Home Loans in Pasco County, FL

About Pasco County

Pasco County stretches from the Gulf coast in the west to rolling hills and small towns in the east, on the northern edge of the Tampa Bay area. Six cities and towns share it: Zephyrhills, New Port Richey, Dade City, Port Richey, St. Leo and San Antonio. Dade City, in the east, is the county seat, while the county's main administration building is in New Port Richey. BEBR's 2025 estimate places nearly all residents in unincorporated areas, in communities such as Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes and Trinity, where the county handles permits and flood rules.

Western Pasco is flat, with tidal flats along the coast, while the east rises into hills, especially around San Antonio and St. Leo. The Anclote and Pithlachascotee rivers both run through the county and have been flood-prone, and the Anclote flooded during Hurricane Milton in 2024. The county's Better Future program uses federal disaster recovery money for Hurricanes Idalia, Helene and Milton, and its Individual Housing Program opened in December 2025.

For a buyer, that means flood history, elevation certificates and repair permits deserve attention near the coast, a river or a creek. Records add a small wrinkle: Board of County Commissioners records are kept by the Clerk's Board Records office in Dade City, even though the county administration building is in New Port Richey.

Quick facts

County seat: Dade City
Region: Tampa Bay area
Population: 648,369; 2025 · University of Florida BEBR, Florida Estimates of Population 2025
2026 conforming loan limit: $832,750; One-unit home · FHFA
2026 FHA loan limit: $541,287; One-unit home · HUD
Geography: A flat western county with tidal flats along the Gulf coast
The Anclote and Pithlachascotee rivers, both flood-prone
Rolling hills in the east around San Antonio and St. Leo
Lake Jovita, beside Saint Leo University and Saint Leo Abbey
Housing types: Suburban subdivisions in unincorporated Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes and Trinity
Older streets in New Port Richey and Port Richey near the river and the Gulf
Small-town neighborhoods in Dade City, Zephyrhills, San Antonio and St. Leo
Rural and hill-country parcels in the east

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

Housing in Pasco County

Pasco County's housing divides along the line between the flat coastal west and the hillier east. In the west, New Port Richey and Port Richey have older streets near the Pithlachascotee River and the Gulf, where flood history is a standard question. In the east, Dade City, Zephyrhills, San Antonio and St. Leo are small-town centers set among rolling land, and Saint Leo University and the abbey give St. Leo a campus setting.

Most of the growth is in unincorporated suburbs. BEBR shows nearly all of the county's population gain since 2020 occurring outside the six municipalities, with Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes and Trinity among the Census-designated places. New subdivisions there are permitted by the county, so county rules on flood zones and utilities apply. Buyers near the coast, a river or a creek should ask for flood history, elevation certificates and repair permits, especially on storm-affected streets.

Financing in Pasco County

USDA loans

East Pasco has rural land around Dade City, San Antonio and Zephyrhills, and some addresses outside the suburban corridors may fall inside USDA-eligible areas. Eligibility is worked out for each address on USDA's online map and not for the county as a whole, and the program has its own income and occupancy rules. Check the exact property before relying on a USDA loan.

First-time buyers

Buyers new to homeownership may be able to pair county programs with Florida Housing's statewide homebuyer programs, which offer first mortgages with assistance through participating lenders. Each program sets its own income, purchase and education rules, and availability changes, so ask the loan officer whether their company offers those programs and how the options compare. Ask the county whether any partner-nonprofit homes are available, since those carry their own subsidy terms.

Flood zones and flood insurance

The county's Emergency Management page links an Evacuation Zones Map, a 2026 Disaster Guide, a Flood Safety page and a section for property owners and financial resources. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center gives the official flood zone for an address. Because the Anclote and Pithlachascotee rivers have flooded, a home near either deserves a question about past water and a look at elevation certificates.

Homeowners insurance

After Hurricanes Idalia, Helene and Milton, storm history is part of due diligence. Better Future, run from an office in Port Richey, handles the county's disaster recovery housing money, so ask the program whether a storm-damaged home has been through it. FloodSmart notes that most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, so price flood coverage separately for any address near water.

Homestead exemption

Homestead applications go to the Pasco County Property Appraiser. The home must be the owner's permanent residence on January 1, and the filing deadline is March 1 of that year. For a newly built home in an unincorporated subdivision, ask the builder when the certificate of occupancy was issued, since a home not complete or occupied by January 1 usually misses that year's exemption.

Local homebuyer assistance

Pasco County's Community Development department, at 727-834-3445, runs the Homebuyer Assistance Program, which provides down payment assistance, and the Pasco Opportunity Program, which gives a deep subsidy on homes built or rehabilitated by partner nonprofits, as its page described when checked in October 2026. Funding comes from state and federal sources and varies, so ask what is open before writing an offer and which homes qualify.

Cities, towns and communities

ZephyrhillsCityEast Pasco city that began as the town of Abbott in 1888 and is the county's largest municipality, with 19,691 residents in BEBR's 2025 estimate.
New Port RicheyCityWest Pasco suburban city near the Gulf, where the county's main administration building stands.
Dade CityCityCounty seatThe county seat in east Pasco, named for Major Francis Dade of the Second Seminole War.
Port RicheyCityWest Pasco city whose first settler arrived in 1883 near the mouth of the Pithlachascotee River.
San AntonioCityEast Pasco city established as a Catholic colony and named for Saint Anthony of Padua.
St. LeoTownTown on the shores of Lake Jovita, home to Saint Leo University and Saint Leo Abbey.
Wesley ChapelUnincorporated communityLarge unincorporated community in southern Pasco County, west of Zephyrhills, a census-designated place rather than a city.
Land O' LakesUnincorporated communityUnincorporated community in southern Pasco County, west of Wesley Chapel, a census-designated place rather than a city.
TrinityUnincorporated communityUnincorporated community in southwest Pasco County, near the Pinellas County line, a census-designated place rather than a city.

Official local resources

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

Pasco County: common questions

5 questions

What is Pasco County's Better Future program?

It is the county's initiative for federal Community Development Block Grant disaster recovery money from HUD. HUD announced the allocation in January 2025 to help the county recover from Hurricanes Idalia, Helene and Milton. The Individual Housing Program launched in December 2025, with affordable housing, planning and infrastructure programs following in 2026. The county sets eligibility, so ask its office before assuming that a particular home is covered.

Which Pasco County office handles purchase help for homebuyers?

Community Development. The department's page, checked in October 2026, says its Homebuyer Assistance Program offers purchase help and its Pasco Opportunity Program gives a deep subsidy on homes built or rehabilitated by partner nonprofits. Funding comes from state and federal sources and varies, so call 727-834-3445 to learn what is open.

Where can a buyer check flood and evacuation information for a Pasco County address?

The county's Emergency Management page links an Evacuation Zones Map, a Flood Safety page and the annual Disaster Guide. FEMA's Flood Map Service Center gives the official flood zone for an address. It also helps to ask the seller about past water and repair permits.

Is a Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes or Trinity address inside a city?

No. They are census-designated places, not municipalities. BEBR lists six municipalities in Pasco County and places 594,694 of the county's 648,369 residents outside them, so for most addresses Pasco County, not a city hall, handles permits, zoning and flood rules. Confirm which government covers the parcel before relying on a city's or the county's rules.

Which rivers have flooded in Pasco County, and does it matter to a buyer?

The Anclote and Pithlachascotee rivers both run through the county and have been flood-prone, and published accounts say the Anclote flooded during Hurricane Milton in 2024. A home near either river or a creek should get a closer look than a flood-zone label alone: check FEMA's map, ask for elevation certificates and repair permits, and ask the seller about past water in the home or yard.

Loan programs to explore

Down Payment Assistance ProgramsGrants and second loans that help with funds to close.
USDA LoansRural Development loans for eligible areas and incomes.
Florida Housing Homebuyer ProgramsFlorida Housing first mortgages with down payment help.
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 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.