Highlands County today
| Typical value | |
|---|---|
| Single family house | $236,000 |
| Condo or townhome | $133,000 |
What this means
The past year cost Highlands County owners about 1.3% in value, now 4.7% below the Jul 2024 peak.
Run the calculator below with the real numbers.
Builders are pulling back: 490 homes permitted so far in 2026, down 16%.
Sources and method: how these figures are built.
Quick facts
| Highlands County | Compared with Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2025 estimate | 111,122 | 0.5% of Florida |
| Growth since 2020 | 9.8% | +0.9 pts |
| Median home value | $187,900 | 48% lower |
| Median gross rent | $1,035 | 38% lower |
| Median household income | $54,897 | 26% lower |
| Owner occupied homes | 78.6% | +11.0 pts |
| Residents 65 and older | 36% | +14.7 pts |
| Average commute | 24 min | 15% lower |
| Homes built 2010 or later | 6.3% | -7.9 pts |
| Housing units permitted in 2025 per 1,000 residents | 6.9 | 9% lower |
| Veterans, share of adults | 11.1% | +3.7 pts |
| Median property tax paid | $1,353 | 50% lower |
| Average homeowners insurance with wind | $2,736 |
Census figures are 2020 to 2024 averages; see sources and methods.
Living in Highlands County
Compared with the rest of Florida, Highlands County has an older population (36% age 65 or older); lots of manufactured homes (24.2% of the stock); and home values well below the state ($187,900 vs $359,000).
Heartland county seated at Sebring, bounded on the east by the Kissimmee River, with Lake Istokpoga as its largest lake. The county was formed in 1921 and is governed from Sebring.
Largest communities: Sebring, Avon Park and Lake Placid. Sebring alone has about 11,382 residents.
What anchors the area
- Colleges: South Florida State College (Avon Park)
- Military: Avon Park Air Force Range
- Economy: AdventHealth; Walmart; Agero; Highlands Regional Medical Center
Retirees are a big part of this market (36% of residents are 65 or older). Smaller households (2.22 people on average) favor smaller homes and condos. Most people work close to home (average commute 24 minutes).
Growth and where it is heading
The Census counts 111,122 residents as of July 2025, versus 101,234 in 2020, a 9.8% change. Year over year: +1.12%.
| 2025 building permits | Units |
|---|---|
| Single family | 706 |
| 2 to 4 units | 62 |
| 5 or more units | 0 |
| Total | 768 |
| Per 1,000 residents | 6.9 (close to Florida, 7.6) |
See the Central Florida 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: $2,736 a year, about $228 a month (Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, March 2026).
Older stock (31.1% built before 1980) means insurers will look hard at roofs, wiring and plumbing. Insurance and inspections
24.2% of homes are manufactured, so loan options depend on how the home is titled and set. Manufactured home loans
Flood, storms and jobs
| Highlands County | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Homes in a FEMA high risk flood zone | 2,149 (4.3%) | 13.3% |
| Homes with federal flood insurance | 964 (1.9%) | 13.7% |
| Insured share inside high risk zones | 21% | |
| Flood insurance claims since 2000 | 188, $2,568,227 paid | |
| Costliest flood events for insured homes | Hurricane Ian ($1,172,821); Hurricane Irma ($638,078); Other or unnamed flooding ($436,298) | |
| Major federal disasters declared since 2000 | 15 (9 hurricane, 2 severe storm, 1 tropical storm) |
Federal flood policies in high risk zones get 10% off here, thanks to the county (unincorporated areas)'s CRS class 8 rating. Current map: 11/18/15.
Private employers in Highlands County: 22,996 jobs (2023), led by health care and social assistance (25%), retail (22%), hotels and restaurants (13%). Tourism signal: 13% work in hotels and restaurants, close to the state's 13%.
Buying a home in Highlands 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
The median home equals 3.4 years of median household income (4.8 for the state). 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 | 1,582 | 64.6% | 72.2% | $195,872 |
| FHA | 526 | 21.5% | 17.8% | $241,198 |
| VA | 290 | 11.8% | 9.9% | $282,276 |
| USDA | 50 | 2% | 0.2% | $224,800 |
| Purpose | Share of 2025 loans |
|---|---|
| Home purchase | 57.4% |
| Cash out refinance | 15.3% |
| Rate and term refinance | 11.6% |
| Home improvement | 6.7% |
That is up 9.9% from 2,228 loans in 2024. FHA carries more weight here (21.5% of loans). 50 USDA loans show that parts of the county qualify.
Loans that fit the local numbers
- Conventional: the default choice here (64.6% of 2025 loans).
- FHA: median price $187,900 vs limit $541,287.
- VA: veterans are 11.1% of adults (Florida 7.4%).
- USDA: a county of 111,122 people likely has eligible addresses; check the map.
Down payment help and taxes
Down payment help: use the statewide programs from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation. Property taxes run about 0.72% of value for current owners (median bill $1,353); a new buyer's bill resets to the purchase price. Homestead and tax caps
Investing in Highlands County
DSCR loans often price above this rate. Method. DSCR loans
Run your own numbers
Long term rentals
| Highlands County | vs Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Renter occupied homes | 21.4% | -11.0 pts |
| Rent as share of renter income | 32.1% | -3.1 pts |
| Rental vacancy | 3.8% | -3.8 pts |
Rental vacancy is tight.
Short term rentals
| Item | Here |
|---|---|
| County tourist tax | 5% |
| Plus state sales tax | 6% (plus any county surtax) |
| Homes held for seasonal use | 13.9% (+6.1 pts vs Florida) |
Nightly rental rights depend on zoning, local registration and the HOA. State rules
Property types
| Housing stock | Share |
|---|---|
| Single family detached | 59.8% |
| Buildings with 5+ units | 4.6% |
| Manufactured homes | 24.2% |
| 2025 loans on 2 to 4 unit properties | 2.25% |
Largest cities and towns in Highlands County
Among places with at least 1,000 residents, Lake Placid has the highest median value ($261,300) and Avon Park the lowest ($144,700); Avon Park shows the best rent to price ratio (7.64% gross).
| Place | Population | Median value | Median rent | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebring | 11,382 | $191,600 | $1,019 | $44,184 |
| Avon Park | 10,057 | $144,700 | $921 | $36,485 |
| Lake Placid | 2,477 | $261,300 | $1,046 | $47,018 |
Census places, including unincorporated communities. Linked places have their own guide.
Compare with neighboring counties
3 of its 7 neighbors are cheaper by median value.
| County | Median value | Median rent | Growth since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highlands County | $187,900 | $1,035 | 9.8% |
| Charlotte County | $328,900 | $1,464 | 16.3% |
| DeSoto County | $174,100 | $932 | 9.1% |
| Glades County | $137,000 | $886 | 9.4% |
| Hardee County | $153,600 | $962 | 2.4% |
| Okeechobee County | $193,000 | $1,082 | 7.5% |
| Osceola County | $353,300 | $1,746 | 23.9% |
| Polk County | $266,500 | $1,363 | 20.7% |
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.