Food and drink · County · Florida
Fast food and sandwich shops in Hardee County, FL
The fast food and sandwich shops in Hardee County, FL, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 58 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #824 of 2,222 scored counties
#36 of 62 scored counties in Florida
- Listings
- 9
- 7 chain locations (78%)
- Official establishments
- 11
- All limited-service restaurants
- Household spending a year
- $27.1M
- On food away from home · $3,302 a household
- Spending per listing
- $3M
- In line with the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 11.0
- 17% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 25,932
- +2.4% since 2020
See the fast food and sandwich shops around any address in Hardee County
The site report maps the fast food and sandwich shops on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Hardee County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Household spending on food away from home in Hardee County comes to about $27.1M a year: $3,302 per household, 19% below the U.S. average. That works out to $3M per shop, in line with the U.S. figure of $3.1M. The spending figure covers all food away from home, not only fast food and sandwich shops.
There are 9 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings in Hardee County as of September 2026. Of those, 7 are chain locations, or 78%, against 79% across the U.S. That comes to 11.0 for every 10,000 households, 17% below the U.S. rate of 13.3.
In 2023, official counts showed 11 businesses with payroll in Hardee County classed as limited-service restaurants. That is one for every 747 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S. That count covers all limited-service restaurants (pizza places included), not only fast food and sandwich shops. Another 5 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
Population estimates show Hardee County grew 2.4% from 2020 to 2025, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). For fast food and sandwich shops, Hardee County has a Groundwork market score of 58 (upper middle): #824 of 2,222 scored counties and #36 of 62 scored counties in Florida.
How Hardee County compares
The same measures for Florida and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all food away from home by the fast food and sandwich shops counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Hardee County | Florida | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 11.0 | 12.2 | 13.3 |
| Spending per listing | $3M | $3.2M | $3.1M |
| Households per official establishment (all limited-service restaurants) | 747 | 548 | 478 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | +12.5% | +6.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +2.4% | +8.7% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on food away from home | $3,302 | $3,841 | $4,070 |
| Median household income | $60,489 | $74,568 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 58 | 64 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 8 → 11All limited-service restaurants
- Employees, 2023
- 294
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $4.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 5All limited-service restaurants with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 97 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 9The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as limited-service restaurants in Hardee County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3. These official figures cover all limited-service restaurants, not only fast food and sandwich shops.
Population and households in Hardee County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 25,932+2.4% since 2020
- Households
- 8,219
- Median age
- 35.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 71%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 638 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 40
- Median household income
- $60,489+56.4% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $84,981
- Median home value
- $153,600
- Jobs located here
- 6,991
- Daytime population
- 22,490Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Hardee County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the fast food and sandwich shops on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Hardee County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardFast food and sandwich shops across Florida
Every Florida market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Florida for fast food and sandwich shops, numbered among those based in Florida, with Hardee County marked.
Top counties in Florida
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Sarasota County, FL | 87 | 200 | 9.4 | $4.3M | +10.0% | #34 of 2,222 |
| 2Sumter County, FL | 87 | 64 | 9.1 | $4.1M | +21.1% | #36 of 2,222 |
| 3Flagler County, FL | 85 | 47 | 8.9 | $4.3M | +21.0% | #59 of 2,222 |
| 4Collier County, FL | 85 | 166 | 10.0 | $4.3M | +10.6% | #60 of 2,222 |
| 5Wakulla County, FL | 85 | 13 | 10.2 | $3.7M | +12.3% | #63 of 2,222 |
| 6Charlotte County, FL | 84 | 76 | 8.4 | $4.3M | +15.5% | #80 of 2,222 |
| 7Manatee County, FL | 82 | 183 | 10.4 | $3.8M | +16.6% | #100 of 2,222 |
| 8St. Johns County, FL | 80 | 127 | 11.0 | $4.4M | +25.0% | #125 of 2,222 |
| 9Indian River County, FL | 80 | 72 | 10.2 | $3.8M | +7.7% | #132 of 2,222 |
| 10Lee County, FL | 80 | 344 | 10.5 | $3.7M | +14.4% | #134 of 2,222 |
| 36Hardee County, FL | 58 | 9 | 11.0 | $3M | +2.4% | #824 of 2,222 |
Other business types in Hardee County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
- Restaurants and cafes52
- Sit-down restaurants48
- Fast food and sandwich shops58
- Pizza
- Coffee shops and cafes48
- Bakeries and dessert shops55
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many fast food and sandwich shops are in Hardee County, FL?
As of September 2026, map listings count 9 fast food and sandwich shops in Hardee County. 7 of them (78%) are chain locations. The listings count fast food, sandwich shops, delis and bagel shops. Official counts show 11 businesses with payroll classed as limited-service restaurants in 2023. The official count takes in all limited-service restaurants, not only fast food and sandwich shops: pizza places are counted too. Official counts list 5 one-person businesses without payroll.
How much do households in Hardee County, FL spend on food away from home?
About $27.1M a year, or $3,302 per household. That is 19% below the U.S. average (an index of 81, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 9 fast food and sandwich shops on map listings, it comes to $3M per shop. That spending covers all food away from home, which fast food and sandwich shops share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 8,219 households in Hardee County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Hardee County, FL compare with the U.S. for fast food and sandwich shops?
Hardee County has 11.0 fast food and sandwich shops per 10,000 households, 17% below the U.S. rate of 13.3. Spending per shop is $3M, in line with the U.S. figure of $3.1M. The count on map listings matches the U.S. ratio of fast food and sandwich shops to household spending. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 747 households, against one for every 478 across the U.S.
How fast is Hardee County, FL growing?
Population estimates put Hardee County at 25,932 people in 2025, up 2.4% since 2020, slower than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 8,219 households. Median household income in Hardee County is $60,489, 25% below the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 56.4%, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Hardee County scores 58 for fast food and sandwich shops (upper middle), #824 of 2,222 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Hardee County. It maps the fast food and sandwich shops on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for fast food and sandwich shops · All 56 business types in Hardee County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Hardee County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Hardee County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.