Home Loans in Taylor County, FL

About Taylor County

Perry is the only incorporated city in Taylor County, on the Big Bend coast of North Central Florida, and the University of Florida's 2025 estimates place most residents in unincorporated areas. Those include rural parcels inland and small Gulf communities such as Keaton Beach, Dekle Beach and Steinhatchee. State boundary law runs the county line along the Aucilla River on the west, the Steinhatchee River on the southeast and the Gulf. The county's Emergency Operations Center posts an evacuation zones map and a storm surge potential map; open both before touring a coastal home. North Florida College has a Perry location.

Three hurricanes in two years put surge and flood history into every Taylor County purchase. Hurricane Idalia came ashore near Keaton Beach in August 2023. Hurricane Debby landed just west of Steinhatchee in August 2024. Hurricane Helene followed in September 2024 and made landfall about ten nautical miles southwest of Perry. The hurricane center said Helene's surge destroyed most buildings in Keaton Beach and Steinhatchee. Ask for permit records, an elevation certificate if one exists, and the flood insurance history.

Census estimates show detached single-family homes and manufactured homes as the main housing types, with seasonal and recreational homes a visible part of the coastal stock. The county takes building permits and contractor registration online through its iWorQ system. That is a good first stop for repairs or a rebuild.

Quick facts

County seat: Perry
Region: North Central Florida
Population: 22,011; 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: Gulf coast on the Big Bend, with the Aucilla River on the west and the Steinhatchee River on the southeast, both named in the county's legal boundary description
Big Bend Seagrasses Aquatic Preserve offshore, which DEP lists as including Taylor County
Econfina River State Park, listed in DEP's Taylor County coastal guide
Housing types: Detached single-family homes, the largest category by Census estimates
Manufactured homes, a large share of the housing stock
Coastal homes at Keaton Beach, Dekle Beach and Steinhatchee
Seasonal and recreational homes along the coast

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

Housing in Taylor County

Census estimates show detached single-family homes as the largest housing category in Taylor County and manufactured homes as the second, with relatively few apartments and a visible number of homes held for seasonal or recreational use. Perry holds the town neighborhoods, and the rest of the county is unincorporated, including the small Gulf communities of Keaton Beach, Dekle Beach and Steinhatchee.

On the coast, Helene destroyed most buildings in Keaton Beach and Steinhatchee, so almost every coastal purchase involves rebuilt, repaired or newly built housing. Ask for permit records, elevation information and the flood insurance history. Rental income is another coastal factor: the Tax Collector publishes tax rules for rentals of six months or less, including rental houses and condominiums.

Financing in Taylor County

Conventional loans

Many coastal homes in Keaton Beach, Dekle Beach and Steinhatchee are used seasonally, so conventional loans for second homes and investment properties come up often. Occupancy and documentation differ for each use. Tell the loan officer how the property will be used, and expect questions about flood zone, elevation and insurance. The county's 2026 conforming limit appears in the quick facts.

FHA loans

Manufactured homes are a large share of Taylor County's housing, and FHA guidelines call for a HUD certification label and a permanent foundation. On the coast, FHA accepts a manufactured home in a high-risk flood zone only when the ground beneath it is documented at or above the base flood elevation, or FEMA has removed the lot from the zone. Ask the seller for the label and the setup permits, which the county's iWorQ portal may help trace. Wells and septic systems fall under FHA's standards too. The county's 2026 FHA limit is shown in the quick facts.

VA loans

A veteran's service record, not the property's address, determines VA loan eligibility. A coastal purchase brings elevation and flood-insurance questions that the loan officer will raise early, so request the Certificate of Eligibility first and gather the home's permit, elevation and insurance records in parallel.

USDA loans

Parts of Taylor County, inland or on the coast, may include USDA-eligible addresses, but the program decides by the specific property and household income, not by county. USDA guarantees loans only for a home the buyer will live in as a principal residence, so a seasonal coastal home near Keaton Beach or Steinhatchee does not fit. Check each address on USDA's eligibility site, and do not assume a rural parcel qualifies.

Flood zones and flood insurance

The county Emergency Operations Center page links an evacuation zones map and a storm surge potential map, and the state's Know Your Zone tool also looks up an address. A surge zone and a FEMA flood zone answer different questions, so check both. Under federal law, most mortgages on a building in a FEMA high-risk zone need flood insurance, and a new NFIP policy's 30-day wait does not apply when it is bought with the mortgage.

Homeowners insurance

Three hurricanes struck Taylor County in 2023 and 2024. Ask a local insurance agent about wind and flood coverage and any separate hurricane deductible for the exact address, and ask the seller for the claim and repair history. Hurricane coverage excludes flooding, which needs its own policy, and a rebuilt home's permits and elevation details help the agent price both.

Homestead exemption

Homestead exemption filings go to the Taylor County Property Appraiser, whose property search runs on qPublic. The buyer must own the home and make it a permanent residence by January 1, and the deadline is March 1. After a sale the assessed value generally resets at the next January 1, and the Tax Collector's bills are due beginning November 1.

Local homebuyer assistance

The county's SHIP page says it advertises when funds open and takes applicants first come, first qualified. When checked in October 2026, its purchase, repair and rebuild programs were all listed as closed for lack of funds. Purchase help is limited to homes built before 2010, excludes mobile homes, and asks for a pre-approval letter from a participating lender.

Short-term rentals

The Taylor County Tax Collector publishes tourist development tax rules for transient accommodations, including rental houses, condominiums and mobile home or RV parks, rented for six months or less. Owners or managers collect and remit the tax, and the office's checklist also points to state licensing and a sales tax number. Zoning and county codes are separate, and lenders treat short-term rental income differently.

Cities, towns and communities

PerryCityCounty seatCounty seat and the only incorporated city; North Florida College has a location here, and Helene made landfall about ten nautical miles southwest of the city.
SteinhatcheeUnincorporated communitySouth of Perry on the Steinhatchee River, the Taylor and Dixie county line; Jena is across the river in Dixie County, and Helene's surge destroyed most of Steinhatchee's buildings.
Keaton BeachUnincorporated communitySouth of Perry on the Gulf; Idalia came ashore near here in 2023, and Helene's surge destroyed most of its buildings.
Dekle BeachUnincorporated communitySouth of Perry on the Gulf near Keaton Beach; the hurricane center's Helene report cites significant damage in Dekle Beach.

Official local resources

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

Taylor County: common questions

5 questions

Where can I see surge and evacuation zones for a Taylor County address?

The county Emergency Operations Center page links an evacuation zones map and a storm surge potential map. The state's Know Your Zone tool also looks up an address. A surge zone and a FEMA flood zone answer different questions. Look up both.

How did the 2023 and 2024 hurricanes affect Taylor County's coast?

The National Hurricane Center said Idalia's surge in 2023 flooded homes and businesses many miles inland along the Taylor and Dixie coast. Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee in August 2024. Helene's surge that September destroyed most buildings in Keaton Beach and Steinhatchee. For any coastal home, ask what was rebuilt, to what elevation, and under which permits.

How do I check what work a Taylor County seller says was permitted?

The county takes building permits and contractor registration online through its iWorQ portal, so a buyer can ask the seller for permit numbers and look them up. After Helene, also ask for an elevation certificate and for the flood insurance history. For a home near the Steinhatchee River, confirm the county first, since Jena is across the river in Dixie County.

Is Taylor County's SHIP purchase help open right now?

When checked in October 2026, the county's SHIP page listed its purchase, repair and rebuild programs as closed for lack of funds. It says it advertises when funds open and takes applicants first come, first qualified. Purchase help is limited to homes built before 2010 and excludes mobile homes. Ask the county which contact takes applications, since two offices are named.

How did Perry itself fare in Helene compared with the coast?

Perry is inland, so it did not face the surge that destroyed Keaton Beach and Steinhatchee, but it was close to landfall: Helene came ashore about ten nautical miles southwest of the city, and the hurricane center lists a Perry wind gust among the highest measured in Florida. Wind, tree and roof damage are the main questions for a Perry home, so ask for repair and permit records.

Loan programs to explore

Manufactured Home LoansFHA, VA, USDA and conventional options for manufactured homes.
Second Home LoansFinance a vacation home you will use part of the year.
Short-Term Rental LoansFinance vacation rentals using short-term rental income.
Construction-to-Permanent LoansFinance building a home with one closing.
USDA LoansRural Development loans for eligible areas and incomes.

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.