Hardee County, Florida
A shallow water table limits basements on 99% of Hardee County's mapped land, a higher share than 100% of US counties and the 3rd highest of 66 Florida counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
91.8% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map, down from 100% a week earlier. FEMA's flood data list 78 flood losses here since 2016, 0% of them in buildings with basements. 42% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1987.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Hardee County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 98.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 99.4% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.9% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | under 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 406,550 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Pomona | 18% | n/a |
| Smyrna | 13% | n/a |
| Myakka | 11% | 100% |
| Felda | 7% | n/a |
| Bradenton | 6% | n/a |
| Immokalee | 5% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas FL049 (2025-08-28)
What the numbers mean here
On 99% of Hardee County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 36.24 in, 16.91 in below the 1991-2020 average year of 53.15 in.
USDA rates 99% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
91.8% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 50 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 47 weeks, most recently on the October 6, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 91.8% |
| D2 severe or worse | 44.2% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
78 flood losses since 2016, $5.5 million paid. The worst year was 2022, with 54. Foundations of the buildings, where recorded: 55% slabs, 6% crawl spaces, 39% elevated. Median water depth outside the building: 27 in.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 23 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 54 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 53.15 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 36.24 in (-16.91) |
| 2025 | 42.95 in (-10.20) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 1947: 78.65 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 2000: 34.52 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at WAUCHULA (4 mi away) | 15.8 |
Homes
| Housing units | 9,942 |
| Median year built | 1987 |
| Built before 1980 | 42% |
| Built 2000 or later | 28% |
| Owner-occupied | 71% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $153,600 |
| Single-family detached | 58% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeSoto County, FL | 21 mi | under 1% | 99% |
| Highlands County, FL | 31 mi | 0% | 80% |
| Polk County, FL | 32 mi | 6% | 68% |
| Manatee County, FL | 35 mi | under 1% | 90% |
| Sarasota County, FL | 41 mi | 0% | 86% |
| Charlotte County, FL | 42 mi | 0% | 77% |
| Hillsborough County, FL | 44 mi | 1% | 78% |
| Glades County, FL | 54 mi | 0% | 75% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (August 28, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status