Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety30#10,929/15,637
Economy15#13,334/15,631
Housing5#14,154/14,977
Health7#14,541/15,609
Healthcare6#14,653/15,650
Environment47#8,206/15,453
Education35#10,135/15,649
Infrastructure23#12,108/15,650
Community3#15,190/15,651
Leisure & amenities19#12,728/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Wauchula, Florida ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Hardee County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Unemployment rate · low0.2%
96/100Florida 3.9%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Grocery stores · high3.1 /10k
95/100Florida 1.6 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHardee County value
Math scores · high3.42
92/100Florida 3.28United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHardee County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low114 min
90/100Florida 158 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesHardee County value
Depression · low19.5%
86/100Florida 18.0%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Florida 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHardee County value

Weaknesses

Natural hazard risk · high99.1
1/100Florida 75.92025Federal Emergency Management AgencyHardee County value
Mental health providers · low23 /100k
1/100Florida 226 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHardee County value
Hot days · high132 days
2/100Florida 102 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationHardee County value
Traffic deaths · high46.0 /100k
2/100Florida 15.3 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataHardee County value
Access to exercise opportunities · low31.0%
2/100Florida 87.8%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHardee County value
Primary care physicians · low16 /100k
2/100Florida 73 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHardee County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
54.0% (2015-2019) → 91.7% (2020-2024)
+38 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Child poverty rateWorsening
22.9% (2015-2019) → 57.6% (2020-2024)
+35 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
1.9× (2015-2019) → 3.6× (2020-2024)
+91%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Poverty rateWorsening
20.3% (2015-2019) → 38.1% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
44.0% (2015-2019) → 60.1% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
28.0% (2015-2019) → 42.2% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Wauchula, Florida improved on 1 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Broadband+38 points54.0% → 91.7%

Declined2

Child poverty+35 points22.9% → 57.6%
Poverty+18 points20.3% → 38.1%

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Wauchula, Florida between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	23.4 min2015-2019	27.0 min2020-2024	+3.6 min	Within the margin of error	16%
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.7%2015-2019	9.3%2020-2024	−3.4 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Broadband subscriptions	54.0%2015-2019	91.7%2020-2024	+38 points	Improved	99%
Child poverty rate	22.9%2015-2019	57.6%2020-2024	+35 points	Declined	1%
High school diploma or higher	77.8%2015-2019	80.5%2020-2024	+2.7 points	Within the margin of error	66%
Home price to income ratio	1.9×2015-2019	3.6×2020-2024	+1.7×	Within the margin of error	6%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5272015-2019	0.4952020-2024	−0.032	Within the margin of error	75%
Median household income	$35,4022015-2019	$53,0132020-2024	+50%	Within the margin of error	84%
Poverty rate	20.3%2015-2019	38.1%2020-2024	+18 points	Declined	1%
Rent as share of income	28.0%2015-2019	42.2%2020-2024	+14 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Rent-burdened households	44.0%2015-2019	60.1%2020-2024	+16 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.9%2015-2019	21.0%2020-2024	+7.1 points	Within the margin of error	6%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Wauchula, Florida five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Wauchula, Florida in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Wauchula, Florida itself moved −11 points in standing on average over the same 9 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

4,927 residents (±31)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 women (+10.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

4,927 residents (±31)

Wauchula, Florida
Florida share

White36%1,798
Black2.1%†101
Hispanic or Latino59%2,927

Education

2,590 residents (±333)

Wauchula, Florida
Florida share

No high school diploma19%†505
High school or GED34%878
Some college23%†596

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,658 households (±225)

Wauchula, Florida
Florida share

Under $25k31%†517
$25k–50k17%†279
$50k–75k19%†321
$75k–100k8.1%†134
$100k–150k13%†216
$150k–200k6.3%†104
$200k or more5.2%†87

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $150k–200k (+6.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,658 households (±225)

Wauchula, Florida
Florida share

Own43%†716
Rent57%†942

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

925 households (±297)

Wauchula, Florida
Florida share

Under $75014%†126
$750–1,00035%†321
$1,000–1,50045%†417

Home values

716 homes (±260)

Wauchula, Florida
Florida share

Under $150k36%†258
$150k–250k32%†230
$250k–400k28%†203

Age of homes

1,881 homes (±270)

Wauchula, Florida
Florida share

2010 or later3.0%†57
2000–200926%†498
1980–199925%†461

Size of homes

1,881 homes (±270)

Wauchula, Florida
Florida share

Studio4.5%†84
1 bedroom14%†262
2 bedrooms25%†467

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,758 workers (±292)

Wauchula, Florida
Florida share

Drive alone66%1,166
Carpool27%†479
Public transit0.6%†11
Walk4.4%†78
Bike0.0%0
Work from home0.2%†4
Other1.1%†20

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−20.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,754 workers (±289)

Wauchula, Florida
Florida share

Under 15 min32%†568
15–29 min30%†521
30–44 min13%†230

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Hardee County, the county holding most of Wauchula's residents.

Hardee County has 436 employer establishments, 168 for every 10,000 residents (0.68× the US rate of 248; 0.60× Florida's), with 4,829 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,142. The Census Bureau also counts 1,716 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 436; 1,716 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 168; US 248 · Florida 282
Paid employees: 4,829
Average annual pay: $45,142; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Hardee County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	31	12	0.77×Fewer than typical	209	$46,507	137
Ambulatory health care services	29	11.2	0.54×Fewer than typical	187	$73,743	89
Religious organizations	28	10.8	1.95×More than typical	97	$23,876	—
Restaurants and other eating places	25	9.6	0.53×Fewer than typical	391	$16,949	13
Lessors of real estate	20	7.7	0.63×Fewer than typical	120	$81,433	136
Services to buildings and dwellings	17	6.6	0.97×About typical	107	$31,009	171
Truck transportation	16	6.2	1.22×About typical	80	$57,525	75
Landscaping services	15	5.8	1.65×More than typical	103	$31,233	71
Offices of physicians	14	5.4	0.83×About typical	63	$106,921	8
Child day care services	12	4.6	1.90×More than typical	170	$28,724	51
Construction of buildings	12	4.6	0.61×Fewer than typical	59	$60,678	84
Grocery and convenience stores	12	4.6	1.56×More than typical	106	$23,179	11

Rank places for an industry Open Hardee County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 25,927 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Wauchula, Florida: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

8KFY2017
4.3KFY2018
338.5FY2019
5.4KFY2020
348.9FY2021
1.2KFY2022
1.3KFY2023
302.2FY2024
0FY2025

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Wauchula, Florida, so they do not add up across cities.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Wauchula is mostly in Hardee County.

See federal money in Hardee County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Wauchula, Florida is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Scott FranklinR-FL-18 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 0.7%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Hardee County8100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Hardee County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/1275375