How many people live in DeSoto County, FL?
Updated Apr. 6, 2026Refreshed annually
In 2024, there were about 36,700 people living in DeSoto County, FL. That makes DeSoto County the 49th-most populous county in Florida. It is home to 0.16% of people living in the state.
36.7K
population of DeSoto County, FL (2024)
0.16%
County share of the Florida population (2024)
About 36,700 people lived in DeSoto County, FL in 2024.
Population estimates, 2000–2024
What are DeSoto County, FL’s age demographics?
About 8,800 DeSoto County, FL residents are aged 65 and older in 2024. That represents 23.9% of its population. For comparison, the age group represents 21.8% of Florida’s population and 18% in the US overall.
Another 6,600 DeSoto County residents, or 18% of the population, were children under 18. For comparison, the age group represents 19.3% of Florida’s population and 21.6% in the US overall.
A higher share of DeSoto County, FL's population is aged 65 or older than the US as a whole.
Population estimates by age group, (2024)
What are DeSoto County, FL’s racial and ethnic demographics?
Hispanic residents make up 30.9% of the DeSoto County, FL population, higher than the national share of 20%.
In contrast, DeSoto County’s non-Hispanic Asian population accounts for 0.59%, below the 6.5% nationwide, and the non-Hispanic white population makes up 54.7% of the county, compared with 57.5% nationally.
Racial and ethnic make up differ based on location. These figures reflect how people identified their race alone (not in combination with other races), and separate out Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, following Census reporting standards.
DeSoto County, FL has a higher share of a non-Hispanic white population than Florida as a whole.
Population estimates by race and ethnicity, (2024)
The largest city or town in DeSoto County, FL is Arcadia with about 8,000 residents in 2024.
Cities and towns in DeSoto County, FL ranked by population
Population (2024), includes only portions within county
| City or town | Population | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Arcadia | 7,974 |
| 2. | Balance of DeSoto County | 28,770 |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
