United States › Florida › DeSoto County COUNTY
DeSoto County Florida · 37,078 residents (2025 est.) · 637 sq mi
Time machine
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The short version
DeSoto County is home to 35,386 people in Florida. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 11% of adults. The poverty rate is 24.1%, above the 12.5% national rate. The median age is 43.5, about 5 years above the US median. The typical home is worth $174,100, having roughly tripled since 2000. Households here earn about 27% less than in Florida as a whole.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 43.5
US median: 38.9
Less educated
11% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 72%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 32,209 in 2000
37,078 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 55 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 36.5 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
23K 26K 30K 34K 38K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 DeSoto County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $54,417
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $30,714 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $14,000 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 16.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 23.6% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.422 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 7.3%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.4%
Transportation & warehousing 1.3%
Arts, entertainment, food 1.3%
Education & health services 0.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$174,100
+72%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $55,700 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$932
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $442 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 74.7% in 2000
27.5% rent
from 24.9% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
2.53 people
−15%since 2009
from 2.98 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 31.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 28.8% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 3.0 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 61.2%(19,704)
Hispanic / Latino 24.9%(8,019)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 54.9%(19,441)
Hispanic / Latino 30.1%(10,635)
from 74 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 35 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Hispanic origin
+ 3 more hispanic origin groups with data Ancestry
+ 28 more ancestry groups with data from 8.4% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 63.5% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 3.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 20.8 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 62.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 30.2% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 2.3% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 1.4% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 1.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.9% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 6.9% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 10.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 51.3% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 58.6% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 13.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 19.0% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 23.7% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 10.7% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 15.4% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 28.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 50.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 75.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 86.7% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 69.9% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 27.8% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 39.5%(6,823)
Women 15+
Never married 25.2%(3,272)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 28.9% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 28.7% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 13.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 25.3% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 33.1% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.4% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 40.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 53.9% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 14.6%(333)
Share of the 2,283 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to DeSoto County Head to head
Compare DeSoto County to nearby counties DESOTO COUNTY VS
Hardee County
Income $60,489 +11%
Home value $153,600 −12%
Population 25,932 −30%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DESOTO COUNTY VS
Charlotte County
Income $69,952 +29%
Home value $328,900 +89%
Population 217,212 +486%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DESOTO COUNTY VS
Highlands County
Income $54,897 +1%
Home value $187,900 +8%
Population 111,122 +200%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
DESOTO COUNTY VS
Sarasota County
Income $83,416 +53%
Home value $411,800 +137%
Population 479,958 +1194%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in DeSoto County, Florida? DeSoto County, Florida has about 35,386 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in DeSoto County, Florida? The typical household in DeSoto County, Florida earns about $54,417 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is DeSoto County, Florida expensive? In DeSoto County, Florida, the median home is worth about $174,100, and the typical rent is about $932 a month.
How educated are people in DeSoto County, Florida? About 10.8% of adults age 25 and over in DeSoto County, Florida hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in DeSoto County, Florida? About 24.1% of people in DeSoto County, Florida live below the federal poverty line.
Has DeSoto County, Florida grown since 1990? Yes, DeSoto County, Florida has grown since 1990. The population has added about 11,521 residents, a change of about 48 percent over that period.
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