About Franklin County
Franklin County is a Gulf, bay and river county in the eastern Panhandle. Its own flood page says it borders the Gulf, Apalachicola Bay and River, the Carrabelle River and many other waters. Apalachicola is the county seat, Carrabelle is the only other city, about 21 miles to the east-northeast, and the county keeps offices in Apalachicola, Eastpoint and Carrabelle. More residents live outside the two cities than in them, in unincorporated Eastpoint and along the shoreline and barrier islands: St. George Island, Dog Island and Alligator Point are the communities the county's building instructions name. Tate's Hell State Forest and part of the Apalachicola National Forest also lie in the county. Apalachicola's city website points to historic squares, landmarks and a Black History Trail.
Barrier-island buyers face federal and state layers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service maps units on Dog Island and St. George Island in the Coastal Barrier Resources System. Inside a mapped unit, federal law generally bars new flood insurance for new construction or substantial improvements; a System Unit also rules out FHA, VA and USDA loans, though a federally insured institution may still make a conventional loan. The county's residential instructions set special design wind speeds for the islands and Alligator Point and mention a state Coastal Construction Control Line on the Gulf side. When checked in October 2026, the county's SHIP page said the program was not processing applications.
Quick facts
- County seat
- Apalachicola
- Region
- Northwest Florida
- 2026 conforming loan limit
- $832,750
- One-unit home · FHFA
- 2026 FHA loan limit
- $541,287
- One-unit home · HUD
- Geography
- Gulf, Apalachicola Bay and River, and the Carrabelle River
- Barrier islands St. George Island and Dog Island, plus the shoreline community of Alligator Point
- Tate's Hell State Forest
- Part of the Apalachicola National Forest
- Housing types
- Historic and older homes in Apalachicola and Carrabelle
- Barrier-island and shoreline homes on St. George Island, Dog Island and Alligator Point
- Homes and lots in unincorporated Eastpoint
Figures show their source and year. Confirm details with the county offices.
Housing in Franklin County
Franklin's housing falls into three settings: older in-town homes in Apalachicola and Carrabelle, where Apalachicola's website highlights historic squares and landmarks; lots and homes in unincorporated Eastpoint; and houses on St. George Island, Dog Island and Alligator Point, where the shoreline sets the rules. The county site links a building permit search and its Planning and Building Department is on Forbes Street in Apalachicola, so a property's permit history can be checked before an offer.
New construction on the islands involves layers most inland buyers never meet: the design wind speeds the county sets for the islands and Alligator Point, the state's Coastal Construction Control Line on the Gulf side, and any Coastal Barrier Resources System unit that restricts federal flood insurance for new work. Ask for permit, survey and elevation information before you commit, and ask which of those layers applies to the specific lot.
Financing in Franklin County
Conventional loans
If a lot sits inside a System Unit of the Coastal Barrier Resources System, federal law also bars new federal loan guarantees and insurance for buying or building a structure there, so FHA, VA and USDA loans are generally not available. A conventional loan is the lender's own decision: federal law lets a federally insured institution lend on such structures, but a lender may set its own flood-protection conditions. Ask your loan officer early how the lot, any new construction and the survey and permit file would be reviewed.
USDA loans
Parts of Franklin County may include USDA-eligible areas, but eligibility is decided address by address, not for the county as a whole. Check the exact location in USDA's property eligibility map, then ask your loan officer to review income and the other borrower requirements, which are separate from the address check.
First-time buyers
While county SHIP is paused, Florida Housing's statewide homebuyer programs are a separate path that runs through participating lenders. Ask your loan officer which programs fit the buyer and the property, since each has its own income, property and eligibility rules and none is guaranteed. A buyer can compare them with the county program once the county reopens.
Flood zones and flood insurance
Franklin's flood page links the Northwest Florida Water Management District's Flood Information Portal and county flood resources, and FEMA's Flood Map Service Center shows the official maps. Barrier islands add a twist: if a lot sits in a Coastal Barrier Resources System unit, new construction or substantial improvements cannot get new federal flood insurance. Check the address in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Coastal Barrier Resources mapper; the county's flood page also links a COBRA zone map.
Homeowners insurance
Design wind speeds and the Coastal Construction Control Line affect what can be built and repaired on the islands, and insurers weigh those same features. Ask an agent for quotes on wind coverage and on flood coverage, which standard Florida homeowners policies generally exclude, before settling on a lot. A separate hurricane deductible can apply to wind claims, so ask how it would work.
Homestead exemption
File with the Franklin County Property Appraiser, whose office is in Apalachicola, by March 1; the home must be your permanent residence on January 1. A second home does not receive the exemption, so tell the appraiser's office how you will use the property.
Local homebuyer assistance
An update dated May 1, 2026 on the county's SHIP page says the program is undergoing system and processing updates and is not processing applications, with a public notice promised when processing resumes; the page still said so when checked in October 2026. Check it before planning around SHIP, because funds open and close. The county's local housing plan, filed with Florida Housing, describes the strategies the program is designed to offer.
Cities, towns and communities
- ApalachicolaCityCounty seatCounty seat on Apalachicola Bay; the county Planning and Building Department is on Forbes Street, and the city website lists historic squares and a Black History Trail.
- CarrabelleCityThe county's only other city, about 21 miles east-northeast of Apalachicola, with a county office.
- EastpointUnincorporated communityUnincorporated Census-designated place about eight miles east-northeast of Apalachicola, with one of the county's three offices.
- St. George IslandUnincorporated communityBarrier island with a Coastal Barrier Resources System unit, a Coastal Construction Control Line on its Gulf side and county-set design wind speeds.
- Alligator PointUnincorporated communityShoreline community that the county's building instructions treat with the islands for design wind speeds and the Coastal Construction Control Line.
- Dog IslandUnincorporated communityBarrier island mapped in the Coastal Barrier Resources System (unit P28) and covered by the county's special design wind speeds.
Official local resources
- Franklin County Property Appraiser
- Franklin County Tax Collector
- Franklin County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller (official records)
- Franklin County Emergency Management
- Franklin County SHIP
- Franklin County Flood Protection Information
Links go to government offices, not to Mortgage by Ruben.
Franklin County: common questions
5 questions
Can I get federal flood insurance on a new home on St. George Island or Dog Island?
Parts of both islands are mapped in the Coastal Barrier Resources System by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Federal law bars new flood insurance coverage for new construction or substantial improvements of structures on a coastal barrier in that system. Whether a lot is inside a unit depends on the map, so check the address and talk with an insurance agent and your loan officer early.
Is Franklin County's SHIP program taking applications?
Not when last checked. An update dated May 1, 2026 on the county's SHIP page says the program is undergoing system updates and is not processing applications, with a public notice promised when processing resumes, and the page still said so in October 2026. Check it for the latest status, because SHIP funds open and close. Statewide programs that run through lenders are a separate option in the meantime.
What do the wind-speed and Coastal Construction Control Line rules mean for building near the Gulf?
The county's residential instructions set special design wind speeds for St. George Island, Dog Island and Alligator Point, and say the state's Coastal Construction Control Line lies on the Gulf side of those places. Ask the Planning and Building Department which rules apply to the lot, and have the surveyor show where the line falls.
Which flood resources does Franklin County link for buyers?
The county's Flood Protection Information page links the Northwest Florida Water Management District's Flood Information Portal and other county flood resources, and FEMA's Flood Map Service Center shows the official maps. Use more than one, and add the Coastal Barrier Resources mapper for island lots. Then ask an insurance agent what the results mean for coverage.
Can I look up the permit history of a Franklin County home?
The county website links a building permit search, and the Planning and Building Department is on Forbes Street in Apalachicola. Ask the seller for permit records and compare them with what the search shows, especially for island homes where wind and coastal rules affect additions and repairs. A missing or open permit is worth raising before closing.
Loan programs to explore
- USDA LoansRural Development loans for eligible areas and incomes.
- Florida Housing Homebuyer ProgramsFlorida Housing first mortgages with down payment help.
- Construction-to-Permanent LoansFinance building a home with one closing.
- Second Home LoansFinance a vacation home you will use part of the year.
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.