Hernando County today
| Typical value | |
|---|---|
| Single family house | $307,000 |
| Condo or townhome | $158,000 |
What this means
Values in Hernando County are down 1.7% over the past year, now 7.3% below the Sep 2022 peak.
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
| Hernando County | Compared with Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2025 estimate | 221,701 | 0.9% of Florida |
| Growth since 2020 | 14% | +5.1 pts |
| Median home value | $276,000 | 23% lower |
| Median gross rent | $1,298 | 22% lower |
| Median household income | $66,058 | 11% lower |
| Owner occupied homes | 82.5% | +14.9 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 26.4% | +5.1 pts |
| Average commute | 31 min | 12% higher |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 9.6% | -4.6 pts |
| Housing units permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 8.9 | 17% higher |
| Veterans, share of adults | 10.7% | +3.3 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $1,858 | 32% lower |
| Average homeowners insurance with wind | $2,360 |
Census figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; see sources and methods.
Living in Hernando County
Compared with the rest of Florida, Hernando County has fewer renters than most of Florida (17.5% of homes); lower rents than Florida overall ($1,298 a month); and lower than average insurance ($2,360 a year).
West central Gulf coast county in the Nature Coast region, seated at Brooksville. Brooksville is the county seat, and the county dates to 1843.
Most people live in or around Spring Hill, Brooksville and North Weeki Wachee. Spring Hill alone has about 119,983 residents.
What anchors the area
- Economy: Hernando County schools; Walmart; county government; Oak Hill Hospital; Publix
- Known for: Weeki Wachee Preserve; Bayport Park
Retirees are a big part of this market (26.4% of residents are 65 or older).
Growth and where it is heading
Population went from 194,510 in April 2020 to 221,701 in July 2025 (14%; Florida 8.9%). Last year alone: +1.9%.
| 2025 building permits | Units |
|---|---|
| Single family | 1,734 |
| 2 to 4 units | 85 |
| 5 or more units | 156 |
| Total | 1,975 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 8.9 (close to Florida, 7.6) |
More on corridors and rents: Tampa Bay investor guide.
Risks to price in
No direct landfalls here since 2000; inland wind and flood damage from passing storms is the main exposure.
State data puts the typical homeowners policy with wind at $2,360 a year in Hernando County.
Flood zone and elevation drive coastal insurance costs; check them per address.
Flood, storms and jobs
| Hernando County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes in a FEMA high risk flood zone | 4,770 (5.6%) | 13.3% |
| Homes with federal flood insurance | 4,089 (4.8%) | 13.7% |
| Insured share inside high risk zones | 53.9% | |
| Flood insurance claims since 2000 | 1,953, $111,035,683 paid | |
| Costliest flood events for insured homes | Hurricane Helene ($65,298,677); Hurricane Idalia ($16,223,729); Hurricane Milton ($16,060,141) | |
| Major federal disasters declared since 2000 | 15 (10 hurricane, 2 severe storm, 1 tropical storm) |
Good news for flood premiums: the county (unincorporated areas) earned CRS class 5, so policies in high risk zones get 25% off. Flood map date: 01/15/21.
Hernando County counted 42,473 private jobs in 2023; the largest sectors were health care and social assistance (24%), retail (20%), hotels and restaurants (15%). Tourism signal: 15% work in hotels and restaurants, close to the state's 13%.
Buying a home in Hernando 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: 4.2x 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 | 4,148 | 59.4% | 72.2% | $201,707 |
| FHA | 1,986 | 28.4% | 17.8% | $293,273 |
| VA | 828 | 11.9% | 9.9% | $348,696 |
| USDA | 20 | 0.3% | 0.2% | $186,000 |
| Purpose | Share of 2025 loans |
|---|---|
| Home purchase | 60.3% |
| Cash out refinance | 13.6% |
| Rate and term refinance | 10.3% |
| Home improvement | 6.6% |
Lending volume grew 8.7% versus 2024, when lenders made 6,425 loans. FHA share runs well above the state.
Loans that fit the local numbers
- Conventional: 59.4% of local loans.
- FHA: the $541,287 limit covers the typical $276,000 home.
- VA: veterans are 10.7% of adults (Florida 7.4%).
Down payment help and taxes
For assistance, start with the state programs at the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Current owners pay a median $1,858 a year in property tax; plan on more after a sale resets the value. Homestead and tax caps
Investing in Hernando County
DSCR loans often price above this rate. Method. DSCR loans
Run your own numbers
Long term rentals
| Hernando County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 17.5% | -14.9 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 32.3% | -2.9 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 7.7% | +0.1 pts |
Short term rentals
| Item | Here |
|---|---|
| County tourist tax | 5% |
| Plus state sales tax | 6% (plus any county surtax) |
| Homes held for seasonal use | 4.9% (-2.9 pts vs Florida) |
Before you underwrite nightly income, get the zoning and HOA answer in writing. State rules
Property types
| Housing stock | Share |
|---|---|
| Single family detached | 76.6% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 4.2% |
| Manufactured homes | 14.4% |
| 2025 loans on 2 to 4 unit properties | 0.59% |
Largest cities and towns in Hernando County
Among places with at least 1,000 residents, North Weeki Wachee has the highest median value ($328,700) and Brooksville the lowest ($141,000); Brooksville shows the best rent to price ratio (9.68% gross).
| Place | Population | Median value | Median rent | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Hill | 119,983 | $288,500 | $1,440 | $68,432 |
| Brooksville | 9,457 | $141,000 | $1,137 | $54,926 |
| North Weeki Wachee | 8,979 | $328,700 | $1,746 | $64,891 |
| South Brooksville | 5,099 | $245,300 | $1,260 | $61,196 |
| Timber Pines | 5,007 | $278,200 | $1,460 | $59,185 |
| Brookridge | 4,923 | $156,600 | $1,133 | $53,989 |
| North Brooksville | 4,227 | $209,500 | $1,150 | $78,458 |
| Ridge Manor | 3,935 | $229,800 | $1,055 | $57,857 |
| High Point | 3,548 | $181,300 | $1,091 | $49,368 |
| Hill 'n Dale | 3,083 | $185,300 | $1,373 | $57,500 |
Census places, including unincorporated communities. Linked places have their own guide.
Compare with neighboring counties
1 of its 3 neighbors is cheaper by median value.
| County | Median value | Median rent | Growth since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hernando County | $276,000 | $1,298 | 14% |
| Citrus County | $245,500 | $1,107 | 11.6% |
| Pasco County | $300,900 | $1,505 | 20% |
| Sumter County | $385,400 | $1,269 | 21.6% |
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.