GardnerFL
Home to 381 people, the town was settled in 1898.
Is Gardner a good place to live?
43% of residents live below the poverty line in Gardner, against 11% in Florida’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. No town among the 639 in Florida we compare has a higher home-ownership rate than Gardner. Gardner has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
381 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Gardner: who provides what
Gardner is unincorporated, so Hardee County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 17, 2025.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Gardner.
The biggest natural risk in Gardner is strong wind, at a very high overall level
FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in Gardner than in 94% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in Gardner break down as 39% from strong winds and 34% from hurricanes.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Gardner has 0.1 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
The top destinations are Wauchula (9%), Sebring (5%) and Arcadia (2%). Among working residents in Gardner, 0.7% work locally. Half commute less than 38 miles.
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Gardner stands out in Florida and nationally, with more of its adults who have diabetes
Gardner: 36% of adults have obesity. CDC measures, 31 in all: Gardner beats Florida on 4 and trails on 14. Two figures for adults locally: 10% binge drink, 48% have high blood pressure.
| Gardner | Florida towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 37% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Gardner | FL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.2% | 14.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.2% | 13.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25% | 12.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0% of Gardner is conserved land
3.7 miles of trail. The density of trails for Gardner comes to 0.5 miles per square mile.
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Gardner
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Gardner; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Gardner residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Florida.
99% of working residents leave Gardner for work
Where Gardner’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Gardner
Census-designated place in Florida, United States
Gardner is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Hardee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 364 as of the 2020 census. It is located on U.S. Route 17 about 11 miles (18 km) north of Arcadia.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 72 ft
- Area code
- 863
Questions about Gardner
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gardner, FL a good place to live?
Gardner has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.