• county
  • FIPS 12027
  • Largest town: Arcadia

DeSoto County, Florida

DeSoto County had 36,744 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 636.7 square miles of land. It ranks 49th of 67 in Florida by population and 41st by land area.

Population
36,744
#49 of 67 in Florida · #1,272 in US
Area
636.7 sq mi
#41 of 67 in Florida · #1,497 in US
Density
58 / sq mi
#48 of 67 in Florida · #1,340 in US
Median household income
$54,288
#54 of 67 in Florida · #2,390 in US

Census Vintage 2024 estimates · SAIPE 2023 income · 2024 Gazetteer land area

DeSoto County within Florida. Pin: Tallahassee.

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DeSoto County population, land area and income

DeSoto County had 36,744 residents in the Census Vintage 2024 estimate, on 636.7 square miles of land. It ranks 49th of 67 in Florida by population and 41st by land area. That works out to 57.7 people per square mile, below the US average of 96.3, and above the national county median.

The median county-equivalent in Florida has 154,693 residents, so DeSoto County has 24% of the typical county's population.

Its SAIPE 2023 median household income of $54,288 is in the bottom quarter among 3,143 counties with an estimate.

National rank among 3,144

Population

36,744

3144th1st

1272nd of 3,144 (US)

Land area

637 sq mi

3144th1st

1497th of 3,144 (US)

Density

57.7 / sq mi

3144th1st

1340th of 3,144 (US)

Median household income

$54,288

3143rd1st

2390th of 3,143 (US)

Rank within Florida (67)

Population

36,744

67th1st

49th of 67 (FL)

Land area

637 sq mi

67th1st

41st of 67 (FL)

Density

57.7 / sq mi

67th1st

48th of 67 (FL)

Median household income

$54,288

67th1st

54th of 67 (FL)

How DeSoto County's population changed since 2020

DeSoto County gained 2,655 residents between the July 2020 and July 2024 estimates, a rise of 7.8%. That ranks 34th of 67 in Florida for growth. The median Florida county changed by +7.8%, and the state as a whole by +8.2%.

Since the April 2020 estimates base, DeSoto County recorded 1,634 births and 1,873 deaths, a natural change of -239. Net international migration added +661 and net domestic migration, people moving to or from other US counties, came to +2,296. The largest single component was domestic migration, which added 2,296 people.

34.1k202034.3k202135.5k202236.3k202336.7k2024
Census Vintage 2024 county estimates for July 1 of each year. The axis starts above zero so year-to-year changes are visible.

Components of change, April 2020 to July 2024

Births
1,634
Deaths
1,873
Net international migration
+661
Net domestic migration
+2,296
Change, July 2023 to July 2024
+470

Where DeSoto County is

The Census internal point of DeSoto County is at 27.190600, -81.806300. It sits in UTM zone 17N. The map shades Florida's 67 county-equivalents by population change from 2020 to 2024, darker for faster growth, with DeSoto County outlined. Dots are towns of 1,000+ people with residents in it.

Escambia County: +2.7%Okaloosa County: +4.0%St. Lucie County: +17.9%Okeechobee County: +6.8%DeSoto County: +7.8%Bradford County: -0.5%Bay County: +14.4%Holmes County: +1.6%Gilchrist County: +13.1%Manatee County: +14.1%Hardee County: +2.9%Lafayette County: +5.0%Flagler County: +17.9%Nassau County: +14.7%Pasco County: +16.4%Martin County: +4.4%Palm Beach County: +5.9%Alachua County: +4.3%Lee County: +12.5%Brevard County: +8.2%Polk County: +16.8%Pinellas County: +0.6%Highlands County: +8.3%Hamilton County: +4.4%Wakulla County: +9.5%Clay County: +8.1%Suwannee County: +9.2%Madison County: +2.9%Columbia County: +6.0%Jackson County: +6.1%Calhoun County: -3.1%Franklin County: +4.0%Gulf County: +11.3%Hernando County: +11.5%Washington County: +4.7%Levy County: +10.9%Liberty County: +1.9%Putnam County: +5.3%Volusia County: +8.5%Walton County: +18.2%Osceola County: +19.7%Leon County: +2.2%Union County: +2.0%Sarasota County: +9.2%Dixie County: +5.6%Charlotte County: +12.8%Indian River County: +7.3%Broward County: +4.8%Hendry County: +16.1%Sumter County: +18.7%Miami-Dade County: +5.3%Citrus County: +10.1%Seminole County: +4.9%Lake County: +15.0%Marion County: +13.6%St. Johns County: +20.9%Gadsden County: +1.7%Jefferson County: +10.5%Baker County: +4.3%Glades County: +8.7%Collier County: +10.3%Duval County: +5.7%Taylor County: +0.4%Monroe County: -2.3%Hillsborough County: +7.8%Santa Rosa County: +9.9%Orange County: +7.1%
Change 2020 to 2024
  1. < +4.0%
  2. < +5.7%
  3. < +8.7%
  4. < +13.1%
  5. ≥ +13.1%
no data

Orange pin: DeSoto County internal point. Dark pin: Tallahassee.

Internal point

Decimal
27.190600, -81.806300
DMS
27°11'26.16"N 81°48'22.68"W
UTM
17N 420136.6E 3007803.0N
Geohash
dhvfdmykx
Plus code
76VW55RV+6F

Towns in DeSoto County

One incorporated place of 1,000+ people has residents in DeSoto County, 7,974 people together, or 22% of the county. Each figure counts only the part of the town inside DeSoto County; towns marked "part" extend into another county. The largest is Arcadia with 7,974.

  1. 01Arcadia7,974
Census Vintage 2024 subcounty estimates, county parts of incorporated places (SUMLEV 157).

Counties bordering DeSoto County

The Census 2024 county adjacency file lists 5 neighbors for DeSoto County. The most populous is Sarasota County, FL, with 476,604 residents. Distances run between Census internal points in a straight line.

Distance to Tallahassee and the nearest big city

Tallahassee is 269.8 miles NNW of DeSoto County's internal point in a straight line. The nearest place of 100,000 or more is Cape Coral, FL (population 233,025), 39.6 miles away. The nearest place of 10,000 or more is North Port, FL (population 92,875), 25.8 miles away.

DeSoto County FIPS code

The FIPS code of DeSoto County is 12027: state code 12 for Florida plus county code 027. Use it as text, with the leading zero, when joining Census, BLS, or CDC county tables. SAIPE lists its 2023 median household income as $54,288.

Questions people ask

What is the population of DeSoto County, Florida?

The Census Vintage 2024 estimate for July 1, 2024 is 36,744. That is up 2,655 people (7.8%) from the July 2020 estimate of 34,089.

What is the FIPS code of DeSoto County?

12027. The first two digits (12) are Florida; the last three (027) identify the county.

What is the largest town in DeSoto County?

Arcadia, with 7,974 residents inside DeSoto County in 2024.

Which counties border DeSoto County?

5 county-equivalents border it in the Census 2024 adjacency file: Sarasota County, FL; Manatee County, FL; Charlotte County, FL; Highlands County, FL; Hardee County, FL.

Sources and data as of

Data as of: Census Vintage 2024 population estimates, 2024 Gazetteer land area and internal points, SAIPE 2023 median household income.

  1. 01Census Vintage 2024 county population estimates
  2. 02Census 2024 Gazetteer, counties
  3. 03Census SAIPE 2023 state and county estimates
  4. 04Census Vintage 2024 subcounty population estimates
  5. 05Census 2024 county adjacency file
  6. 06Census 2024 cartographic boundary file, counties (1:5,000,000)

How every number is computed: methodology. Spotted a wrong figure? Report an error.