Glades County today
What this means
The past year cost Glades County owners about 2.8% in value, now 4.2% below the Jun 2025 peak.
Builders are busier: 172 homes permitted so far in 2026, up 81%.
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
| Glades County | Compared with Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2025 estimate | 13,270 | 0.1% of Florida |
| Growth since 2020 | 9.4% | +0.5 pts |
| Median home value | $137,000 | 62% lower |
| Median gross rent | $886 | 47% lower |
| Median household income | $45,870 | 38% lower |
| Owner occupied homes | 85.1% | +17.5 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 26% | +4.7 pts |
| Average commute | 32 min | 15% higher |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 11.5% | -2.7 pts |
| Housing units permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 8.1 | 7% higher |
| Veterans, share of adults | 9.1% | +1.7 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $1,170 | 57% lower |
| Average homeowners insurance with wind | $3,477 |
Census figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; see sources and methods.
Living in Glades County
76%, higher than Florida's 5.58%; and many seasonal and vacation homes (21.2% of housing).
Rural Heartland county of prairie and pinelands, one of five counties around Lake Okeechobee. Moore Haven is the county seat, and the county dates to 1921.
The population centers are Port LaBelle, Moore Haven and Buckhead Ridge. Port LaBelle alone has about 7,923 residents.
Moore Haven sits on Lake Okeechobee, and Fisheating Creek is the only free flowing stream left that feeds the lake. The county pairs with Hendry in the Clewiston area and borders eight counties, from Lee to Palm Beach.
What anchors the area
- Known for: Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail; Fisheating Creek
Many residents work elsewhere; the average commute is 32 minutes.
Growth and where it is heading
The Census counts 13,270 residents as of July 2025, versus 12,128 in 2020, a 9.4% change. Last year alone: +0.64%.
| 2025 building permits | Units |
|---|---|
| Single family | 98 |
| 2 to 4 units | 10 |
| 5 or more units | 0 |
| Total | 108 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 8.1 (close to Florida, 7.6) |
Local background
Glades County was split from DeSoto County in 1921. The name points to the Everglades, yet most of the county is prairie and pine flatwoods, and about 18% of its 987 square miles is water. Moore Haven, the seat, sits on the west shore of Lake Okeechobee, and Fisheating Creek is the only free flowing stream still feeding the lake and its second largest natural source. In 2007 the county commission approved a 200 acre landfill on the lake's southwest shore, a reminder that large land use decisions here can sit close to homes, so checking nearby zoning is worth the time.
See the Southwest investor guide for regional corridors.
Risks to price in
No direct landfalls here since 2000; inland wind and flood damage from passing storms is the main exposure.
Average homeowners premium with wind: $3,477 a year, about $290 a month (Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, March 2026).
Manufactured housing (54%) is common here; age and installation decide which loans work. Manufactured home loans
Flood, storms and jobs
| Glades County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes in a FEMA high risk flood zone | 612 (8.5%) | 13.3% |
| Homes with federal flood insurance | 185 (2.6%) | 13.7% |
| Insured share inside high risk zones | 17.5% | |
| Flood insurance claims since 2000 | 51, $386,967 paid | |
| Costliest flood events for insured homes | Hurricane Jeanne ($136,263); Hurricane Irma ($103,535); Tropical Storm Fay ($73,589) | |
| Major federal disasters declared since 2000 | 13 (9 hurricane, 1 tropical storm, 1 biological) |
Federal flood policies in high risk zones get 15% off here, thanks to the county (unincorporated areas)'s CRS class 7 rating. Current map: 03/22/22.
Glades County counted 1,250 private jobs in 2023; the largest sectors were administrative and support services (24%), manufacturing (14%), farming, forestry and fishing (11%). The visitor economy (hotels and restaurants) is 10% of private jobs, close to the Florida share.
Buying a home in Glades 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
Price to income: 3.0x locally, 4.8x for Florida. Monthly payments are more manageable relative to local incomes.
Loans made here in 2025
| Loan type | Loans | Share | Florida share | Average loan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional | 109 | 56.5% | 72.2% | $226,743 |
| FHA | 51 | 26.4% | 17.8% | $260,294 |
| VA | 30 | 15.5% | 9.9% | $259,667 |
| USDA | 3 | 1.6% | 0.2% | $185,000 |
| Purpose | Share of 2025 loans |
|---|---|
| Home purchase | 62.7% |
| Cash out refinance | 13.5% |
| Rate and term refinance | 11.4% |
| Home improvement | 4.7% |
Lending volume grew 9.7% versus 2024, when lenders made 176 loans. FHA share runs well above the state. VA loans are unusually common here.
Loans that fit the local numbers
- Conventional: the default choice here (56.5% of 2025 loans).
- FHA: median price $137,000 vs limit $541,287.
- VA: veterans are 9.1% of adults (Florida 7.4%).
- USDA: outside the main towns, many addresses in a county of 13,270 can qualify.
Down payment help and taxes
Assistance with cash to close is offered statewide by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Current owners pay a median $1,170 a year in property tax; plan on more after a sale resets the value. Homestead and tax caps
Investing in Glades County
DSCR loans often price above this rate. Method. DSCR loans
Run your own numbers
Long term rentals
| Glades County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 14.9% | -17.5 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 31.6% | -3.6 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 21.2% | +13.6 pts |
More rentals sit empty than the state average.
Short term rentals
| Item | Here |
|---|---|
| County tourist tax | 2% |
| Plus state sales tax | 6% (plus any county surtax) |
| Homes held for seasonal use | 21.2% (+13.4 pts vs Florida) |
Nightly rental rights depend on zoning, local registration and the HOA. State rules
Property types
| Housing stock | Share |
|---|---|
| Single family detached | 40.9% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 2.4% |
| Manufactured homes | 54% |
| 2025 loans on 2 to 4 unit properties | 1.04% |
Largest cities and towns in Glades County
| Place | Population | Median value | Median rent | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port LaBelle | 7,923 | $230,400 | $983 | $75,231 |
| Moore Haven | 2,131 | $104,700 | $861 | $40,094 |
| Buckhead Ridge | 986 | $152,100 | $1,047 | $43,167 |
Census places, including unincorporated communities. Linked places have their own guide.
Compare with neighboring counties
| County | Median value | Median rent | Growth since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glades County | $137,000 | $886 | 9.4% |
| Charlotte County | $328,900 | $1,464 | 16.3% |
| Hendry County | $219,200 | $1,003 | 21.8% |
| Highlands County | $187,900 | $1,035 | 9.8% |
| Lee County | $362,200 | $1,712 | 15.1% |
| Martin County | $432,200 | $1,569 | 4.9% |
| Okeechobee County | $193,000 | $1,082 | 7.5% |
| Palm Beach County | $447,300 | $1,916 | 5.6% |
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.