Life in desoto

About DeSoto County

With more than 400 buildings and homes on the National Register of Historic Places, DeSoto immerses visitors in turn-of-the-century architectural beauty.

DeSoto County is located in South Central Florida, covering 637 square miles with a population of approximately 36,000. The City of Arcadia, near the center of the County, is the County Seat. Within a fifty-mile radius of Arcadia are several Florida beach communities, including Sarasota, Punta Gorda and Fort Myers. DeSoto County is one of those places where a friendly small-town flavor still thrives. The architecture, businesses and recreation all reflect the County’s history of agriculture.

Due to its geographic proximity to the coast, its quality of life and the availability of land, DeSoto County is being “discovered” by developers and businesses alike. A Walmart distribution center, which employs over 500 people, selected DeSoto County as its new home. In recent years hotels, restaurants, and retail stores have found DeSoto County to be fertile ground for business. The southern part of the County, in particular, is experiencing rapid residential development.

DeSoto County is abundant in the number and quality of recreational options. The Peace River traverses the County and provides many opportunities for camping, fishing, canoeing, rafting, and other water/wilderness activities.

A source of great pride to the community is the Turner Agri-Civic Center, a modern 4,000-seat facility that accommodates local and national concerts, craft shows, circuses, sporting events, banquets, receptions, and other types of community-oriented meetings. In addition to the arena, the Turner Center has an exhibit hall and livestock barns. Next to this is the Mosaic Arena, home of the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo.

DeSoto County is home to a large, modern satellite campus of South Florida State College. Nearby is Florida’s newest four-year university, the state-of-the-art Florida Gulf Coast University. From rodeos, county fairs, festivals, music concerts, livestock shows, canoeing on the Peace River, exploring nature trails, or antiquing in Arcadia’s downtown- DeSoto County offers a fresh wholesome lifestyle quite different from large urban centers.

For more information, go to VisitDeSoto.com.

schools

Primary school

Early Education Center

Students: 111

Student/Teacher Ratio: 33 to 1

Location: 530 La Solana Avenue Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.4494.9303

Primary school

Memorial Elementary School

Students: 883

Student/Teacher Ratio: 16.35 to 1

Location: 851 Hickory Street Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.494.2736

Primary school

West Elementary School

Students: 889

Student/Teacher Ratio: 15.60 to 1

Location: 304 Imogene Street Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.494.3155

Primary school

Nocatee Elementary School

Students: 477

Student/Teacher Ratio: 17 to 1

Location: 4846 SW Shores Ave, Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.494.4511

Primary school

Arcadia Christian Academy

Location: First Baptist Church of Arcadia

1006 N Brevard Avenue, Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.494.9684

Email: [email protected]

Primary school

Grace Christian School

Location: First Baptist Church of Fort Ogden

6831 SW Senate St. Arcadia, FL 34269

Phone: 863.494.2099

Email: [email protected]

Primary school

Faith Community Christian Academy

Location: 201 N 11th Ave, Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.494.0616

Other contact: FaithCommunityChristianAcademy
.com/contact-us#

Primary school

Desoto Christian School

Location: Heritage Baptist Church

27 N Polk Ave Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.494.6890

Other contact: Facebook.com/hbcdcs

Middle School

DeSoto Middle School

Students: 1041

Student/Teacher Ratio: 17.35 to 1

Location: 420 E. Gibson St. Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.494.4133

Middle School

Arcadia Christian Academy

Location: First Baptist Church of Arcadia

1006 N Brevard Avenue, Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.494.9684

Email: [email protected]

Middle School

Grace Christian School

Location: First Baptist Church of Fort Ogden

6831 SW Senate St. Arcadia, FL 34269

Phone: 863.494.2099

Email: [email protected]

Middle School

Faith Community Christian Academy

Location: 201 N 11th Ave, Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.494.0616

Other contact: FaithCommunityChristianAcademy
.com/contact-us#

Middle School

DeSoto Christian School

Location: Heritage Baptist Church

27 N Polk Ave Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.494.6890

Other contact: Facebook.com/hbcdcs

Vocational/Trade School

DeSoto County Adult Education Center

Students: Variable

FTE Teachers: 8.00

Location: 310 W. Whidden Street Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.993.1333

High School

DeSoto County High School

Students: 1175

Student/Teacher Ratio: 17.02 to 1

Location: 1710 E. Gibson Street Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 963.494.3434

High School

Arcadia Christian Academy

Location: First Baptist Church of Arcadia

1006 N Brevard Avenue, Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.494.9684

Email: [email protected]

High School

Grace Christian School

Location: First Baptist Church of Fort Ogden

6831 SW Senate St. Arcadia, FL 34269

Phone: 863.494.2099

Email: [email protected]

High School

Faith Community Christian Academy

Location: 201 N 11th Ave, Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.494.0616

Other contact: FaithCommunityChristianAcademy
.com/contact-us#

High School

DeSoto Christian School

Location: Heritage Baptist Church

27 N Polk Ave Arcadia, FL 34266

Phone: 863.494.6890

Other contact: Facebook.com/hbcdcs

Four-Year

Florida Gulf Coast University

Four-Year

Florida SouthWestern State College

Professional

Meridian College

Four Year

New College of Florida

Four-Year

Ringling College of Art and Design

Four-Year

South Florida State College

Four-Year

University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee

Four-Year

Warner University

Four-Year

Webber International University

Education

With high-quality public and private educational options, we’re confident that you’ll find the right educational match for your family.

Teacher Pay

We value our teachers here in DeSoto County. As of the 2024-25 school year, teacher salaries start at $50,000, beating the state average of $47,500. We also offer competitive raises based on experience and tenure with the district to attract and retain top educators.

Awards

DeSoto County students have been honored with $110,000 in scholarship awards this year, showcasing their dedication and hard work. These scholarships empower our students to pursue higher education and achieve their dreams.

Graduation Rates

At 72.6%, our high school graduation rate has shown improvement compared to pre-pandemic levels (2019 and prior). We are continuing to implement policies and incentives to attract high-quality teachers to our district to help our students succeed.

Housing

From affordable single-family homes to luxury senior living communities, there are a wide range of housing options for individuals, couples, and families with hopes of relocating. The wealth of natural environments and outdoor recreation make DeSoto County a gorgeous backdrop for people of all walks of life.

Average Home Price:

At just $250k, the median home price as of February 2024 is 34% lower than the median home price state-wide. If you’ve been dreaming of moving to a quaint, outdoorsy area of Florida, you’ll love it here.

Find your dream home:

Visit Realtor.com

Appreciating Property Values:

While our home values are significantly more affordable than the median across the state of Florida, DeSoto County is also seeing impressive appreciation of our property values. Year-over-year, the median home price in DeSoto went up over 11% – almost double the state-wide increase of 6.87%.

Healthcare

DeSoto Memorial:

DeSoto Memorial Hospital, an acute care facility with a four-star CMS (Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services) rating, has been serving the community for many years. Inpatient and Outpatient services include cardio-pulmonary, gastroenterology, nephrology, orthopedics, radiology, vascular surgery, wound care, and much more.

Epiphany Health:

In addition to the hospital, DeSoto hosts an office of Epiphany Health, a revolutionary direct primary care practice. This groundbreaking healthcare model has received nationwide acclaim. The family doctor and personalized care await you in DeSoto County.

Healthy Lifestyle:

One of the best ways to stay healthy is through regular exercise. Arcadia is fortunate to have several health clubs and gyms. There are both national chains as well as locally owned facilities. The YMCA is providing services here and planning its own club soon. Our many parks provide walking trails that invite leisurely strolls or vigorous runs.

Parks:

With over a dozen parks to explore, we encourage you to explore outdoors. Brownville Park is a favorite for a mid-day picnic, or Morgan Park is a popular destination for families with young children. Whether you enjoy a brisk jog or a leisurely stroll to soak in the sunshine, we have the perfect park for you.

Family Recreation

Since there are recreational activities here for everyone, there are also social opportunities for everyone, too! The Arcadia Municipal Golf Course, for example, is just one destination with meetups of like-minded people. The Arcadia Municipal Golf Course has been a local establishment for close to a century, and a hub for multiple generations.

If your interests run with antiquing, fossil hunting, paddling, or something else — you name it — there’s likely a community for you in DeSoto.

For river adventures, camping or agriculture, there are plenty of options: Peace River Campground, Horse Creek Retreat, Peace River Charters, Canoe Outpost, Fossil Recovery Exploration and Joshua Citrus. DeSoto County’s Morgan Park and Brownville Park are also popular spots for locals and tourists. Both parks are listed on FloridaBirdingTrail.com and provide walking trails and other amenities.

For antiquing in the historic downtown, there are plenty of options such as Treasure Alley; Glass, Antique or Not; Biggar & Biggar; Miss Patty’s Consignment, and more.

The downtown experience doesn’t end with antiquing; however, dining, nightlife and live music, along with boutiques are also available, showcased by the Historic Heard Opera House, Neon Moon Saloon, Blossom’s Beauty & Boutique, Wheeler’s Cafe, Arcadia Seafood and Grill, Broken Spur Diner, MyShelly’s Kitchen, Florida Farmhouse Coffee and Something Sweet Arcadia.

For more information about Downtown Arcadia, got to ArcadiaMainStreet.com or ShopDowntownArcadia.com.

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Economic Development

Physical Address:
Economic Development Office
Turner Agri-Civic Center 
2250 N.E. Roan Street  Arcadia, FL 34266

Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

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