Gilchrist County, Florida: A Local Guide for Home Buyers and Homeowners

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Gilchrist County covers about 350 square miles between the Suwannee River on the west and the Santa Fe River on the north, and about 20,000 people live here. It was carved from western Alachua County in 1925, the last county formed in Florida, and it was nearly named Melon County for its watermelons. The county calls itself the Springs Capital of the World, with at least 50 freshwater springs.

If you’re buying, refinancing or moving to Trenton, Bell or Fanning Springs, this page gives you the contacts and the ground rules: where the towns and springs are, how the loan limits work, the county’s SHIP money, homestead, what Helene and Idalia did, and who provides your power.

Every source for this guide is listed at the bottom of the page.

County seatTrenton
Founded1925
PopulationAbout 20,000
Land area349.70 sq mi
Named forGov. Albert W. Gilchrist
FHA limit, 1 unit$541,287 in 2026
Conventional limit, 1 unit$832,750 in 2026
School districtGilchrist County School District

Cities and areas
Homes and loan limits
Down payment help
Property taxes
Storms and insurance
Jobs, schools, commute
Parks and local favorites
Moving checklist
Buying or refinancing

Towns and springs country across Gilchrist County

Gilchrist has three municipalities: Trenton, Bell and Fanning Springs, which it shares with Levy County. Much of the land was farmland and timberland when the county formed in 1925, and it remains largely rural. The county is named for Albert W. Gilchrist, Florida’s governor from 1909 to 1913.

Trenton

Trenton is the county seat and the largest city. The Trenton State Farmer’s Market sits on State Road 47 north of town, and Trenton is one of the four towns on the paved Nature Coast State Trail, which follows two former rail lines to Fanning Springs, Chiefland and Cross City.

The Property Appraiser is at 112 South Main Street, and the Board of County Commissioners meets at 210 South Main Street. Otter Springs, a county park with cabins and campsites, is on SW 80th Avenue outside town.

Bell

Bell sits in the north of the county on US 129, and the county’s Emergency Management office is there at 3250 N. US Hwy 129. Florida Gateway College runs a storefront center in Bell, and Hart Springs, the county’s spring park, has a Bell address. The town is said to be named after a beauty contest winner.

Fanning Springs

Fanning Springs is a Suwannee River city shared with Levy County, and it was once the site of the military post Fort Fanning. US 19 crosses the Suwannee here, and Fanning Springs State Park sits on the highway at 18020 N.W. Highway 19.

The Santa Fe River side

The Santa Fe River forms the county’s northern border, lined with springs such as Ginnie and Gilchrist Blue. Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park uses a High Springs mailing address, 7450 N.E. 60th St., so don’t let the address on a nearby listing confuse you about the county.

Gilchrist homes and the county’s loan limits

Gilchrist housing sits in and around Trenton, Bell and Fanning Springs, and out on the farm and timber country between the Suwannee and the Santa Fe. In a rural county the sales that matter are the ones closest to the house you like, so get pre-approved with us before you make an offer and we’ll go over them with you.

If you rent in Trenton, Bell or Fanning Springs, call 888-601-8344 and we’ll set a mortgage payment on a Gilchrist house next to what you pay your landlord.

Gilchrist’s FHA and Conventional limits are in the table below. HUD and FHFA reset them every January, and the table pulls the new figures without anyone touching this page.

Loan limits in Gilchrist 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.

FHA needs 3.5% down and a credit score of 580 or higher. Here’s the math on an example price, not a Gilchrist figure: a $250,000 purchase takes $8,750 down, and down payment assistance can cover part or all of that. Call or text us at 954-816-8820 and we’ll run the numbers on the property you have in mind.

Down payment help for Gilchrist County buyers

Gilchrist County’s SHIP program is run by the Suwannee River Economic Council, and the statewide Florida Housing programs can work alongside it. The county’s plan lets SHIP purchase money cover repairs too, which helps when the house needs work.

Gilchrist County SHIP Purchase Assistance

The Suwannee River Economic Council runs Gilchrist’s SHIP purchase help for the county, with or without repairs folded in. It comes as a 0% deferred loan that’s forgiven a portion at a time each year from the lien date, the amount depends on household income, and you put in a small contribution of your own.

SHIP amounts, price limits and the money left for the year all change, and one county-wide budget covers every applicant for the year. Call 888-601-8344 and we’ll ask the SHIP office at SREC what a Trenton or Bell purchase can get and whether funds remain before you sign a contract. SREC SHIP office: 386-362-4115 ext. 245.

Gilchrist County SHIP page

Gilchrist County SHIP repair help

Owners in their own Gilchrist homes can apply for rehab help as a deferred loan forgiven over 5 years, and lower-income owners can get emergency repair grants. Demolition and reconstruction is possible with CDBG or HHRP money, and after a presidential or governor-declared disaster, SHIP disaster grants open up too.

The Purchase and Repair applications are posted together on the county’s SHIP page. If you’d rather not wait on a repair grant, text us at 954-816-8820 and we’ll price a cash-out refinance for the work.

County housing plan (PDF)

Florida Hometown Heroes (statewide)

Hometown Heroes is a Florida Housing purchase program: a 30-year fixed first mortgage plus a 0% down payment and closing cost second with no monthly payment, repaid when you sell, refinance or pay off the home, or stop living in it. It isn’t forgiven. At least one buyer has to work full time for an eligible Florida-based employer in health care, K-12 schools, a Gilchrist school included, first response, public safety, the courts or licensed child care. Servicemembers on active duty qualify no matter who employs them, and veterans, Reserve and National Guard members qualify with a full-time Florida-based employer.

You get Florida Housing assistance once in a lifetime, and you apply through a participating lender or broker. Make it count on the right Gilchrist house: call 888-601-8344 first and we’ll check the county’s limits and whether funds are open for your loan.

Official program page

FL Assist and HFA Preferred (statewide)

FL Assist carries no monthly payment: it’s a 0% deferred second repaid when you sell, refinance, transfer the home or move out. It works with a Florida Housing first mortgage: FHA, VA, USDA, or a Conventional HFA Preferred or HFA Advantage loan. Under HFA Advantage PLUS, the second behind a Freddie Mac Conventional first is forgiven over 5 years while you live in the home.

Florida Housing adjusts these seconds through the year, so text us at 954-816-8820 and we’ll tell you which one pairs best with SREC’s SHIP money on your purchase.

Official program page

We also offer FHA 100% financing, a 96.5% FHA first mortgage with a down payment assistance second, so the down payment on a Gilchrist home can be covered entirely. Call 888-601-8344 before you make an offer in Trenton, Bell or out near the springs, and we’ll check which programs have money that week and how each one works with your loan.

Property taxes and your homestead exemption

File for Florida’s homestead exemption with the Gilchrist County Property Appraiser once the home is your permanent residence. It can lower the taxable value by as much as $50,000: the first $25,000 comes off all property taxes and the rest off non-school taxes. It also adds Save Our Homes, which caps yearly increases in assessed value at 3% or the change in CPI, whichever is lower, and portability lets you carry some or all of the savings to your next Florida homestead.

Eligibility is set by ownership and residence on January 1, and Form DR-501 is due March 1 of the year after you buy. Miss it and you go a full year without the exemption.

The county lists both the Property Appraiser and the Tax Collector under Constitutional Officers on gilchrist.fl.us. If your mortgage includes escrow, the lender pays the tax bill from that account.

Gilchrist County Property Appraiser

112 South Main Street, Room 138, Trenton, FL 32693

Phone: (352) 463-3190, toll-free 1-800-219-3208

Property search: qpublic.net/fl/gilchrist

Tax bills and payments: Gilchrist County Tax Collector

Storms, springs country and insurance

In 2024, Hurricane Helene came through on September 26 and 27. The county EOC weather station logged 54 mph gusts, and nearly 9,000 customers, close to nine in ten in the county, lost power. A year earlier, on August 30, Hurricane Idalia brought gusts of 53 mph near Bell and 48 mph in Trenton.

This is springs and limestone country. Under Florida Statute 627.706, every homeowners policy must cover catastrophic ground cover collapse, which applies when the home is condemned and ordered vacated. Broader sinkhole coverage is an optional add-on that insurers must offer, so ask for a quote on both.

For a Gilchrist home near the Suwannee or Santa Fe especially, look up the flood zone on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center before you make an offer. If the map puts the house in a high-risk zone, one starting with A or V, an FHA, VA or other federally backed loan will need flood insurance.
Price the homeowners policy, with and without sinkhole coverage, before you’re under contract. An older roof raises the premium, and a wind mitigation inspection can lower it.
Sign up for emergency alerts through the county’s Everbridge link on gilchristemergency.com. Emergency Management is at 3250 N. US Hwy 129, Bell, (386) 935-5400.

Jobs, schools and getting around

Farms and timber are the county’s historic base, and it still describes itself as the home of farms and timber industries. Springs tourism brings visitors for swimming, snorkeling, scuba and cave diving, canoeing and kayaking at Ginnie Springs, Gilchrist Blue and the county spring parks. The Trenton State Farmer’s Market on SR 47 serves the local farm economy.

For business questions, the county’s economic development office is at 352-463-4638.

Schools and colleges

Public schools are run by the Gilchrist County School District.

Gilchrist is part of Florida Gateway College’s five-county service district, and the college has a storefront center in Bell.

Getting around

US 129 runs north through Bell, State Road 47 heads north out of Trenton past the farmer’s market, and US 19 crosses the Suwannee River at Fanning Springs. The paved Nature Coast State Trail connects Trenton with Fanning Springs and Chiefland for biking and walking.

Springs, rivers and the rail trail

Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park

Gilchrist Blue became Florida’s 175th state park. Its second-magnitude spring averages 44 million gallons a day and runs a quarter mile to the Santa Fe River.

Ginnie Springs

Ginnie Springs has seven springs on more than 200 wooded acres along the Santa Fe, all about 72 degrees year-round. Divers come for the Devil’s Spring System and the Ginnie Ballroom caverns, and there are tent sites and RV hookups.

Hart Springs

Hart Springs is a county-run spring park at 4240 SW 86th Avenue, Bell, with RV sites, primitive campsites and the rentable Hart Springs House. Call 352-463-3444.

Otter Springs

Otter Springs is a county park with RV sites, primitive campsites and cabins at 6470 SW 80th Avenue, Trenton.

Nature Coast State Trail

The Nature Coast State Trail runs 32 paved miles through Trenton to Fanning Springs, Chiefland and Cross City, and it crosses the Suwannee on a historic railroad bridge.

Two rivers, fifty springs

The Suwannee runs the whole western edge of the county and the Santa Fe the northern edge, and between them the county counts at least 50 freshwater springs. Ginnie, Gilchrist Blue, Hart and Otter are among them.

Moving to Gilchrist County: your first-month checklist

Electric: Central Florida Electric Cooperative serves most Gilchrist addresses, and Duke Energy and Clay Electric Cooperative serve the rest. Confirm the provider for the exact address.
Homestead: take Form DR-501 to Room 138 at 112 South Main Street in Trenton by March 1 of the year after you buy.
Tax bills: pay online through the Gilchrist County Tax Collector, linked from the county site.
County government: gilchrist.fl.us. The Board of County Commissioners meets at 210 South Main Street, Trenton.
Hurricane season: Emergency Management at gilchristemergency.com, (386) 935-5400.
Land and garden questions: the UF/IFAS County Agriculture Extension office at sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/gilchrist.

Buying or refinancing in Gilchrist County with AAA Capital Funding

Buying a home

FHA is the loan most of our Gilchrist County buyers use. It takes 3.5% down, the credit guidelines are flexible, and it pairs with SHIP and the statewide programs. Veterans who qualify can buy with a VA loan and nothing down, and we write Conventional loans, Hometown Heroes and FHA 100% financing on Gilchrist homes too.

As a licensed Florida mortgage broker since 1997, AAA Capital Funding lends in all 67 Florida counties statewide, the towns along the Suwannee and the Santa Fe included. We shop your loan with multiple wholesale lenders and tell you what you qualify for before you look at a place in Trenton or Bell.

Refinancing the home you have

A refinance can lower your payment, take cash out for a roof, a well or a workshop, pay off higher-interest debt, or buy someone else off the title. It lets the equity you’ve built start working for you.

Call 888-601-8344 and we’ll show you what you pay now, what you’d pay after, the cash you’d take out and the cost to close, so the choice is yours to make with the numbers in hand.

Gilchrist County questions we hear a lot

What is the FHA loan limit in Gilchrist County, Florida?

The FHA limits for one to four units and the Conventional limit for Gilchrist are in the table on this page, drawn from HUD’s published figures. HUD and FHFA reset them every January, so the table is always the one to check.

Is there down payment assistance in Gilchrist County?

Yes. The county’s SHIP program, run through the Suwannee River Economic Council, helps buyers with a deferred loan that’s forgiven over time, and Hometown Heroes and FL Assist work here too. Call us and we’ll check whether the program has money before you make an offer.

Who provides electricity in Gilchrist County?

Central Florida Electric Cooperative serves most of the county, with Duke Energy covering a smaller share and Clay Electric a handful of homes. Confirm the provider for the exact address before you close.

When do I file for homestead in Gilchrist County?

File Form DR-501 with the Gilchrist County Property Appraiser in Trenton by March 1 of the year after you buy. Ownership and residence on January 1 decide the year.

How bad was Hurricane Helene in Gilchrist County?

The county EOC logged 54 mph gusts, and nearly 9,000 customers lost power, most of the county. Plan for outages, and get a wind mitigation inspection when you insure the home.

Sources for this guide (25)

AAA Capital Funding, Inc. NMLS #374739. Jason J. Sarji, NMLS #374700. Licensed Florida mortgage broker serving Gilchrist 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 Gilchrist County, call 888-601-8344 or text 954-816-8820. One call, under ten minutes. No application needed to start.

Get Started Call 888-601-8344 Text 954-816-8820

AAA Capital Funding, Inc. · NMLS #374739 · Jason J. Sarji, NMLS #374700