bernardino County, CA · 24.7% low-access
- Yuma County, AZ · 24.7% low-access
- Cecil County, MD · 24.7% low-access
- Douglas County, MN · 24.7% low-access
Similar SNAP participation
Nearest household SNAP rates outside FL (24.9% here).
- Somerset County, MD · 24.9% SNAP
- Choctaw County, OK · 24.9% SNAP
- Socorro County, NM · 24.8% SNAP
- Cameron County, TX · 24.8% SNAP
Source: USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) + Census ACS 2024 SNAP. Peers floor at 10,000 residents so stub counties cannot own the match.
Florida among South Atlantic states
Florida ranks 4th of 9 South Atlantic states by population-weighted low-access (25.1%). Hardee County, at 24.7%, runs 0.4 pts below the Florida rate.
- Georgia 30.9%
- South Carolina 28.7%
- Delaware 27.3%
- Florida 25.1%
- North Carolina 22.9%
- Maryland 22.7%
- West Virginia 21.3%
- Virginia 20.4%
- District of Columbia 4.6%
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted by state; divisions per the U.S. Census Bureau. National state map
Read with this county
Sources: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019) · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates · methodology · compiled .
PlainFoodAccess renders this county profile directly from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates), no number is typed in by an editor. Figures for Hardee County, FL are computed from the joined Atlas and ACS records for FIPS 12049. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-23. Primary sources: USDA Food Access Research Atlas and Census ACS 5-year estimates.
Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.