About Hendry County
Hendry County has two cities, LaBelle, the county seat, and Clewiston, linked by State Road 80. LaBelle is on the Caloosahatchee River and Clewiston is on Lake Okeechobee, and the county is one of those named on Palm Beach County's Herbert Hoover Dike planning page. Most residents live outside the two cities, in unincorporated places that the Census lists as separate communities, including Port LaBelle, Montura, Harlem and Fort Denaud.
Farming drives the land use. The USDA's 2022 farm census profile lists sugarcane first among crops by acres, followed by oranges, vegetables and sweet corn, with cattle on the livestock side. Port LaBelle has its own county-run utility department.
The county's flood protection page is practical for buyers. It explains the colors on the county flood map, says the Building Department can help you find a flood zone by phone, and offers copies of existing elevation certificates by email. County flood rules are in Ordinance 2023-16. For housing help, the county runs SHIP and a public housing authority from offices in LaBelle and Clewiston with set weekday hours.
Quick facts
- County seat
- LaBelle
- Region
- South Central Florida
- 2026 conforming loan limit
- $832,750
- One-unit home · FHFA
- 2026 FHA loan limit
- $541,287
- One-unit home · HUD
- Geography
- Lake Okeechobee, with Hendry among the lake counties in Palm Beach County's dike planning
- Caloosahatchee River at LaBelle
- Sugarcane fields and cattle land across the county
- Housing types
- Small-city homes in LaBelle and Clewiston
- Homes in unincorporated communities such as Port LaBelle and Montura
- Rural homes and acreage along State Road 80
- Farm and ranch land
Figures show their source and year. Confirm details with the county offices.
Housing in Hendry County
Hendry County's housing sits in two small cities, LaBelle and Clewiston, and in unincorporated places such as Port LaBelle, where the county runs the Port LaBelle Utility, and Montura, Harlem and Fort Denaud. Between them, rural homes and farm land line State Road 80. Because there are only two cities, county zoning and building rules apply to most addresses. Where public sewer does not reach, septic systems are permitted by the Florida Department of Health in Hendry County.
For buyers, the county's flood protection page is the practical starting point: a searchable flood map, phone help from the Building Department and elevation certificates on request. New construction and substantial improvements are governed by the county's flood ordinance. Buyers of farm or ranch parcels should ask how the land is zoned and used, since working agricultural land can change how an appraiser treats the property.
Financing in Hendry County
Conventional loans
Port LaBelle has its own county-run utility department, while many other parts of the county rely on wells and septic. Ask whether a property has public water and sewer, what the connection arrangements are, and whether the Florida Department of Health has permitted the septic system. A loan officer can say how those answers feed into the appraisal and the lender's review.
USDA loans
In mostly farm and ranch Hendry County, USDA's property eligibility map answers one address at a time, and USDA updates it, so confirm the specific home rather than assuming. Household income limits and property standards also apply. After checking the map, ask a loan officer how the lender will review any well and septic system.
Flood zones and flood insurance
The county's flood protection page has a flood map that can be searched by address and explains the A, AE, VE and X labels on it. The Building Department can help by phone, and copies of existing elevation certificates can be requested from the county permit office by email. Your insurance agent can use the certificate when arranging flood coverage, and federal law requires flood insurance for most mortgages on a building in a high-risk zone, meaning a zone that begins with A or V.
Homeowners insurance
Ask an insurance agent for separate wind and flood quotes before an offer, since most homeowners policies leave flood out. The flood zone on the county map, the roof, the home's age and any elevation certificate all affect a quote. A flood policy bought apart from a mortgage usually starts after a 30-day wait. Hendry County Emergency Management can tell you about evacuation routes and shelters for the address.
Homestead exemption
Homestead filings for Hendry County go to the Property Appraiser by March 1. The home must be owned and lived in as a permanent residence by January 1 of that year. After a purchase the assessment resets, and the office can say whether a benefit from an earlier Florida homestead may transfer to the new home.
Local homebuyer assistance
Hendry County Housing and Social Services has an office in LaBelle and one in Clewiston, each with posted hours, and one shared phone number on the county page. Ask which SHIP strategies are open before you go. The same office also handles the Housing Choice Voucher program, which the county describes as rental assistance, so a buyer should keep the two programs apart.
Cities, towns and communities
- LaBelleCityCounty seatCounty seat on State Road 80, with a Hendry County Housing and Social Services office.
- ClewistonCityCity linked to LaBelle by State Road 80, with a Hendry County Housing and Social Services office.
- Port LaBelleUnincorporated communityCensus-designated place listed in both Hendry and Glades counties; Hendry County runs the Port LaBelle Utility.
- MonturaUnincorporated communityCensus-designated place in unincorporated Hendry County.
- HarlemUnincorporated communityCensus-designated place in unincorporated Hendry County.
- Fort DenaudUnincorporated communityCensus-designated place in unincorporated Hendry County.
Official local resources
- Hendry County Property Appraiser
- Hendry County Tax Collector
- Hendry County Clerk of the Circuit Court (official records)
- Hendry County Emergency Management
- Hendry County Housing and Social Services (SHIP)
- Hendry County Flood Protection Information
Links go to government offices, not to Mortgage by Ruben.
Hendry County: common questions
5 questions
How do I find the flood zone and an elevation certificate for a Hendry County home?
The county's flood protection page has a flood map you can search by address and explains the A, AE, VE and X labels. The Building Department can help by phone. Copies of existing elevation certificates can be requested from the county permit office by email. Your insurance agent can then use that certificate when arranging flood coverage.
Where do I apply for housing help in Hendry County, LaBelle or Clewiston?
Hendry County Housing and Social Services has an office in LaBelle and one in Clewiston, each with posted hours, and one shared phone number on the county page. Ask which SHIP strategies are open before you go. The same office also handles the Housing Choice Voucher program, which the county describes as rental assistance.
Is Hendry County part of the Lake Okeechobee dike planning?
Palm Beach County's emergency office names Martin, Hendry, Glades and Okeechobee counties as working with the Corps and state agencies on strategies and evacuation plans for what it calls the unlikely event of a Herbert Hoover Dike breach. That planning is not an assessment of any one home's flood risk. Check the FEMA flood zone and elevation certificate, and ask Hendry County Emergency Management about evacuation routes.
Is Port LaBelle in Hendry County or Glades County?
The Census lists the Port LaBelle area in both counties, and Hendry County runs the Port LaBelle Utility. The parcel record shows which county a home is in, and that county's Property Appraiser, Tax Collector and housing office apply. Confirm it with the title or closing agent before calling either county office.
What does Hendry County's flood ordinance mean for building or repairing a home?
The county's flood protection page says its flood rules are in Ordinance 2023-16 and links it. Read it, or ask the Building Department, before planning new construction, an addition or major repairs on a lot in a mapped flood zone, since flood rules can set elevation requirements. An engineer or surveyor can then say what a particular lot needs.
Loan programs to explore
- USDA LoansRural Development loans for eligible areas and incomes.
- First-Time Homebuyer OptionsOptions and assistance programs for your first home.
- Construction-to-Permanent LoansFinance building a home with one closing.
- Manufactured Home LoansFHA, VA, USDA and conventional options for manufactured homes.
Not sure which program fits? Try the program finder or run your own numbers in the calculators.
Browse all loan programsNeighboring counties
Local 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.