Calhoun County, Florida: A Local Guide for Home Buyers and Homeowners
Calhoun County covers 567.34 square miles of land between the Apalachicola River, which forms its eastern boundary, and the Chipola River, which cuts right through the middle. About 13,000 people live here, and no interstate or U.S. highway crosses the county.
Read this as the conversation we’d have with you before you buy or refinance in Calhoun County: where the towns and communities are, how the county SHIP program works and who runs it, homestead, river flooding, and what to set up when you move in.
Every source for this guide is listed at the bottom of the page.
- County seatBlountstown
- Founded1838, named for John C. Calhoun
- PopulationAbout 13,000
- Land area567.34 sq mi
- RiversApalachicola and Chipola
- FHA limit, 1 unit$541,287 in 2026
- Conventional limit, 1 unit$832,750 in 2026
- School districtCalhoun County School District
- Cities and areas
- Homes and loan limits
- Down payment help
- Property taxes
- Storms and insurance
- Schools and roads
- Parks and local favorites
- Moving checklist
- Buying or refinancing
Cities and communities across Calhoun County
Calhoun County has one city, Blountstown, and one town, Altha. The rest of the county is made up of communities like Clarksville, Kinard, Chipola, Durham, Henderson Mill, Leonards, Sharptown, Summerville and Willis.
The county was created on January 26, 1838, and named for John C. Calhoun, the South Carolina senator and seventh U.S. vice president. It once reached all the way to the Gulf. Its first seat was St. Joseph, the town that became Port St. Joe, and it was abandoned by 1844 after a yellow fever epidemic and hurricanes. Calhoun gave land to Bay County in 1913, and its southern portion became Gulf County in 1925.
Blountstown
Blountstown is the county seat and the largest city. The historic Calhoun County Courthouse is here, the school district office is at 17586 Main Street North, and State Road 69 starts at SR 71 in town, so most of the county’s business runs through it.
Altha
Altha sits on the Chipola River in the northern part of the county. During Hurricane Michael in 2018, the river reached moderate flood stage near Altha, which is worth remembering if you’re looking at land close to the water.
Clarksville, Kinard and the rest of the county
Clarksville and Kinard are two of the county’s unincorporated communities. Others on the county list include Broad Branch, Chason, Fisher Corner, Flowers Still, New Hope, Rollins Corner and Selman, each of them a name you’ll see on mailing addresses and road signs off SR 20, SR 71, SR 69 and SR 73.
Buying a home in Calhoun County and the loan limits
Homes in Calhoun County are spread between Blountstown, Altha and more than a dozen unincorporated communities strung along the state roads. Sale prices out here move with every handful of closings, so we don’t print one. When you call, we’ll pull the closed sales near the address you’re considering and work from those.
If you rent in Blountstown, Altha or anywhere else in the county, call 888-601-8344 and we’ll set a mortgage payment on a Calhoun County home next to what you pay your landlord each month.
| Loan limits in Calhoun County for 2026 | Maximum loan |
|---|---|
| FHA, single-family home | $541,287 |
| FHA, two-unit home | $693,050 |
| FHA, three-unit home | $837,700 |
| FHA, four-unit home | $1,041,125 |
| Conventional, single-family home | $832,750 |
HUD sets the FHA limits and FHFA sets the Conventional limits for every county, and both change each January. This table refreshes itself from HUD's published figures.
The FHA and Conventional limits for Calhoun County are in the table below. HUD and FHFA reset them every January, and the table updates itself from HUD’s published figures, so you’re always looking at the right number.
Here’s how the down payment math works as an example. On a $150,000 purchase, FHA’s 3.5% minimum down payment is $5,250, and county SHIP help can cover part or all of that for a first-time buyer who qualifies. Call or text us at 954-816-8820 with the address, in Blountstown, Altha or out on a county road, and we’ll figure your cash to close with any SHIP award included.
Down payment help for Calhoun County buyers
Calhoun County’s SHIP program is run under contract by the Apalachee Regional Planning Council, and Florida Housing’s statewide programs work here too. Florida Housing counts you as a first-time buyer if you haven’t owned a primary residence in the past 3 years, and veterans with a DD-214 can be exempt from that rule.
Calhoun County SHIP Purchase Assistance
Calhoun County’s SHIP program helps first-time buyers with the down payment and closing costs on a new or existing single-family home. The help is a 0% deferred loan that the county forgives a portion at a time over the loan’s term, and the size of the award depends on household income.
The plan calls for a fixed-rate first mortgage, so ARMs, balloon loans and owner financing don’t qualify. It names Florida Housing bond lenders and USDA Rural Development as first-mortgage sources that pair with it. The Apalachee Regional Planning Council handles intake, applications and eligibility, and awards go to the first buyers who qualify.
Award sizes, income limits and the money left in the Calhoun SHIP pot all shift during the year. Before you write an offer, call us and we’ll check with the Apalachee Regional Planning Council on what the program pays and whether it’s taking applications for the house you want.
Calhoun County SHIP help for current owners
Calhoun County SHIP also helps people who already own their homes. The plan includes owner-occupied rehab as a forgivable loan, a foreclosure prevention grant, emergency repairs, and disaster mitigation for owners after a declared disaster.
Which of these has money depends on where the planning council is in its budget. If your Calhoun home needs work or the payments have gotten hard to keep up with, call 888-601-8344 and we’ll find the right person at the council for you.
Florida Hometown Heroes (statewide)
Florida Hometown Heroes pairs a 30-year fixed first mortgage from Florida Housing with a 0% second mortgage for the down payment and closing costs. The second has no monthly payment, and it isn’t forgiven: you repay it when you sell, refinance or pay off the home, or stop living in it.
At least one buyer has to work full time for an eligible Florida-based employer in health care, K-12 schools, first response, public safety, the courts or licensed child care, so a teacher with the Calhoun County School District is the kind of buyer it was built for. Service members on active duty qualify no matter who they work for; veterans and members of the Reserve or National Guard qualify when they work full time for a Florida-based employer. Remote jobs, part-time work and job offer letters don’t count.
You can use Florida Housing assistance once in a lifetime, so spend it on the right home with the right lender. Income and purchase limits vary by county and household size, and the money is reserved loan by loan, so call us first and we’ll see what Hometown Heroes will do on a Calhoun County purchase before you commit to one.
FL Assist and HFA Preferred / HFA Advantage (statewide)
FL Assist is a Florida Housing second mortgage at 0% for the down payment and closing costs, with no monthly payment. It’s repaid when you sell, refinance, transfer the home or move out, and it rides on a Florida Housing first mortgage: FHA, VA, USDA or a Conventional HFA Preferred or HFA Advantage loan.
HFA Advantage PLUS pairs a Freddie Mac Conventional first mortgage with a second that’s forgiven over 5 years while you keep living in the home. The HLP second is another option, with a small fixed monthly payment over 30 years.
Calhoun’s SHIP plan names Florida Housing lenders as a first-mortgage source, so a Florida Housing loan can sit next to a county award. Call us and we’ll test that pairing on the exact house before you sign a contract.
FHA 100% financing works here too: we pair a 96.5% FHA first mortgage with a down payment assistance second, so the down payment can come from the second instead of your savings. Before you sign a contract in Blountstown or Altha, call 888-601-8344 and we’ll line up which programs work with the loan and the house.
Property taxes and your homestead exemption
Make the Calhoun County home you live in your homestead. The exemption can take as much as $50,000 off your taxable value: the first $25,000 applies to all property taxes, and the additional exemption applies to non-school taxes. Save Our Homes then limits yearly increases in your assessed value to 3% or the change in CPI, whichever is lower, and portability lets you carry some or all of that difference to your next Florida homestead.
Homestead goes by who owns the home on January 1. The application, Form DR-501, goes to the Calhoun County Property Appraiser by March 1 of the year after you buy.
If you use Calhoun County SHIP money, keep the exemption in place. The county’s SHIP loan comes due if the home loses its homestead exemption. Most buyers pay property taxes through an escrow account, and we’ll show that in your payment.
Calhoun County Property Appraiser
File Form DR-501 with: the Calhoun County Property Appraiser
Statewide homestead rules: Florida Department of Revenue
River flooding, storms and insurance
When Hurricane Michael came through on Oct. 10, 2018, Calhoun County recorded 6.66 inches of rain, the second-highest total in the region. The Chipola River reached moderate flooding near Altha, affecting a few homes downstream and damaging fish camps along the river.
Calhoun is an inland county, but the Apalachicola River runs its eastern edge and the Chipola runs through the middle. If you’re buying anywhere near either river, look hard at the flood zone before you’re under contract.
- Especially near the Apalachicola or Chipola, look up a Calhoun home’s flood zone on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center before you make an offer. A high-risk zone, one starting with A or V, makes flood insurance mandatory on FHA, VA, USDA and other federally backed loans.
- Price the homeowners policy while you’re under contract, and ask about a wind mitigation inspection, which can lower a Florida homeowners insurance premium.
- Know that Calhoun County SHIP includes disaster mitigation help for owners after a declared disaster, run through the Apalachee Regional Planning Council.
Schools and getting around
Calhoun County runs on state roads. Most trips start on SR 20 or SR 71, and the closest interstate is a drive into the next county.
Schools
Public schools are run by the Calhoun County School District, with its office at 17586 Main Street North in Blountstown, (850) 674-5927.
Getting around
No interstate or U.S. highway runs through Calhoun County. State Road 20 is the main east-west road, running from Niceville to Tallahassee, and State Road 71 is the main north-south road, linking Port St. Joe to Alabama. SR 69 and SR 73 fill in the rest.
The nearest I-10 access is at Sneads in Jackson County, and the nearest U.S. highway is US 231 in northeastern Bay County.
Power and the planning council
West Florida Electric Cooperative serves Calhoun County, with district offices in Graceville, Sneads and Bonifay. The Apalachee Regional Planning Council runs the county’s SHIP housing program under contract, so it’s the office you’ll deal with for county purchase or repair help.
Two rivers and a long history
Chipola River and Look and Tremble
The Chipola River runs through the middle of the county, and Look and Tremble is one of its named spots. Michael’s flooding in 2018 damaged fish camps along the river, which tells you how close to the water those camps sit.
Apalachicola River
The Apalachicola River forms the whole eastern boundary of the county, separating Calhoun from its neighbors on the other bank.
The courthouse and the lost county seat
The historic Calhoun County Courthouse stands in Blountstown. It wasn’t always the seat: in 1838 the county was run from St. Joseph on the Gulf, a town abandoned by 1844 after yellow fever and hurricanes. Port St. Joe grew up on that site later.
Calhoun County once reached the Gulf. Part of it went to Bay County in 1913, and its southern end became Gulf County in 1925, which left the river county you see on the map.
Moving to Calhoun County: your first-month checklist
- Electric: West Florida Electric Cooperative serves Calhoun County, with district offices in Graceville, Sneads and Bonifay. Call 800-342-7400 to start service.
- Water and sewer: ask whether the house is on a public system or a private well and septic, and have those checked during your inspection period.
- Schools: Calhoun County School District, 17586 Main Street North, Blountstown, (850) 674-5927.
- Homestead: turn in Form DR-501 to the Property Appraiser before March 1 of the year after you buy, and keep it in place if you used SHIP money.
- Flood zone: save a copy of the FEMA map for your address with your closing papers.
- County help: contact the Apalachee Regional Planning Council, which handles Calhoun County SHIP intake for buyers and owners.
Buying or refinancing in Calhoun County with AAA Capital Funding
Buying a home
FHA is the loan most of our Calhoun County buyers use: 3.5% down with a 580 or higher credit score, and it pairs with the county SHIP program, which requires a fixed-rate first mortgage. Veterans and service members can use a VA loan with no down payment, and we also write Conventional loans, Hometown Heroes and FHA 100% financing.
AAA Capital Funding has been a licensed Florida mortgage broker since 1997 and lends statewide in all 67 Florida counties, so the same team handles a house in Blountstown or one anywhere else in the state. We shop multiple wholesale lenders and give you a firm number before you start looking.
Refinancing the home you have
A refinance on your Calhoun home can drop the monthly payment, free up cash for a roof or repairs, pay off higher-interest debt, or buy a co-owner off the title.
Call 888-601-8344 and we’ll put the new payment, the cash you’d receive and the costs in writing, so you can decide with the figures in front of you.
Calhoun County questions we hear a lot
What is the FHA loan limit in Calhoun County, Florida?
The current figures are in the loan limit table on this page, which fills itself from HUD’s published numbers. HUD resets FHA limits and FHFA resets Conventional limits every January, and we’ll confirm the exact limit on your loan estimate.
Is there down payment assistance in Calhoun County?
Yes. Calhoun County SHIP helps first-time buyers with the down payment and closing costs through the Apalachee Regional Planning Council, as a deferred loan that’s forgiven over time. Hometown Heroes and FL Assist are statewide options. Amounts and available money change, so call us before you count on any of it.
When do I file for homestead in Calhoun County?
Form DR-501 goes to the Calhoun County Property Appraiser by March 1 of the year after you buy, because ownership on January 1 decides the year. If you have a SHIP loan, losing homestead makes it come due, so don’t skip it.
How far is Calhoun County from I-10?
No interstate or U.S. highway crosses the county. The nearest I-10 access is at Sneads in Jackson County, and the nearest U.S. highway is US 231 in northeastern Bay County. SR 20 and SR 71 are the roads most people use to get out.
Do I need flood insurance in Calhoun County?
On FHA, VA or USDA financing, a high-risk FEMA zone makes flood insurance mandatory. Outside those zones it’s optional, but the Chipola flooded near Altha during Michael, so get a quote if you’re near either river.
Sources for this guide (11)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Calhoun County, FL
- Calhoun County, Florida (Wikipedia, history, rivers and roads)
- Florida Housing: Calhoun County SHIP plan
- Florida Housing: Hometown Heroes
- Florida Housing: Homebuyer programs
- Florida Department of Revenue: Homestead exemption brochure
- Florida Department of Revenue: Property tax exemptions
- National Weather Service: Hurricane Michael
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Florida Department of Education: school districts
- West Florida Electric Cooperative
AAA Capital Funding, Inc. NMLS #374739. Jason J. Sarji, NMLS #374700. Licensed Florida mortgage broker serving Calhoun County and all 67 Florida counties since 1997. Equal Housing Opportunity.
You work with the same person from start to finish, in every county in Florida.
We've been closing Florida loans since 1997, in all 67 counties. If you want to know what's possible in Calhoun County, call 888-601-8344 or text 954-816-8820. One call, under ten minutes. No application needed to start.
AAA Capital Funding, Inc. · NMLS #374739 · Jason J. Sarji, NMLS #374700