The High Ground of the Sunshine State
Highlands County sits squarely in the center of Florida, roughly two hours south of Orlando and about the same distance from both coasts. It covers 1,106 square miles, making it the 14th largest county in the state. The county seat is Sebring, joined by the welcoming communities of Avon Park, Lake Placid, Lorida, and Venus.
And yes, the name is literal. Elevations here climb to nearly 197 feet, with a weighted average of about 75 feet above sea level. That is genuinely high ground for Florida, and it is exactly why the county was named for its rolling terrain. When you stand on the Lake Wales Ridge and look out over lake after lake, you understand the name immediately.
The Kissimmee River forms the county's eastern boundary and connects by two canals to Lake Istokpoga, the largest lake in the county. Neighbors include Polk, Osceola, Okeechobee, Glades, Charlotte, DeSoto, and Hardee counties, putting Highlands within easy reach of nearly everything Central and South Florida has to offer.
A Town That Grows, Without Losing Itself
The population of Highlands County reached an estimated 112,352 in 2026, growing a steady 1.11% per year. Since 2010, the county has grown nearly 14%, and between 2023 and 2024 alone it welcomed about 1,600 new residents, with roughly 2,000 net domestic migrants arriving in that single period.
This is also one of America's favorite places to retire well. The median age here is 54.1 years, almost 12 years older than Florida's median, and in 2012 the county ranked as having the fifth oldest population in the entire United States.
- Median household income: $54,897, with per capita income of $39,867
- Homeownership rate: 78.6%, well above the national average
- Median property value: $187,900 in 2024, up 5.62% year over year
From Seminole Trails to a Circular City
Highlands County's story runs deeper than most of Florida. Long before highways and orange groves, this land belonged to people who knew its lakes and forests intimately.
Indigenous Heritage
The Calusa, Tequesta, and later the Seminole peoples lived off this land, hunting, fishing, and gathering from its rich lakes and forests. The Kissimmee River basin still holds archaeological sites with remnants of early Native American settlements and shell middens.
Explorers Pass Through
Spanish explorers and missionaries crossed the region as early as the 16th century, but permanent European settlement waited until the late 19th century, when settlers arrived seeking fertile land for cattle ranching and farming.
George Sebring Draws a Circle
Founder George Sebring designed his namesake city on a distinctive circular "hub and spoke" plan that still defines downtown today. That historic design earned Sebring its designation as a Florida Heritage District.
Highlands County Is Born
Carved from portions of DeSoto County, Highlands was officially established alongside Charlotte, Glades, and Hardee counties. Agriculture quickly became its backbone, with citrus, cattle, and vegetables thriving in the fertile soil.
Highlands Hammock State Park Opens
Local citizens rallied to preserve the great hammock, once a candidate for national park status, making it one of Florida's very first state parks. The Civilian Conservation Corps built much of its beloved infrastructure during the 1930s, and you can still visit the CCC Museum inside the park.
Racing History Takes the Green Flag
On New Year's Eve 1950, the first race ran on the converted runways of a WWII airfield. The 12 Hours of Sebring followed in 1952 and put this little county on the world stage, where it has stayed ever since.
One of the Rarest Ecosystems on Earth Is in Your Backyard
Highlands County sits at the southern tip of the Lake Wales Ridge, the largest, highest, and oldest ridge in Central Florida. It is the relic of an ancient dune system formed millions of years ago when most of Florida sat underwater — and the result may be the highest concentration of rare and endangered plants in the continental United States.
The Lake Wales Ridge Scrub
The Ridge's signature habitat is scrub, a globally imperiled community that looks like a miniature forest, with trees rarely taller than 10 feet rising from open patches of brilliant white sand. It stretches about 110 miles and is home to nearly two dozen plant species found nowhere else on Earth.
Because the Ridge has never been submerged since before the Pleistocene era, its plants and animals have had millions of years to specialize. A floristic inventory of a single tract documented 464 species of vascular plants, with 24 listed as Endangered or Threatened.
The Ridge gives back too. Its thick, sandy soils recharge the Floridan Aquifer, the principal source of Florida's drinking water. The nearby Archbold Biological Station near Lake Placid is one of the world's leading research centers for scrub ecology.
Found Nowhere Else on Earth
Federally listed species that call the Ridge and its surrounding habitats home:
Florida Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma coerulescensA federally threatened bird found almost exclusively on the Ridge. Curious, social, and famously bold — the only bird species found solely in Florida.
Sand Skink
Plestiodon reynoldsiA remarkable little lizard that literally "swims" beneath the sandy soil, leaving wavy trails across the white sand. Endemic to the Ridge.
Scrub Lupine
Lupinus cumulicolaA skyblue wildflower unique to the Lake Wales Ridge, blooming against the white sand like little pieces of fallen sky.
Scrub Plum
Prunus geniculataA federally endangered plant found only in Florida, with zigzag branches and delicate white blossoms in winter.
Pygmy Fringe Tree
Chionanthus pygmaeusA rare flowering shrub endemic to Florida, draping itself in fringed white flowers each spring.
Clasping Warea
Warea amplexifoliaA bright wildflower found only on the Ridge, one of the rarest plants in the entire United States.
77 Lakes and Counting
Some sources count close to 100, but everyone agrees on this: Highlands County is a freshwater paradise for fishing, boating, skiing, and sailing, woven together by creeks, rivers, and wetlands including Arbuckle Creek, the Snake River, and the Kissimmee Prairie.
Lake Istokpoga
- The largest lake in the county
- Connected to the Kissimmee River by two canals
- Legendary bass and crappie fishery
Lake Jackson
- 9,212 acres inside the city of Sebring
- Roughly 25 feet deep with notably clear water
- Downtown living with a waterfront view
Lake Placid & Lake Josephine
- Lake Placid anchors its namesake town
- Lake Josephine offers scenic Ridge frontage
- Dozens more lakes within a short drive
Highlands Hammock State Park
Established in 1931 and arguably Florida's first true state park, Highlands Hammock covers more than 9,000 acres just four miles west of Sebring, holding more rare and endemic species than any other state park in Florida across 15 distinct natural communities.
- Nine named hiking trails: including the elevated boardwalk of the Cypress Swamp Trail, the Ancient Hammock Trail, and the Big Oak Trail
- A 3 mile paved Loop Drive: perfect for cycling under the hammock canopy, plus a 6 mile off road biking trail
- One hour guided tram tours: running daily through remote areas and along the historic South Canal
- Wildlife watching: for alligators, White-tailed Deer, Barred Owls, Pileated Woodpeckers, Anhingas, Great Blue Herons, and nearly 60 species of butterflies
- The CCC Museum: honoring the Civilian Conservation Corps crews who built the park in the 1930s
The 12 Hours of Sebring
Few racing venues anywhere carry the prestige of Sebring International Raceway, home of the legendary 12 Hours of Sebring — one of the three legs of the informal Triple Crown of Endurance Racing alongside the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona.
The track was built on Hendricks Army Airfield, a WWII base that trained B-17 combat crews. The inaugural 12 Hours followed on March 15, 1952, and by 1953 it joined the FIA World Sportscar Championship, becoming the first international motorsport championship event ever held in America.
Legends like Mario Andretti, Phil Hill, and Jacky Ickx have raced here, and every March, tens of thousands of fans transform Sebring into one of Florida's most electric destination events.
Lake Placid, The Town of Murals
In 2013, Reader's Digest named little Lake Placid "America's Most Interesting Town," and once you visit, you will see why. The downtown is an open air art gallery of 47+ large scale historic murals, each one telling a piece of the town's history. The Cattle Drive mural alone stretches an incredible 175 feet.
The murals began with Bob and Harriet Porter, who founded the Lake Placid Mural Society in 1992. Many murals hide little surprises inside them for visitors to find, a beloved tradition that keeps people coming back with their kids and grandkids.
Lake Placid is also the "Caladium Capital of the World," thanks to its thriving caladium bulb industry that paints the surrounding fields in pinks, reds, and whites every summer.
Highlands County Has A Lot To Offer
With 77 lakes, more than a dozen golf courses, and wild Florida in every direction, you will run out of weekends before you run out of things to do.
Freshwater Fishing
Bass, crappie, catfish, and bream in world class lakes. Lake Istokpoga is one of Florida's most celebrated bass fisheries.
Golf
More than a dozen courses, including the Country Club of Sebring, Golf Hammock Country Club, Sebring International Golf Resort, and Sun 'N Lake Golf Club.
Kayaking & Canoeing
Paddle the Kissimmee River and the area's winding creeks, where herons fish beside you and the only traffic is the occasional turtle.
Airboats & Swamp Buggies
Authentic old Florida adventures across marsh and prairie. Loud, fun, and unforgettable.
Birdwatching
A stop on the Florida Great Birding Trail, plus the vast Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, one of Florida's largest remaining dry prairies.
Horseback Riding
Equestrian trails wind through Highlands Hammock and beyond, the way Florida was meant to be seen.
Historic Downtown Sebring
Built around George Sebring's unique circular hub, downtown offers art galleries, boutique shops, historic restaurants, and the Children's Museum of the Highlands. It is the kind of downtown where the shopkeepers learn your name.
Avon Park & the Hotel Jacaranda
Avon Park keeps a beautifully preserved historic district of early 20th century architecture, anchored by the 1926 Hotel Jacaranda, which still operates with a human elevator operator and once hosted Babe Ruth himself.
"Attend one of the world's greatest endurance races in the morning, kayak a pristine river in the afternoon, and stroll an outdoor art gallery in the evening. That is a normal Saturday in Highlands County."The Heart of Old Florida
An Economy Rooted in the Land, Growing Beyond It
Over half of Highlands County's 650,880 acres remain in agricultural or natural land use, and that working landscape still powers the local economy while healthcare, education, retail, and tourism grow up around it.
Citrus
In the 2024 to 2025 season, Highlands County was the second largest citrus producing county in Florida with 2.89 million boxes. Citrus alone delivers over $200 million in annual economic benefit locally.
Cattle Ranching
Roughly 191,657 acres of pastureland support around 120,000 head of beef cattle, a tradition stretching back to the county's earliest settlers. Another 78,917 acres grow vegetables and other crops.
Tourism & the HGTV Effect
Sebring starred in HGTV's Hometown Takeover in Spring 2025, and the spotlight stuck. The county has drawn over 110,000 visitors per month since March of that year, fueling new restaurants, shops, and demand.
The county's GDP is approximately $2.5 billion, with South Florida State College in Avon Park anchoring local higher education and a growing healthcare sector serving the region.
The Case for Owning Land in Highlands County
Here is the honest truth: most people discover places like this after prices already reflect the demand. Highlands County is still on the early side of that curve, and these are the numbers that matter.
Genuinely Affordable Entry
Median land prices sit around $20,561 per acre, among the most affordable in Florida. Quarter acre residential lots in parts of Avon Park and Lake Placid can be found for just a few thousand dollars. Low entry, long runway.
Real Population Growth
Up 13.9% since 2010 and still climbing, driven by domestic migration. Florida is growing 2.6 times faster than the rest of the country, and over 86% of the state's population lives within 150 miles of Sebring.
Low Taxes, Lower Carrying Costs
The effective property tax rate is just 0.7%, below the national average of about 1.1%. Qualifying parcels can add an agricultural exemption that drops assessed values even further while you hold.
The HGTV Spotlight
Hometown Takeover put Highlands County on the national radar, accelerating commercial interest, new business formation, and development inquiries. Certain development zones even carry no impact fees.
Dead Center Location
Sebring sits within a 150 mile radius of Tampa, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, and Miami, connected by US 27, US 98, SR 70, and SR 64. Central position means access to labor markets, logistics, and consumers.
The Citrus Conversion Window
As citrus greening disease reduces grove acreage, former groves are converting to residential and mixed use. That creates semi improved land at agricultural prices — a genuine arbitrage opportunity for buyers who move early.
Conservation & Eco Tourism Value
Land near the Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, or Highlands Hammock carries premium ecological value. As nature based tourism and glamping keep rising nationally, undeveloped land beside protected wild places is becoming its own asset class.
What Nobody Else Tells You Before You Buy
I would rather lose a sale than have you buy the wrong parcel. Every market has risks, and Highlands County is no exception. Here is the due diligence checklist I walk through with every buyer, in plain language.
| Factor | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| Natural Disaster Resilience | FEMA rates Highlands County with very low resilience to natural disasters. Inland location avoids the worst storm surge, but plan and insure accordingly. |
| Flood Zones | Some parcels in low lying areas carry flood risk. Always confirm FEMA flood maps before purchase. I check this on every property I sell. |
| Utilities | Many of the most affordable lots lack city water and sewer access and will need a well and septic installation. Budget for it up front, not as a surprise. |
| Soil & Access | Some areas have soil conditions or road access issues that may require engineering work before building. A site visit is worth a thousand listing photos. |
| Environmental Restrictions | Scrub and wetland habitats can carry development restrictions. That rare ecosystem is a treasure, and it comes with rules. Know your parcel's habitat before you buy. |
| Over Supply Risk | Thousands of small platted but never built lots exist from decades old subdivisions. Market absorption timelines vary by area, so location within the county really matters. |
This is exactly why buying from someone who knows the county beats buying blind at an online auction. Ask me anything about a specific parcel — I will give you the straight answer.
Fun Facts You Will Be Repeating at Dinner
The name is geography, not politics. Highlands County was named for its elevated rolling terrain rising above the Florida flatlands, not for any person.
The racetrack was a bomber base. Sebring International Raceway was built on a WWII Army airfield that trained B-17 crews, and original runway sections are still part of the track today.
The Dewey Decimal connection. Lake Placid was named in 1927 by Dr. Melvil Dewey, inventor of the Dewey Decimal System, after his beloved Lake Placid, New York.
A botanical world record contender. The Lake Wales Ridge scrub, which terminates in Venus, Highlands County, may hold the highest concentration of rare and endangered plants in the continental United States.
One of America's oldest counties, by age. The median age of 54.1 years is nearly 12 years above Florida's median, and the county ranked among the five oldest in the nation as recently as 2012.
A 175 foot painting. Lake Placid's Cattle Drive mural stretches 175 feet, making it one of the largest outdoor murals in Florida.
The rarest state park in Florida. Highlands Hammock State Park holds more rare and endemic species than any other state park in the state.
Babe Ruth slept here. The Hotel Jacaranda in Avon Park hosted the Great Bambino, and it still operates with a human elevator operator to this day.
Your drinking water starts here. The Floridan Aquifer, Florida's principal drinking water source, is recharged in part by rain soaking through the Ridge's sandy soils right here in Highlands County.
Scientists flock here too. The Archbold Biological Station near Lake Placid is one of the world's leading research centers for scrub ecology.
Come See Why Highlands County Is Florida's Best Kept Secret
Affordable land, low taxes, owner financing with no credit check, and a guide who tells you the truth about every parcel. Your piece of the real Florida is closer than you think.
Or just call me: (407) 917-0848