Home Loans in Nassau County, FL

About Nassau County

Nassau County occupies Florida's northeastern corner, with the St. Marys River marking the Georgia line. Its eastern edge is Amelia Island, a barrier island where Fernandina Beach, the county seat, holds a Victorian-era historic district and American Beach sits at the south end. Inland, Callahan and Hilliard are rural towns, and Yulee is the unincorporated community where the county's emergency operations center and economic development board are based. Most residents live outside the three municipalities. The federal government counts Nassau as part of the Jacksonville metropolitan area.

The Atlantic and its rivers shape the risk. During Hurricane Matthew in 2016, the National Hurricane Center measured 3 to 5 feet of water above ground along the Nassau County coast, the Fernandina Beach gauge recorded a storm tide of more than four feet above mean higher high water, and Ocean Boulevard had washouts. Rivers reached major or record flood stage during Irma in 2017. Nassau joined FEMA's Community Rating System in 2016, and Fernandina Beach publishes a property-level flood website.

The economy mixes manufacturing, hospitality and public employers. The county's Economic Development Board lists WestRock, Rayonier Advanced Materials and Masonite among its manufacturers, the Omni Amelia Island Plantation and The Ritz-Carlton among hospitality employers, and the school district, county government and the Federal Aviation Administration among public employers. Hilliard is home to an FAA control center, tree farms supply nearby mills, and Fernandina Beach adopted an updated Historic District Design Guide in July 2026.

Quick facts

County seat: Fernandina Beach
Region: Northeast Florida
Population: 107,053; 2025 · University of Florida BEBR, Florida Estimates of Population 2025
2026 conforming loan limit: $832,750; One-unit home · FHFA
2026 FHA loan limit: $580,750; One-unit home · HUD
Geography: Amelia Island, a barrier island on the Atlantic coast, with Fort Clinch State Park at its north end
Nassau River and St. Marys River, named in the county's boundary law
St. Marys River views and tree farms around Hilliard, according to the Economic Development Board
Cary State Forest in the south, shared with Duval County
Housing types: Historic-district homes and downtown buildings in Fernandina Beach
Beachside and resort-area homes on Amelia Island
Newer subdivisions in unincorporated areas such as Yulee
Rural homes on larger tracts near Callahan and Hilliard
Manufactured homes, a sizable minority of the stock
Major industries: Manufacturing: WestRock, Rayonier Advanced Materials and Masonite are listed as manufacturing employers on the Nassau County Economic Development Board's 2026 top employers list.
Hospitality: The Omni Amelia Island Plantation and The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island are listed as hospitality employers on the same list.
Health care: Baptist Medical Center Nassau and two care centers are listed on the same list.
Public sector: the Nassau County School District, Nassau County Government and the Federal Aviation Administration are listed on the same list.

Figures show their source and year. Confirm details with the county offices.

Housing in Nassau County

Nassau County's housing is mostly detached single-family homes. The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey shows a higher share of recently built homes than most nearby counties, and the University of Florida counts most of the county's growth since 2020 in unincorporated areas. Fernandina Beach's historic core has older homes and small commercial buildings, while American Beach, at the south end of Amelia Island, is a National Register community that Nassau County Planning, citing a 1998 building survey, describes as composed largely of single-family beach cottages.

Manufactured homes make up a sizable minority of homes in the survey, a larger share than in Duval, Clay or St. Johns counties. Callahan is a rural, rail-oriented town at the U.S. 1 and U.S. 301 corridor, and Hilliard is surrounded by tree farms and larger parcels, according to the Economic Development Board. On Amelia Island, short-term rental rules, historic district design review and flood elevation rules differ from one address to the next, so confirm which rules apply before making an offer.

Financing in Nassau County

VA loans

VA eligibility depends on a borrower's service, not on the address. Nassau County sits on the Georgia line, and the City of Jacksonville's list of the region's installations includes Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, just across the state line in Camden County, Georgia, as well as Jacksonville-area bases. Service members, veterans and Guard or Reserve members can ask a loan officer how their service counts toward a VA loan on a Nassau County home.

USDA loans

Western Nassau County, around Callahan and Hilliard, is rural in character, and some addresses there may fall inside areas USDA treats as eligible. Eligibility is set by the property eligibility map and the borrower's circumstances, not by the county or town name, so check the exact address and ask a loan officer how the program's rules apply.

Condominiums

On Amelia Island, a buyer considering a condominium in a building three habitable stories or higher should request the association's milestone inspection report, if one has been done, and its structural integrity reserve study, both required by Florida law for those buildings (Fla. Stat. 553.899 and 718.112), along with its budget. Lender reviews of a project can take extra time, and rental restrictions in the governing documents matter to anyone who plans to rent the unit, so read both early.

Flood zones and flood insurance

Fernandina Beach publishes a property-level flood website showing the flood zone, base flood elevation and design flood elevation for an address, and its Building in the Floodplain page explains how substantial improvements and storm damage can trigger floodplain rules. Nassau County's Stormwater and Drainage and Building departments handle floodplain management for the unincorporated area. Nassau joined FEMA's Community Rating System in 2016, which can earn flood policyholders discounts. On Amelia Island, federal law rules out FHA, VA and USDA loans inside the Fort Clinch System Unit (see the CBRS Mapper) and limits federal flood insurance; conventional loans may still work.

Homeowners insurance

Hurricane-force gusts during Matthew caused widespread tree and powerline damage, mainly in the eastern part of the county, the National Hurricane Center reported. Wind coverage depends on the insurer and the home, and homeowners policies generally exclude flood. Ask whether the roof and openings are documented in a wind-mitigation report, because Florida's rate-filing law (Fla. Stat. 627.0629) directs insurers to credit verified features.

Homestead exemption

Apply with the Nassau County Property Appraiser, whose online GIS map helps locate a parcel. The owner must have held and lived in the home by January 1, with the application due by March 1. After a purchase, expect reassessment on the following January 1, and ask a loan officer how escrow for taxes and insurance would adjust.

Local homebuyer assistance

Nassau County runs SHIP through its Office of Management and Budget with outside help, and applications are online. Call the SHIP office to learn whether funds are open, because availability changes with funding and household eligibility, and assistance is not guaranteed. A buyer should not plan a purchase around SHIP help until the county confirms it.

Short-term rentals

Fernandina Beach classifies vacation rentals as resort rentals and requires a Resort Rental Dwelling Permit. To qualify, a property must be zoned R-3 or hold grandfathered status in R-1 or R-2; elsewhere in the city the minimum rental period is 30 days. The city's page is the starting point, and Nassau County regulates tourist development tax and long-term rentals, so confirm the rules for an address before counting on rental income.

Cities, towns and communities

Fernandina BeachCityCounty seatCounty seat on the northern end of Amelia Island, with a downtown historic district, Fort Clinch State Park and the Port of Fernandina nearby, according to the Economic Development Board.
CallahanTownRural town in western Nassau County on the U.S. 1 and U.S. 301 corridor, with CSX and Norfolk Southern rail lines crossing at the nearby Crawford Diamond Industrial Park.
HilliardTownTown in the northwest surrounded by tree farms and larger parcels, with views of the St. Marys River and an FAA air traffic control center.

Official local resources

Links go to government offices, not to Mortgage by Ruben.

Nassau County: common questions

7 questions

How do I find the evacuation zone for a home on Amelia Island or in Yulee?

Use the Find Your Zone link on the One Nassau emergency site, which also hosts the county Preparedness Guide with an evacuation zone map. The state's Know Your Zone tool covers the same ground. FEMA flood zones are looked up separately, so do both.

Does Nassau County's floodplain work affect flood insurance?

Nassau County joined FEMA's Community Rating System in 2016. The program lets communities earn premium discounts for flood policyholders when they go beyond minimum floodplain rules. Discounts depend on the community's class and the policy, and a city or town can have its own participation. Ask an insurance agent which community's rating applies to a specific home.

Does Fernandina Beach's updated Historic District Design Guide affect a home purchase?

In July 2026 the City of Fernandina Beach adopted an updated Historic District Design Guide, its first update since 2013. Buyers of homes inside the historic district who plan exterior changes should read the guide and ask the city's planning staff what review applies before committing to a project. The guide covers design, not the loan, so keep renovation plans and budgets separate from underwriting questions.

Can I use a Fernandina Beach home as a vacation rental?

Only if it qualifies. The city requires a Resort Rental Dwelling Permit, and a property must be zoned R-3 or hold grandfathered status in R-1 or R-2. In other zoning districts the minimum rental period is 30 days. Confirm zoning and the permit's status with the city's Building Department before buying, because a lapsed permit can end grandfathered use.

Where can I see a Fernandina Beach property's flood zone and elevation data?

The city's Flood Protection page links a public flood website with a profile for each property. A profile shows the flood zone, base flood elevation and design flood elevation, plus compliance warnings. FEMA's Map Service Center is a second source. Outside the city, ask Nassau County's Building or Stormwater and Drainage departments, which handle floodplain management for the unincorporated area.

Who handles planning for American Beach on Amelia Island?

Nassau County Planning staff have worked with the American Beach community since 2018 on a neighborhood planning effort. The county describes American Beach as listed on the National Register of Historic Places, at the south end of Amelia Island, and developed in 1935 for African American beachgoers; a 1998 building survey it cites found mostly single-family beach cottages. Confirm by address whether the city or the county handles a given parcel.

How do I apply for Nassau County's SHIP help?

The county runs SHIP through its Office of Management and Budget with outside help, and applications are online. Call the SHIP office first to learn whether funds are open. Availability changes with funding, a household's income and the type of help requested, and assistance is not guaranteed, so a buyer should not plan a purchase around it until the county confirms.

Loan programs to explore

Short-Term Rental LoansFinance vacation rentals using short-term rental income.
Condotel and Non-Warrantable Condo LoansFor condos and condo-hotels outside Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac project rules.
USDA LoansRural Development loans for eligible areas and incomes.
VA LoansFor eligible veterans and service members. No monthly mortgage insurance.
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 programs

Neighboring counties

All 67 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.