Wauchula, FL · standard
ZIP Code 33873
Hardee County, Florida - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 14,742
- 48/sq mi
- $54,444
- Median income
- $180,100
- Median home value
- 14.2%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
Wauchula pairs one of the lowest household incomes in the country with below-median home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 20th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 38th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 48
- people per sq mi
- 69%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 33873 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 33873 (Wauchula, FL) rose +19.6% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 260.8 in 2023 to 311.9 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 33873 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Wauchula, Hardee County, Florida, home to 14,742 residents across 309.1 square miles, a density of 48 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.
ZIP 33873 reports a modest median household income of $54,444 (29% below the average Florida ZIP), while per-capita income is $31,852. The poverty rate is 28.2%, so the area-level income figures should not be treated as typical household experience. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $180,100 (52% below the average Florida ZIP), and median rent is $963; owner occupancy is 68.5%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35.6, and the average commute is 26 minutes. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 3 more in Hardee County, so 33873 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 33873
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Wauchula, FL
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 33873.
- Retail trade
Retail trade
51 establishments
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
50 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
36 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
27 establishments
- Construction
Construction
24 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 33873, Wauchula, FL · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
14,742
Population
309.1
Area (sq mi)
48
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 33873?
35.6
Median Age
51.5%
Male
48.5%
Female
12.0%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$54,444
Median Household Income
-29% vs state ZIP avg
$31,852
Per Capita Income
28.2%
Poverty Rate
5.7%
Unemployment Rate
26.3 min
Mean Commute Time
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
5,400housing units
5,400
Total Housing Units
4,810
Occupied Units
590
Vacant Units
2.84
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$180,100
Median Home Value
-52% vs state ZIP avg
$963
Median Rent
1985
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+19.6%
YoY Change (2024)
312
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+212%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 33873 have increased 19.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +212% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +9.5% | 190 |
| 2021 | +8.3% | 205 |
| 2022 | +28.6% | 264 |
| 2023 | -1.3% | 261 |
| 2024 | +19.6% | 312 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 293 business establishments in ZIP 33873, employing approximately 3,234 people with a combined annual payroll of $132,448,000.
293
Businesses
3,234
Employees
$132.4M
Annual Payroll
14
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 51 | 17.4% |
| Health care and social assistance | 50 | 17.1% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 36 | 12.3% |
| Accommodation and food services | 27 | 9.2% |
| Construction | 24 | 8.2% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 22 | 7.5% |
| Finance and insurance | 16 | 5.5% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 15 | 5.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 14 | 4.8% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 10 | 3.4% |
| Wholesale trade | 9 | 3.1% |
| Information | 6 | 2.0% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 5 | 1.7% |
| Educational services | 4 | 1.4% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 33873 vs 33890 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33890 | Zolfo Springs, FL | 5,060 | 9.5 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 33873, both outside FL so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (14,742 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.