Buying land in Highlands County, Florida: what to check
Highlands County covers 1,018 square miles of land and 89 of water in Florida, with about 109,778 residents in 2024 (up 8.4% since 2020). The 2020 Census counted 93% of its land as rural and 80% of residents as living in urban areas. Farms operate 60% of the county's land. Below: how much of Highlands County floods, what its soils allow, what farmland is worth and how often it's in drought, from free public data with every source linked.
Highlands County at a glance
Hydric (wetland-type) soils
48%
Above the state's county median (38%)
Farm land value, 2022
$5,657/acre
Below the state's county median ($6,645)
What to check before buying land in Highlands County
Ordered by what Highlands County's numbers point to. Every parcel differs, so treat this as where to look first.
1.Expect wetlands; map them before you plan
About 48% of Highlands County's mapped soils are hydric (formed under saturated conditions, a federal wetland indicator) and 79% are poorly or very poorly drained (USDA SSURGO).
Open the National Wetlands Inventory mapper at the parcel. Filling or draining a wetland can need a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit, and wet ground limits septic fields and building pads.
2.Budget for a perc test and maybe an engineered septic
USDA rates 100% of Highlands County's mapped soils "very limited" for conventional septic absorption fields and 0% "not limited".
Without city sewer you need a septic permit from the county or state health department. Make the offer contingent on a passing soil or perc test; mound and aerobic systems can cost several times a conventional one.
3.Put flood checks first in Highlands County
21% of the county's area is in the 1%-annual-chance (100-year) floodplain FEMA's National Risk Index uses for inland flooding; 1.1% of its mapped soils flood occasionally or frequently.
Look up the FEMA flood zone at the pin, not the parcel's address. If any of the land is in zone A or V, price flood insurance before you offer, ask for an elevation certificate, and check whether the access road floods too.
4.Check wildfire exposure and insurance
FEMA rates Highlands County's wildfire risk relatively moderate, and 30% of the county's area is in the wildfire exposure zone the National Risk Index uses.
Ask an insurer for a quote early; some carriers won't write new policies in high-hazard areas. Check access for fire trucks, nearby fire stations and the vegetation around the building site.
5.Confirm legal road access and power
The 2020 Census classified 93% of Highlands County's land area as rural.
Rural tracts are often sold without recorded access or a power line nearby. Get the title company to confirm a recorded easement or public road frontage, and ask the electric co-op what a line extension costs.
6.Find out where the water comes from
At least half of Highlands County was in severe drought (D2) or worse in 17% of the 262 weekly U.S. Drought Monitor maps from 2021 to 2026.
Ask whether the land has a public water connection, an existing well (and its log and yield), or neighbors' well depths from the state well database. For a new well, check permits and typical depth with the state agency first.
Flood zones, wetlands and water in Highlands County
- Area in the 1%-annual-chance (100-year) floodplain
- 21%, 7th highest of 67 in Florida FEMA National Risk Index
- Mapped soils that flood occasionally or frequently
- 1.1% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Hydric soils (a federal wetland indicator)
- 48% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Poorly or very poorly drained soils
- 79% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Surface water (lakes, rivers, reservoirs)
- 89 sq mi Census 2024 Gazetteer Files
- Drought on 2026-10-27
- 97% moderate or worse, 7% severe or worse U.S. Drought Monitor county statistics
The floodplain share is the area FEMA's National Risk Index counts as exposed to inland flooding, mostly mapped 100-year flood zones. It says how common flood-prone land is in Highlands County, not whether a given parcel floods. For that, look up the zone at your exact point on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center or run the free check.
Soils and terrain
- Prime farmland
- 0% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Farmland of statewide importance
- 0% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Average slope over 15%
- under 1% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Very limited for septic absorption fields
- 100% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
- Not limited for septic absorption fields
- 0% USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO)
Shares of Highlands County's soil-surveyed land (about 658,933 acres, open water excluded), using each map unit's dominant condition in USDA's SSURGO soil survey. Soils change within a few hundred feet, so the soil at your building site is what matters.
Farms and land use
- Farms (2022)
- 836 USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Share of the county's land in farms
- 60% USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Average farm size
- 466 acres (median 30) USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Average value of land and buildings
- $5,657 per acre, 20th lowest of 65 in Florida USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Cropland
- 80,896 acres USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Pasture and rangeland
- 267,777 acres USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Woodland on farms
- 62,527 acres USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
- Irrigated land
- 67,987 acres USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture
Natural hazard ratings
FEMA's National Risk Index rates each hazard for Highlands County relative to every other U.S. county. Overall risk: Relatively Moderate.
- Strong windVery High
- HurricaneRelatively High
- LightningRelatively High
- DroughtRelatively Moderate
- River and inland floodingRelatively Moderate
- TornadoRelatively Moderate
- WildfireRelatively Moderate
- HailRelatively Low
- Heat waveRelatively Low
- EarthquakeVery Low
- LandslideVery Low
FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Questions about buying land in Highlands County
How much of Highlands County, FL is in a flood zone?
About 21% of Highlands County's area is in the 1%-annual-chance (100-year) floodplain used by FEMA's National Risk Index (December 2025), 7th highest of 67 counties in Florida. Whether a given parcel is in a flood zone depends on its exact location, so check the FEMA map at your pin.
How much does land cost per acre in Highlands County?
The 2022 Census of Agriculture put the average value of farm land and buildings in Highlands County at $5,657 an acre, 20th lowest of 65 counties in Florida (the median Florida county was $6,645). It's a self-reported average across farms, so small homesites and recreational tracts often sell for more per acre.
Will a septic system work on land in Highlands County?
Often, but test first. USDA soil surveys rate 100% of Highlands County's mapped soils very limited for conventional septic absorption fields, usually because of wetness, slow permeability, shallow rock or flooding. A perc or soil test on the parcel decides what system the health department will permit.
Is there good farmland in Highlands County?
0% of Highlands County's mapped soils are prime farmland, 0% are prime only if drained, irrigated or protected from flooding, and 0% are farmland of statewide importance (USDA SSURGO). The 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 836 farms averaging 466 acres.
How often is Highlands County in drought?
Since 2021, at least half of the county was in severe drought or worse in 17% of weekly U.S. Drought Monitor maps, and in extreme drought in 6.5%. On 2026-10-27, 97% of the county was in moderate drought or worse.
Can I check a specific property in Highlands County?
Yes. Enter the address or drop a pin anywhere in Highlands County on the free check. It shows which checks return data at that exact point, and the full report costs $29: flood zone, slope, soils, wetlands, roads, power lines, wildfire and more, each with its source. It is a screen of public maps, not a survey, title search or perc test.
Check the parcel, not just the county
County numbers tell you what to look for. The free check looks at your exact point in Highlands County: flood zone, slope, soils, wetlands, roads, power and more. The full report is $29.
What these numbers can't tell you
- County shares describe Highlands County as a whole; a parcel can be entirely in or out of a flood zone, wetland or poor soil.
- It doesn't look at the whole parcel, its boundaries, title, easements, zoning or permits.
- It isn't a survey, appraisal, elevation certificate, soil or perc test, or Phase I environmental site assessment.
- It can't see local distribution power lines, driveways, legal access, wells or mineral rights.
- Maps lag behind the ground, and distances are straight-line, not driving distance.
Sources and vintages
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files: 2024 files
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 county population estimates: Vintage 2024 (July 1, 2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census urban and rural classification: 2020 Census
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 county adjacency file: 2024
- FEMA National Risk Index: December 2025 release
- USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey (SSURGO): Soil Data Access, queried 2026-10-31
- USDA NASS, 2022 Census of Agriculture: 2022 Census of Agriculture (published 2024)
- U.S. Drought Monitor county statistics: weekly maps 2021-10-26 to 2026-10-27
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center: look up your own pin
- USFWS National Wetlands Inventory mapper: look up your own pin
Summarized per county by our build script on 2026-10-31. County figures cover the whole county; checks on the report are at your point.