Okeechobee County is one of about 3,141 counties and county equivalents in the United States. It has 773.9 sq. miles in land area and a population density of 52.1 per square mile. In the last three decades of the 1900s its population grew by 219.7%. On the 2000 census form, 98.0% of the population reported only one race, with 7.9% of these reporting African-American. The population of this county is 18.6% Hispanic (of any race). The average household size is 2.69 persons compared to an average family size of 3.07 persons. In 2007 retail trade was the largest of 20 major sectors. It had an average wage per job of $22,540. Per capita income grew by 10.1% between 1996 and 2006 (adjusted for inflation).

People & Income Overview (By Place of Residence)	Value	Rank in U.S.	Industry Overview (2007) (By Place of Work)	Value	Rank in U.S.
Population (2007)	40,311	1156	Covered Employment	10,801	1375
Growth (%) since 1990	36.1%	484	Avg wage per job	$29,652	1743
Households (2000)	12,593	1307	Manufacturing - % all jobs in County	2.6%	2569
Labor Force (persons) (2007)	17,268	1283	Avg wage per job	$32,650	1986
Unemployment Rate (2007)	5.3	999	Transportation & Warehousing - % all jobs in County	3.7%	816
Per Capita Personal Income (2006)	$22,332	2704	Avg wage per job	$39,540	1172
Median Household Income (2005)	$33,029	2263	Health Care, Social Assist. - % all jobs in County	0.0%	2182
Poverty Rate (2005)	18.1	857	Avg wage per job	$0	2185
H.S. Diploma or More - % of Adults 25+ (2000)	65.1	2,827	Finance and Insurance - % all jobs in County	2.8%	1175
Bachelor's Deg. or More - % of Adults 25+ (2000)	8.9	2,892	Avg wage per job	$38,176	1218