About Citrus County
Citrus County sits on Florida's Nature Coast, where a Gulf shoreline, coastal islands and spring-fed rivers define the west side. It has only two cities: Inverness, the county seat, and Crystal River, on the northeast side of Kings Bay. BEBR's 2025 estimate places most residents outside both cities, in unincorporated communities such as Homosassa Springs, Sugarmill Woods, Beverly Hills and Citrus Springs. Lecanto, at the geographic center of the county, holds several county government facilities.
Protected land and wildlife are part of daily life. Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge was created to protect habitat for the Florida manatee, Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park surrounds a warm spring that draws manatees, and part of the Chassahowitzka refuge lies in the county. The Withlacoochee State Forest has tracts near Lecanto and Inverness, and the Withlacoochee State Trail runs through Inverness and Floral City.
Because most homes sit outside the two cities, the county rather than a city hall handles permits, zoning and flood rules for most buyers. Its floodplain pages set one group of requirements for A and AE zones and stricter ones for CAZ and VE zones, and the required floor height can be one foot above base flood elevation or higher. The Sheriff's Office runs emergency management under an agreement with the county commission. Spring areas near Crystal River and Homosassa have state restoration plans that can bring septic rules.
Quick facts
- County seat
- Inverness
- Region
- Tampa Bay area
- 2026 conforming loan limit
- $832,750
- One-unit home · FHFA
- 2026 FHA loan limit
- $541,287
- One-unit home · HUD
- Geography
- Gulf shoreline and coastal islands on the Nature Coast
- Kings Bay and the Crystal River, with Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge
- Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park and the Homosassa River
- Part of Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge
- Withlacoochee State Forest tracts and the Withlacoochee State Trail in the east
- Housing types
- Single-family homes on individual lots, in and outside the two cities
- Planned communities such as Beverly Hills and Sugarmill Woods
- Waterfront homes along Kings Bay and the coastal rivers
- Platted lots and rural parcels in unincorporated areas
Figures show their source and year. Confirm details with the county offices.
Housing in Citrus County
Housing in Citrus County is largely single-family and spread out. Two of its biggest unincorporated communities began as planned developments: Beverly Hills, started around 1960, and Sugarmill Woods, platted in 1972 as six villages around a golf course. Homes in places like these generally sit on individual lots, so the first checks are lot size, septic or sewer, and flood zone rather than condominium paperwork.
The coast adds a second set of questions. Around Kings Bay in Crystal River and along the Homosassa and Chassahowitzka rivers, waterfront parcels fall under the county's floodplain construction rules, and a buyer planning a major renovation should ask the permit office how those rules apply. Inland, Inverness and the northern communities such as Citrus Springs offer more conventional lots. Buyers of acreage should confirm zoning with Growth Management before relying on a listing's description.
Financing in Citrus County
USDA loans
Outside Inverness and Crystal River, much of Citrus County is rural or suburban in character, and parts of the county may fall inside USDA-eligible areas. The test is the address itself: USDA's online eligibility map either covers a parcel or it does not, and the answer can change from one street to the next. Income and primary-residence conditions apply as well, so check the map before assuming a home works as a USDA purchase.
Flood zones and flood insurance
Coastal and river-adjacent lots deserve a close read of how Citrus County applies its floodplain rules before a buyer prices repairs or an addition. The county's Growth Management pages explain base flood elevation and design flood elevation, which can include an extra foot of freeboard, and they describe stricter standards in the CAZ and VE zones. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center shows the official zone, and the permit office can say what a particular lot is zoned for.
Homeowners insurance
Hurricane Helene's surge in September 2024 makes storm history a standard question for homes near Kings Bay and the coastal rivers. FloodSmart notes that most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so a flood quote belongs in the same conversation as the wind policy. Ask the seller about water in the home or yard, repair permits and past claims, and ask an agent to quote the exact address during the inspection period.
Homestead exemption
Citrus County's Property Appraiser accepts homestead applications online through a Homestead E-File page. The owner must hold title and live in the home as a permanent residence on January 1, and the filing deadline is March 1 of the same year, so a late-spring closing usually means waiting for the following year's cycle. The exemption lowers the home's taxable value.
Property taxes
A sale ends the seller's assessment cap, and the property is assessed at market value the following January 1, so the previous owner's tax bill is a poor guide. A buyer moving from another Florida homestead may be able to carry part of that assessment benefit to the new home through portability, if a new homestead is established within three years of January 1 of the year the old one was given up. The Citrus Property Appraiser lists portability on its site.
Local homebuyer assistance
Housing Services, part of the county's Community Services department, coordinates Citrus County's SHIP strategies, according to its page when checked in October 2026, and each program carries its own eligibility rules, so the first question is which one fits a purchase. Funding depends on state allocations, which means a program that was open last year may be paused or full. Florida Housing's statewide homebuyer programs are a separate path that a loan officer can explain.
Cities, towns and communities
- InvernessCityCounty seatThe county seat, in eastern Citrus County on the western shore of the connected Tsala Apopka and Henderson lakes.
- Crystal RiverCityGulf-side city on the northeast side of Kings Bay, with Crystal River Archaeological State Park on its northwest side.
- Homosassa SpringsUnincorporated communityUnincorporated community in southern Citrus County, named for the warm spring in Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.
- Sugarmill WoodsUnincorporated communityUnincorporated planned community in southwest Citrus County, platted in 1972 as six villages with a country club.
- Beverly HillsUnincorporated communityUnincorporated planned community begun around 1960.
- Citrus SpringsUnincorporated communityUnincorporated community in northern Citrus County, a short drive south of Dunnellon in Marion County.
Official local resources
- Citrus County Property Appraiser
- Citrus County Tax Collector
- Citrus County Clerk of the Circuit Court (official records)
- Citrus County Sheriff's Office Emergency Management
- Citrus County Housing Services (SHIP)
- Citrus County construction in flood zones
Links go to government offices, not to Mortgage by Ruben.
Citrus County: common questions
6 questions
Who handles emergency management in Citrus County?
The Citrus County Sheriff's Office, through an agreement with the Board of County Commissioners, is the primary agency for emergency management. It updates an All-Hazards and Hurricane Disaster Planning Guide each year with maps and checklists. County transit will carry people to shelters during an activation, and a citizen information line opens only during emergencies.
How high must a new home on the Citrus County coast be built?
It depends on the flood zone and the permit review. The county says A and AE zones follow the base flood rules in the Florida Building Code, and CAZ and VE zones, the highest risk, follow all of them. The design flood elevation can be one foot above base flood elevation, or higher if better information supports it. A Florida-licensed design professional works out the figure for a lot.
Do spring restoration plans reach homes near Crystal River and Homosassa?
They can. The state's list of adopted basin plans includes Crystal River/Kings Bay and the Homosassa and Chassahowitzka spring groups. Since July 1, 2023, a new septic system on a lot of one acre or less inside a plan area must be a nitrogen-reducing system when sewer is not available, and the spring plans add their own rules for some existing systems. When checked in October 2026, the county health department still issued septic permits in Citrus County, so ask it and DEP what applies to an address.
Who answers permit and flood questions for a home outside Inverness and Crystal River?
The county. BEBR's 2025 estimate places most Citrus County residents in unincorporated areas, so the county's Growth Management pages and permit office cover floodplain rules, base and design flood elevation, and what a lot is zoned for. Inside Inverness or Crystal River, ask the city whether it or the county handles the permit, and confirm which government covers the address before relying on a listing.
Are Beverly Hills and Sugarmill Woods cities with their own governments?
No. They are census-designated places, which the Census Bureau tracks statistically, but they are not incorporated. BEBR lists only Inverness and Crystal River as municipalities, so for Beverly Hills, Sugarmill Woods, Citrus Springs and Homosassa Springs the county, not a city hall, is the local government for permits and zoning.
Does Hurricane Helene's 2024 storm surge matter to a buyer today?
It can. The surge forced rescues in the county in September 2024, so ask the seller whether the home or yard took on water, what repairs were permitted and whether any insurance or flood claims were filed. A flood-zone map shows risk but not history. The county's permit office can say what is on file for the address, and an agent can quote flood coverage.
Loan programs to explore
- USDA LoansRural Development loans for eligible areas and incomes.
- Construction-to-Permanent LoansFinance building a home with one closing.
- Down Payment Assistance ProgramsGrants and second loans that help with funds to close.
- Florida Housing Homebuyer ProgramsFlorida Housing first mortgages with down payment help.
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.