Hardee County Profile

Visit eFlorida.com to learn more.

County Website :

www.hardeebusiness.com

Nearest MSA:

Lakeland-Winter Haven

Time Zone:

Eastern

Local Area Code(s):

863

Largest Cities:

1 Wauchula
2 Bowling Green
3 Zolfo Springs

Miles* To:
Tallahassee	...................................	252
Orlando	...................................	70
Tampa	...................................	48
Jacksonville	...................................	192
Miami	...................................	162
Atlanta	...................................	455
Chicago	...................................	1041
Dallas	...................................	966
New York	...................................	1012
*Miles are calculated from county seat.

	Hardee
1980:	20,357
1990:	19,499
2009:	29,415
2015(p):	28,800
2030(p):	30,600
(p) Denotes Projected Population

Florida

9,746,961

12,938,071

18,537,969

19,881,200

23,821,300


	Hardee	Florida
2006	$21,454	$38,161
2007	$21,089	$39,036
2008	$21,723	$39,064

Average Temperature

High

Low

January:

July:

Florida Mean Annual Precipitation	...........................	53
Average Annual Rain Days	...........................	112

(2008)
In-Migration	1,067
Out-Migration	1,219
Net-Migration	-152
*Estimates based on IRS Statistics of Income data

(2009)
Labor Force	11,595
Labor Force % of County Population	39.4
Number in County Unemployed	1,281
Unemployment Rate	11.0%

Monthly labor force data are available from the Florida Agency
for Workforce Innovation.


N/D = No Data	Hardee	Florida
(2008)
Average Annual Employment	8,162	7,945,162

Natural Resources & Mining	25.5%	1.2%
Construction	3.1%	6.5%
Trade, Transportation and Utilities	13.9%	20.5%
Manufacturing	3.2%	4.7%
Information	0.9%	2.0%
Other Services	1.6%	3.2%
Public administration	11.5%	5.9%
Unclassified	N/D
Leisure & Hospitality	4.9%	11.9%
Education & Health Services	15.3%	19.4%
Professional & Business Services	2.9%	14.4%
Financial Activities	3.7%	6.6%
Average Annual Wage
(2008)
All Industries	$28,430
Construction	$28,232
Education & Health Services	$27,753
Financial Activities	$35,571
Information	$48,979
Leisure & Hospitality	$12,904
Manufacturing	$26,015
Natural Resources & Mining	$18,744
Other Services	$16,922
Professional & Business Services	$25,826
Public administration	$35,530
Trade, Transportation and Utilities	$29,002
Unclassified	N/D


Major Private Sector Employers

Florida Institute for Neurological Rehabilitation
Business Line: Healthcare
Number of Employees..................................................... 550

WalMart
Business Line: Retail
Number of Employees..................................................... 288

Mosaic
Business Line: Phosphate
Number of Employees..................................................... 277

C.F. Industries
Business Line: Phosphate
Number of Employees..................................................... 175

Peace River Electric Cooperative
Business Line: Electric Service
Number of Employees..................................................... 137

Wauchula State Bank
Business Line: Banking
Number of Employees..................................................... 121

Florida Hospital Heartland Division
Business Line: Healthcare
Number of Employees..................................................... 111

Old Castle Mulch
Business Line: Manufacturing
Number of Employees..................................................... 60

Pacer Marine
Business Line: Manufacturing
Number of Employees..................................................... 60

First National Bank
Business Line: Banking
Number of Employees..................................................... 38

Federal Interstates
Federal Highways	US-17
State Highways	SR-62, SR-64 and 64A, SR-66
Railroads	CSX

Nearest Airport with Scheduled Commerical Airline Service:	Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport
# Runways	2
Longest Paved Runway(ft.)	7001
General Aviation Airports	Wauchula Municipal Airport

Local Deep Water Port	Manatee County Port Authority
Miles to Closest Port	25

COUNTY
Countywide Ad Valorem Millage Rates:
Government	8.5540
Schools	7.9650
Special	0.9028
Total	17.4218

Ad Valorem Tax Exemption:	Yes
Retail Sales Tax (Local Option)	1.00
Federal Enterprise Zone	No
State Enterprise Zone	EZ-2501

STATE

Corporate Income Tax	5.5%
Personal Income Tax	0.0%
Retail Sales Tax	6.0%


Electric Companies:
	TECO
	Peace River Electric
	Seminole Electric
	Wauchula City Electric
	Vandolah Power Station

Natural Gas Companies:
	Coker Fuel
	Florida Natural Gas
	Suburban Propane

Telephone Companies:
	AT&T
	Embarq

Water & Sewer Companies:
	City of Bowling Green
	City of Wauchula
	Town of Zolfo Springs
	Hardee County Utility Department


Existing Industrial Zoned Land	Yes
Number of Acres	1,000
Largest Available Contiguous Parcel	200

Industrial Parks	Yes
Number of Acres	200
Largest Available Contiguous Parcel	160

Foreign Trade Zones	No
Zone Number(s)

	Public Schools	Teachers	Enrollments

Elementary:	21	159	2,577
Secondary:	25	126	2,437
Totals:	46	285	5,014

Private Schools Available: Yes

POST SECONDARY EDUCATION SERVING THE COUNTY:

Colleges/Universities:
	University of South Florida
	Florida Southern College
	Warner Southern College
	Webber International University

Junior/Community Colleges:
	South Florida Community College

Vocational/Technical Schools:
	South Florida Community College

Other Schools:
	Faith Evangelist Christian School
	Pioneer Career Academy
	Maranatha Baptist

Local Radio Stations:

WZZS

WAUC

Local Television Stations:

Locally Printed Newspapers:

Herald Advocate


Number of Banks:	4

Number of Savings and Loans:	0

Number of Credit Unions:	1

Cost of Living
Price Level Index, (2007)
Florida State Average = 100
Sample
Total	90.77
Food	100.38
Housing	82.38
Medical Care	93.48
Personal Goods and Services	93.78
Transportation	98.83

Medical Services:
	Eye Clinic
	Florida Hospital
	Florida Institute for Neurological Rehabilitation
	Hardee Health Department
	Walk-In Clinics

Recreational Opportunities:
	Florida Cracker Trail
	Hardee Lake Park
	One 9-hole & two 18-hole golf courses
	Payne Creek Historical State Park
	Peace River Activities
	Pioneer Park
	Solomons Castle

Historical Points Of Interest:
	Main Street
	Payne Creek Historical State Park
	Pioneer Museum

Cultural Events/Festivals:
	County Fair
	Grillin' & Chillin'
	Heartland Chorale
	Nature Fest
	Pioneer Park Days
	The Cracker Heritage Festival
	The Story of Jesus

Enterprise Florida, Inc. 800 North Magnolia Avenue, Suite 1100 Orlando, Florida 32803 Phone 407-956-5600 Fax(407)956-5599

Visit us on the World Wide Web: http://www.eflorida.com