Gadsden County today
What this means
Twelve month change in Gadsden County: −0.3%, essentially flat, now 3.4% below the Sep 2024 peak.
Builders are busier: 145 homes permitted so far in 2026, up 22%.
A specific house can rent above or below these figures, so pull rental comps for the address. Sources and method: how these figures are built.
Quick facts
| Gadsden County | Compared with Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2025 estimate | 44,298 | 0.2% of Florida |
| Growth since 2020 | 1.1% | -7.8 pts |
| Median home value | $174,900 | 51% lower |
| Median gross rent | $851 | 49% lower |
| Median household income | $48,801 | 35% lower |
| Owner occupied homes | 70.7% | +3.1 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 19.9% | -1.4 pts |
| Average commute | 30 min | 8% higher |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 6.3% | -7.9 pts |
| Housing units permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 2.8 | 63% lower |
| Veterans, share of adults | 7.1% | -0.3 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $927 | 66% lower |
| Average homeowners insurance with wind | $2,723 |
Census figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; see sources and methods.
Living in Gadsden County
Three things set apart Gadsden County: rents below the state median ($851 vs $1,669); a high share of manufactured homes (26.2%); and home values well below the state ($174,900 vs $359,000).
Panhandle county seated at Quincy, about 529 square miles, bordering Georgia to the north and Leon County to the east. The county was formed in 1823 and is governed from Quincy.
Most people live in or around Quincy, Midway and Chattahoochee. Quincy alone has about 7,942 residents.
Interstate 10 has four interchanges in the county, and US 90 runs through Quincy, Gretna and Midway toward Tallahassee. Tobacco was once the signature crop. The county is part of the Tallahassee metro area.
Smaller households (2.36 people on average) favor smaller homes and condos.
Growth and where it is heading
The Census counts 44,298 residents as of July 2025, versus 43,823 in 2020, a 1.1% change. Last year alone: +0.07%.
| 2025 building permits | Units |
|---|---|
| Single family | 44 |
| 2 to 4 units | 4 |
| 5 or more units | 74 |
| Total | 122 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 2.8 (well below Florida, 7.6) |
More on corridors and rents: Panhandle and Big Bend investor guide.
Risks to price in
Gadsden County has had no hurricane landfall since 2000, though passing storms still bring wind and flooding.
Budget around $2,723 a year for a homeowners policy with wind; that is the county average reported to state regulators.
45.8% of homes predate 1980, so expect four point inspections and roof questions from insurers. Insurance and inspections
Manufactured housing (26.2%) is common here; age and installation decide which loans work. Manufactured home loans
Flood, storms and jobs
| Gadsden County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes in a FEMA high risk flood zone | 312 (1.7%) | 13.3% |
| Homes with federal flood insurance | 79 (0.4%) | 13.7% |
| Insured share inside high risk zones | 10.9% | |
| Flood insurance claims since 2000 | 15, $199,172 paid | |
| Costliest flood events for insured homes | Hurricane Helene ($117,041); Tropical Storm Fay ($37,829); Other or unnamed flooding ($34,339) | |
| Major federal disasters declared since 2000 | 19 (12 hurricane, 4 severe storm, 2 tropical storm) |
The county (unincorporated areas) offers no CRS discount on flood premiums; the map in force dates to 02/04/09.
Private employers in Gadsden County: 9,539 jobs (2023), led by health care and social assistance (20%), construction (15%), retail (14%). The visitor economy (hotels and restaurants) is 13% of private jobs, close to the Florida share.
Buying a home in Gadsden County
| 2026 loan limit, one unit | Amount |
|---|---|
| FHA | $541,287 |
| Conforming (above this is jumbo) | $832,750 |
FHA works at the median price here. FHA limits
Homes cost 3.6 times the median household income here, versus 4.8 statewide. That makes ownership easier to reach than in most of the state.
Loans made here in 2025
| Loan type | Loans | Share | Florida share | Average loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional | 289 | 58.9% | 72.2% | $165,796 |
| FHA | 132 | 26.9% | 17.8% | $225,076 |
| VA | 62 | 12.6% | 9.9% | $287,581 |
| USDA | 8 | 1.6% | 0.2% | $170,000 |
| Purpose | Share of 2025 loans |
|---|---|
| Home purchase | 58.5% |
| Cash out refinance | 19.8% |
| Rate and term refinance | 9.6% |
| Home improvement | 4.9% |
That is down 2.4% from 503 loans in 2024. FHA carries more weight here (26.9% of loans).
Loans that fit the local numbers
- Conventional: used for 58.9% of loans; mortgage insurance comes off later.
- FHA: median price $174,900 vs limit $541,287.
- USDA: outside the main towns, many addresses in a county of 44,298 can qualify.
Down payment help and taxes
Assistance with cash to close is offered statewide by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Typical owner tax bill: $927 (0.53%). Homestead and tax caps
Investing in Gadsden County
DSCR loans often price above this rate. Method. DSCR loans
Run your own numbers
Long term rentals
| Gadsden County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 29.3% | -3.1 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 31.8% | -3.4 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 1.7% | -5.9 pts |
Rental vacancy is tight.
Short term rentals
| Item | Here |
|---|---|
| County tourist tax | 2% |
| Plus state sales tax | 6% (plus any county surtax) |
| Homes held for seasonal use | 3% (-4.8 pts vs Florida) |
Confirm zoning and HOA rules before counting on nightly rentals. State rules
Property types
| Housing stock | Share |
|---|---|
| Single family detached | 64.1% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 4.8% |
| Manufactured homes | 26.2% |
| 2025 loans on 2 to 4 unit properties | 0.61% |
Largest cities and towns in Gadsden County
Among places with at least 1,000 residents, Midway has the highest median value ($226,500) and Chattahoochee the lowest ($101,700); Quincy shows the best rent to price ratio (10.01% gross).
| Place | Population | Median value | Median rent | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quincy | 7,942 | $125,500 | $1,047 | $32,125 |
| Midway | 3,511 | $226,500 | $1,110 | $63,381 |
| Chattahoochee | 2,979 | $101,700 | $613 | $51,964 |
| Havana | 2,031 | $216,300 | $774 | $60,799 |
| Gretna | 1,342 | $112,500 | $651 | $35,903 |
| Greensboro | 949 | $132,500 | $735 | $47,885 |
Census places, including unincorporated communities. Linked places have their own guide.
Compare with neighboring counties
3 of its 4 neighbors are cheaper by median value.
| County | Median value | Median rent | Growth since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gadsden County | $174,900 | $851 | 1.1% |
| Calhoun County | $145,300 | $779 | -2.6% |
| Jackson County | $120,800 | $865 | 4.9% |
| Leon County | $301,800 | $1,291 | 2.3% |
| Liberty County | $127,300 | $943 | 0.7% |
Other Florida markets
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5 year estimates. 2020 to 2024.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates, Vintage 2025. July 1, 2025.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2025 annual. 2025.
- FFIEC HMDA Data Browser, originated loans. 2025 and 2024.
- LendingTree: 2026 FHA loan limits in Florida by county (HUD figures). 2026.
- Florida Realtors: FHFA sets 2026 conforming loan limits. 2026.
- Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research: 2026 local option tourist tax rates. 2026.
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, July 2026 Insurance Stability Unit report (average homeowners premium with wind, as of March 31, 2026). March 31, 2026.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. week of October 22, 2026.
- Wikipedia: List of counties in Florida. checked October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau county adjacency file. 2024.
- Wikipedia county article and statewide lists (colleges, teams, airports); Florida Defense Support Task Force installation map. checked October 2026.
- Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes, middle tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted. September 2026.
- Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index (county annual, metro and state quarterly, all transactions). through Q2 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, January to September 2026 and 2025. September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Residential Penetration Rates. as of August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, FIMA NFIP Redacted Claims (2000 to 2026). as of September 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, NFIP Community Status Book (Community Rating System class). August 2026.
- FEMA OpenFEMA, Disaster Declarations Summaries (2000 to 2026). October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. 2023.
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020 to 2024, median gross rent by bedrooms (B25031). 2020 to 2024.
- Hurricane landfalls: Wikipedia, List of Florida hurricanes (2000 to present). checked October 2026.
Estimates from public data; they change over time. General information, not investment, tax or legal advice, and not a loan offer. Methods and assumptions.