Hendry County today
What this means
Hendry County home values slipped 4.1% in 12 months, now 7.7% below the Mar 2024 peak.
Builders are pulling back: 304 homes permitted so far in 2026, down 21%.
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
| Hendry County | Compared with Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2025 estimate | 48,276 | 0.2% of Florida |
| Growth since 2020 | 21.8% | +12.9 pts |
| Median home value | $219,200 | 39% lower |
| Median gross rent | $1,003 | 40% lower |
| Median household income | $56,393 | 24% lower |
| Owner occupied homes | 73.6% | +6.0 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 13.8% | -7.5 pts |
| Average commute | 31 min | 12% higher |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 15.7% | +1.5 pts |
| Housing units permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 9.7 | 28% higher |
| Veterans, share of adults | 3.7% | -3.7 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $1,756 | 36% lower |
| Average homeowners insurance with wind | $2,999 |
Census figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; see sources and methods.
Living in Hendry County
Compared with the rest of Florida, Hendry County has 32.5% of housing in manufactured homes; population growth of 21.8% since 2020 versus 8.9% for Florida; and lower rents than Florida overall ($1,003 a month).
Rural Heartland county on Lake Okeechobee, much of it former Everglades wetland drained for farming. LaBelle is the county seat, and the county dates to 1923.
Most people live in or around Port LaBelle, Clewiston and LaBelle. Port LaBelle alone has about 7,923 residents.
What anchors the area
- Economy: agribusiness; cattle
- Known for: Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail; Herbert Hoover Dike
A younger county by Florida standards: 13.8% are 65 or older. Households are large, averaging 2.83 people.
Growth and where it is heading
From 39,623 residents in 2020 to 48,276 in 2025: that is 21.8%, compared with 8.9% statewide. Year over year: +3.51%.
| 2025 building permits | Units |
|---|---|
| Single family | 464 |
| 2 to 4 units | 6 |
| 5 or more units | 0 |
| Total | 470 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 9.7 (close to Florida, 7.6) |
More on corridors and rents: Southwest investor guide.
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: $2,999 a year, about $250 a month (Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, March 2026).
Manufactured housing (32.5%) is common here; age and installation decide which loans work. Manufactured home loans
Flood, storms and jobs
| Hendry County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes in a FEMA high risk flood zone | 1,301 (8.7%) | 13.3% |
| Homes with federal flood insurance | 657 (4.4%) | 13.7% |
| Insured share inside high risk zones | 34% | |
| Flood insurance claims since 2000 | 115, $690,887 paid | |
| Costliest flood events for insured homes | Other or unnamed flooding ($235,598); Hurricane Irma ($218,893); Hurricane Wilma ($102,657) | |
| Major federal disasters declared since 2000 | 12 (8 hurricane, 1 tropical storm, 1 biological) |
Flood insurance discount: the county (unincorporated areas) holds Community Rating System class 8, worth 10% off federal premiums in high risk zones (map dated 05/15/20).
Hendry County counted 8,052 private jobs in 2023; the largest sectors were retail (22%), health care and social assistance (16%), hotels and restaurants (16%). Tourism signal: 16% work in hotels and restaurants, close to the state's 13%.
Buying a home in Hendry County
| 2026 loan limit, one unit | Amount |
|---|---|
| FHA | $541,287 |
| Conforming (above this is jumbo) | $832,750 |
The median priced home fits under the FHA limit with room to spare. FHA limits
Price to income: 3.9x 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 | 479 | 57.2% | 72.2% | $208,946 |
| FHA | 296 | 35.3% | 17.8% | $290,574 |
| VA | 55 | 6.6% | 9.9% | $343,727 |
| USDA | 8 | 1% | 0.2% | $265,000 |
| Purpose | Share of 2025 loans |
|---|---|
| Home purchase | 68.3% |
| Cash out refinance | 11.3% |
| Rate and term refinance | 8.8% |
| Home improvement | 3.2% |
That is down 0.4% from 841 loans in 2024. FHA share runs well above the state.
Loans that fit the local numbers
- Conventional: used for 57.2% of loans; mortgage insurance comes off later.
- FHA: median price $219,200 vs limit $541,287.
- USDA: a county of 48,276 people likely has eligible addresses; check the map.
Down payment help and taxes
Statewide help is available through the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Owners paid a median $1,756 in property tax (0.8% of value). Homestead and tax caps
Investing in Hendry County
DSCR loans often price above this rate. Method. DSCR loans
Run your own numbers
Long term rentals
| Hendry County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 26.4% | -6.0 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 36.5% | +1.3 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 3.8% | -3.8 pts |
Rental vacancy is tight.
Short term rentals
| Item | Here |
|---|---|
| County tourist tax | 3% |
| Plus state sales tax | 6% (plus any county surtax) |
| Homes held for seasonal use | 4.5% (-3.3 pts vs Florida) |
Zoning, registration and HOA rules decide if a home can rent nightly. State rules
Property types
| Housing stock | Share |
|---|---|
| Single family detached | 57.9% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 2% |
| Manufactured homes | 32.5% |
| 2025 loans on 2 to 4 unit properties | 0.72% |
Largest cities and towns in Hendry County
Among places with at least 1,000 residents, Fort Denaud has the highest median value ($330,100) and Harlem the lowest ($56,200); Harlem shows the best rent to price ratio (20.56% gross).
| Place | Population | Median value | Median rent | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port LaBelle | 7,923 | $230,400 | $983 | $75,231 |
| Clewiston | 7,348 | $239,200 | $763 | $57,222 |
| LaBelle | 5,184 | $204,400 | $1,650 | $53,309 |
| Montura | 4,121 | $124,400 | $1,113 | $34,617 |
| Harlem | 2,420 | $56,200 | $963 | $46,038 |
| Fort Denaud | 1,639 | $330,100 | Not reported | $56,042 |
| Pioneer | 868 | $337,500 | Not reported | $64,015 |
Census places, including unincorporated communities. Linked places have their own guide.
Compare with neighboring counties
Hendry County has the fastest growth in its group; 2 of its 8 neighbors are cheaper by median value.
| County | Median value | Median rent | Growth since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hendry County | $219,200 | $1,003 | 21.8% |
| Broward County | $414,600 | $1,907 | 3.5% |
| Charlotte County | $328,900 | $1,464 | 16.3% |
| Collier County | $540,700 | $1,862 | 11% |
| Glades County | $137,000 | $886 | 9.4% |
| 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.