34972 ZIP Code — Okeechobee, FL

Okeechobee County, Florida

ZIP code 34972 is located in Okeechobee, Florida, within Okeechobee County. It covers approximately 854.42 square miles and serves a population of 19,112 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 863.

About ZIP code 34972

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1980s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $165,400. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 68%.

Median household income is $54,315. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 23% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 34% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 30 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 17% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (28%) compared to national benchmarks. 17% of residents lack health insurance, above the national average.

Overall, ZIP code 34972 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

19,112

population

854.42

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

34972 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 34972

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 34972. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Okeechobee	Acceptable
Okeechobee	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

33857 Lorida (15.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	19,112
Population density	22 / sq mi
State FIPS	12
County FIPS	093

Geography
Land area	854.42 sq mi
Water area	11.08 sq mi
Latitude	27.4278
Longitude	-80.8970
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	863

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.6%	55.5%	43.4%
$50k – $100k	26.0%	26.5%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	15.3%	15.1%	19.3%
Over $200k	2.1%	2.9%	6.4%

Demographics & statistics

19,112

Population

People per sq mi

39.5

Median age

$54,315

Median household income

$22,039

Per capita income

$165,400

Median home value

$1,005

Median monthly rent

67.6%

Home ownership

21.8%

Poverty rate

6.8%

Unemployment

5,148

Housing units

16.8%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

718

Under 5

533

462

5–9

343

795

10–14

590

814

15–19

603

20–24

448

1,447

25–34

1,074

1,648

35–44

1,222

1,600

45–54

1,187

850

55–59

630

594

60–64

441

839

65–74

623

427

75–84

316

175

85+

130

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	4,307	22.5%
18 and over	14,805	77.5%
65 and over	2,510	13.1%
Median age	39.5 years

Race & ethnicity

White 60.9%

Black or African American 13.3%

Hispanic or Latino 11.5%

Other race 7.5%

Two or more races 6.5%

Asian 0.2%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	13,140	60.9%
Black or African American	2,876	13.3%
Hispanic or Latino	2,481	11.5%
Other race	1,630	7.5%
Two or more races	1,396	6.5%
Asian	46	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	13	0.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	11	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	56.6%	55.5%	43.4%
$50k – $100k	26.0%	26.5%	30.8%
$100k – $200k	15.3%	15.1%	19.3%
Over $200k	2.1%	2.9%	6.4%

Under $10k 6.2%

$10k–$15k 3.3%

$15k–$25k 13.0%

$25k–$35k 10.2%

$35k–$50k 14.4%

$50k–$75k 21.2%

$75k–$100k 11.2%

$100k–$150k 14.0%

$150k–$200k 3.5%

$200k+ 2.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	6.2%
$10k–$15k	3.3%
$15k–$25k	13.0%
$25k–$35k	10.2%
$35k–$50k	14.4%
$50k–$75k	21.2%
$75k–$100k	11.2%
$100k–$150k	14.0%
$150k–$200k	3.5%
$200k+	2.8%
Median income	$54,315

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 12.4%

$50k–$100k 13.4%

$100k–$150k 17.9%

$150k–$200k 20.2%

$200k–$300k 19.5%

$300k–$500k 14.5%

$500k–$1M 2.0%

$1M+ 0.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$165,400
Median rent / month	$1,005
Owner occupied	67.6%
Renter occupied	32.4%
Vacant	15.0%
Single-family detached	60.3%
Large apartment buildings	0.9%
Mobile homes	29.4%
Median rooms	5.1
Avg household size (owned)	2.77

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	4.6%
2000–2009	21.4%
1990–1999	15.6%
1980–1989	27.5%
1970–1979	21.0%
1960–1969	5.1%
1950–1959	3.5%
1940–1949	0.5%
1939 or earlier	0.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	1.2%
1 bedroom	3.8%
2 bedrooms	29.3%
3 bedrooms	50.9%
4 bedrooms	14.8%
5+ bedrooms	0.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.0%
1 vehicle	33.5%
2 vehicles	42.5%
3 or more	21.0%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.6%
Electricity	93.3%
Propane / LP gas	2.4%
Wood	0.1%
Solar	0.1%
No fuel used	3.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,817	46.7%
Cohabiting couple	417	6.9%
Male householder, no spouse	1,245	20.6%
Female householder, no spouse	1,556	25.8%
Households with children under 18	2,238	37.1%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,702	28.2%
Average household size	2.72

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	44.3%	34.1%
Married	38.1%	45.3%
Separated	2.0%	2.8%
Widowed	4.3%	7.3%
Divorced	11.3%	10.5%

Education

Less than 9th grade 8.3%

Some HS, no diploma 15.1%

HS graduate 35.1%

Some college, no degree 20.3%

Associate's degree 4.4%

Bachelor's degree 9.9%

Graduate / professional 6.9%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	76.6%
Bachelor's or higher	16.8%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	186	4.8%
Kindergarten	182	4.7%
Elementary school	1,878	48.7%
High school	963	25.0%
College / grad school	647	16.8%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.1%

Public administration 12.3%

Retail trade 11.2%

Construction 9.1%

Agriculture & mining 9.0%

Arts, food & hospitality 8.4%

Professional & management 8.0%

Transportation & utilities 6.3%

Other services 4.3%

Wholesale trade 3.4%

Manufacturing 3.1%

Finance & real estate 1.8%

Information 0.3%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.0%
Service	27.8%
Sales & office	18.6%
Natural resources & construction	17.4%
Production & transportation	12.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	74.1%
Government	22.3%
Self-employed	3.6%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	75.1%
Carpool	16.8%
Public transit	2.4%
Walk	0.7%
Work from home	2.8%
Other means	2.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	29.7

Poverty

All people 21.8%

Under 18 years 36.0%

18 and over 17.1%

Married-couple families 4.3%

Female-led households 46.0%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	33.5%
Retirement income	23.7%
Supplemental Security	6.6%
Cash public assistance	5.8%
Food stamps / SNAP	22.5%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	36.2%
High blood pressure	34.5%
High cholesterol	31.0%
Diabetes	12.3%
Heart disease	7.3%
Stroke	3.9%
Asthma	9.4%
Arthritis	23.7%
Kidney disease	3.3%
Pulmonary disease	10.2%
Cancer	5.2%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	27.6%
Binge drinking	15.5%
No physical activity	36.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	35.9%
Depression	20.8%
Fair or poor health	24.2%
Poor mental health	18.6%
Poor physical health	14.7%
No health insurance	33.8%
Visited doctor (checkup)	70.2%
Visited dentist	44.6%
Cholesterol screening	85.4%
Teeth loss	25.7%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,071	7.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	15.0%
Under 18	7.5%
18–64 years	12.0%
65 and over	42.5%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	51.0%
Public insurance	39.5%
No insurance	16.8%
Uninsured under 19	12.0%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	17,861	93.5%
Spanish	1,417	7.9%
Other Indo-European	1,386	7.8%
Asian & Pacific Islander	31	0.2%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	16,735	87.6%
Born in same state	15,965	83.5%
Born in different state	10,591	55.4%
Foreign born	770	4.0%
Naturalized citizen	2,377	12.4%
Not a US citizen	1,144	48.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,553	8.1%
Italian	1,438	7.5%
Arab	1,252	6.6%
English	117	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	73	0.4%
Polish	52	0.3%
German	19	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	31.6%
Internet access	90.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 34972

What city is ZIP code 34972 in?

ZIP code 34972 is primarily assigned to Okeechobee, Florida.

What county is ZIP code 34972 in?

ZIP code 34972 falls within Okeechobee County, Florida.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 34972?

22% of residents in ZIP code 34972 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 34972?

The median home value in ZIP code 34972 is $165,400.

What is the population of ZIP code 34972?

ZIP code 34972 has an estimated population of 19,112 residents, with a density of 22 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 34972?

The median household income in ZIP code 34972 is $54,315, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 34972 in?

ZIP code 34972 observes the EST timezone.