Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 2,448, settled in 1886.
The best of Bowling Green’s subject grades is an A− for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 29% of residents live below the poverty line in Bowling Green, above both Florida’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 11 of Florida’s 774 towns score lower on incomes. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 96% of U.S. communities, with strong wind at the top. Bowling Green's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 97% of U.S. towns. Bowling Green has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Bowling Green beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
2,930 counted in 2010 and 2,405 in 2020; an estimated 2,448 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Florida), ordered by how far Bowling Green is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 422 in 1910, 2,405 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 3 maps from 1955 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bowling Green, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Bowling Green.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Hardee school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 260 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within FL on state tests and graduation
The typical Bowling Green home is worth about $202,000, up 1.5% in a year, 46% below the Florida typical home. Bowling Green’s median rent is $1,011 a month, against $1,647 a month in Florida’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
| Bowling Green | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011 a month | $1,647 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 72% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Bowling Green beats the Florida average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 28% of adults worry about having enough food in Bowling Green.
| Bowling Green | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 20% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 25% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | Bowling Green | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.2% | 9.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 28.9% | 15.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Bowling Green for work: only 4% work in town. Bowling Green’s median household income is $45,000. The top destinations are Wauchula (12%), Bartow (5%) and Lakeland (2%).
| Bowling Green | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $45,000 | $73,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.5% | 5% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Bowling Green has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Bowling Green is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Bowling Green's reported crime rate is well below Florida's. Only 5 of the 112 Florida towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Bowling Green. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Bowling Green | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 6.5 per 1,000 residents | 16.3 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Bowling Green; the nearest are
About 8 of every 100 Bowling Green residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
Where Bowling Green’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Florida, United States
Bowling Green is a city in Hardee County, Florida, United States. The population was 2,405 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.