About Calhoun County
Calhoun County is a small, rural county in the central Panhandle with two incorporated places: Blountstown, the county seat, and the town of Altha, roughly ten miles to its north-northwest. Most residents live outside both, according to the University of Florida's 2025 estimates, in unincorporated communities such as Clarksville, Kinard and Scotts Ferry, each of which has a volunteer fire department listed on the county's website. The county says it is just over an hour from the Gulf, and its history page recalls cypress logs floated down the Chipola and Apalachicola rivers to sawmills. The Chipola River Water Management Area, with canoe launches and camping, covers river frontage in Calhoun and Jackson counties.
Hurricane Michael came ashore near Tyndall Air Force Base in neighboring Bay County in October 2018 and moved northeast across the central Panhandle, and the county's recovery plan says the storm devastated homes, businesses and small communities across this rural area. River flooding is the older story: the county's mitigation plan describes a March 1998 flood on the Apalachicola and Chipola rivers that closed roads and damaged homes, and commissioners declared an emergency for flooding again in December 2015. County offices post Central Time hours. A buyer here should look at flood zones, roof and repair history and insurance together, and ask the Planning and Building departments what a particular parcel needs.
Quick facts
- County seat
- Blountstown
- Region
- Northwest Florida
- 2026 conforming loan limit
- $832,750
- One-unit home · FHFA
- 2026 FHA loan limit
- $541,287
- One-unit home · HUD
- Geography
- Apalachicola and Chipola rivers, both named in the county's history and flood record
- Chipola River Water Management Area, shared with Jackson County
- An inland county, just over an hour from the Gulf by the county's own description
- Housing types
- Single-family homes in and around Blountstown and Altha
- Rural homesites and acreage outside the two towns
- Older homes repaired or replaced after Hurricane Michael
Figures show their source and year. Confirm details with the county offices.
Housing in Calhoun County
Housing in Calhoun County is mostly single-family homes in and around Blountstown and Altha, plus rural homesites and acreage in the unincorporated communities. Because Michael damaged homes across the county, much of the older stock has a repair story. Ask what was replaced after October 2018, who did the work and whether the permits were closed. An inspector can look at the work itself, and the seller's records can tell you what an inspector cannot.
For anyone planning to build or place a home on acreage, the county lists separate Planning and Building departments, and both are worth a call before you buy. Outside the two towns, water, sewer and road access differ from one parcel to the next, so ask who serves the address and what a current survey shows. Floodplains along the Apalachicola and Chipola rivers mean a zone check matters even in a county that sits well back from the coast.
Financing in Calhoun County
Conventional loans
Rural parcels in Calhoun can involve acreage, a well, a septic system and a private road, and lenders handle those features through the appraisal and the survey. Many lenders want to see that the home is safe, sound and legally accessible, so ask your loan officer which documents to gather first. A parcel that has been rebuilt after storm damage should come with permit records the appraiser and underwriter can review.
VA loans
VA eligibility for a Calhoun County buyer turns on military service, shown on a Certificate of Eligibility, and not on the address. The property still has to meet VA's minimum property requirements, which is worth confirming for a rural home on a well and septic system before you make an offer. Your loan officer can explain how any remaining entitlement applies to the purchase.
USDA loans
Parts of a rural county can fall inside USDA's eligible areas, but the county as a whole is not eligible by default. Enter the exact address in USDA's property eligibility map, since the line can fall between neighboring parcels. Borrower income and other USDA requirements are separate from the address check, and your loan officer can run both before you fall for a particular property.
Flood zones and flood insurance
Calhoun's flood history comes from rivers, not surge: a March 1998 flood on the Apalachicola and Chipola rivers closed roads and damaged homes, and commissioners declared an emergency again in December 2015. Run each address through FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, ask neighbors about past high water, and find out early whether a lender would require flood coverage on that parcel. An inland address can still sit in a mapped flood zone.
Homeowners insurance
Michael devastated homes across the county, so expect an insurance agent to ask about a roof's age and replacement date and what repairs followed 2018. Florida homeowners policies may carry a separate hurricane deductible, and standard homeowners coverage generally excludes flood. Price both kinds of coverage on the actual address before you commit to a price, because river-zone properties and older roofs can change the picture.
Homestead exemption
File with the Calhoun County Property Appraiser; March 1 is the state cutoff, and the home must be your permanent residence on January 1 of that tax year. County offices post Central Time hours, so when a closing, a filing or a recording deadline falls on a cutoff day, confirm the time zone with the title company. Homestead lowers taxable value, but renting out all or most of a home generally ends the exemption under Florida law, so ask the appraiser before you rent.
Local homebuyer assistance
The Apalachee Regional Planning Council runs Calhoun's SHIP program, and the county lists a Grants Administrator as a contact. The local plan includes purchase assistance and foreclosure prevention. Funds open and close, and a benefit is never promised, so ask what is available before you sign a contract. Your loan officer can tell you how a SHIP award fits the loan type you are using.
Cities, towns and communities
- BlountstownCityCounty seatCounty seat, with the county administration building, the Sheriff's Office and Emergency Management located in the city.
- AlthaTownTown about ten miles north-northwest of Blountstown with its own fire department on Broad Street, per the county's community page.
- ClarksvilleUnincorporated communityUnincorporated community on State Road 73, served by a volunteer fire department the county lists.
- KinardUnincorporated communityUnincorporated community on State Road 73 with a volunteer fire department listed by the county.
- Scotts FerryUnincorporated communityUnincorporated community southeast of Blountstown, with a volunteer fire department on Iola Road.
Official local resources
- Calhoun County Property Appraiser
- Calhoun County Tax Collector
- Calhoun County Clerk of Court and Comptroller (official records)
- Calhoun County Emergency Management
- Apalachee Regional Planning Council housing programs (SHIP administrator for Calhoun County)
Links go to government offices, not to Mortgage by Ruben.
Calhoun County: common questions
5 questions
Does Calhoun County flood along the Apalachicola River?
It has. The county's mitigation plan describes a March 1998 river flood that closed roads and damaged homes and businesses. Commissioners declared an emergency for flooding again in December 2015. Check the address on FEMA's flood maps and ask neighbors about past high water.
How did Hurricane Michael affect Calhoun County housing?
The county's recovery plan says the storm devastated homes, businesses and small communities across the county. When you look at an older home, ask what repairs were made after October 2018, who did the work, and whether the permits were closed. An inspector can check the repairs themselves.
Do Calhoun County offices work on Central Time?
The county's offices post Central Time hours. That can matter when a recording, filing or closing deadline falls late in the day, especially if the lender, title company or buyer is working from the Eastern Time Zone. Ask your title company which clock governs each deadline in your contract.
What does Calhoun County's SHIP plan include?
The Apalachee Regional Planning Council runs the program for the county, and the local plan includes purchase assistance and foreclosure prevention. Availability changes by funding year, and a buyer may have to meet income and other conditions. Call the Grants Administrator listed on the county site to learn what is open now.
How do I report storm damage in Calhoun County?
Calhoun County Emergency Management is at 20859 Central Avenue East in Blountstown, and the county website has a residential damage reporting form. If you are buying a home that was damaged, ask the seller whether a report or insurance claim was filed and what repairs followed.
Loan programs to explore
- USDA LoansRural Development loans for eligible areas and incomes.
- Manufactured Home LoansFHA, VA, USDA and conventional options for manufactured homes.
- Construction-to-Permanent LoansFinance building a home with one closing.
- Down Payment Assistance ProgramsGrants and second loans that help with funds to close.
- FHA 203(k) Renovation LoansBuy or refinance and fund repairs in one FHA loan.
Not sure which program fits? Try the program finder or run your own numbers in the calculators.
Browse all loan programsNeighboring counties
All 67 countiesLocal information on this page is general, comes from public sources and can change. Loan programs and eligibility do not depend on the county alone, and this page does not determine them. For current facts about a property, check official sources such as the county property appraiser or assessor and FEMA flood maps. This is not a commitment to lend, and program availability varies by lender.