Jackson County, Florida: A Local Guide for Home Buyers and Homeowners
Jackson County covers 918.19 square miles of land and is the only Florida county that borders both Alabama and Georgia. About 50,000 people live here, and Interstate 10 crosses the south end of the county for 33 miles.
Think of this page as the first call with us about a Jackson County home. It walks through how the loan limits and down payment math work, the county SHIP program and who runs it, homestead, what to check in cave country and after Hurricane Michael, and the utilities and offices you’ll deal with once you move in.
Every source for this guide is listed at the bottom of the page.
- County seatMarianna
- Founded1822, from Escambia County
- Named forAndrew Jackson, Florida’s first military governor
- PopulationAbout 50,000
- Land area918.19 sq mi
- FHA limit, 1 unit$541,287 in 2026
- Conventional limit, 1 unit$832,750 in 2026
- School districtJackson 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
Cities and communities across Jackson County
Jackson County has eleven cities and towns: Marianna, Graceville, Sneads, Malone, Grand Ridge, Cottondale, Greenwood, Alford, Bascom, Campbellton and Jacob City. Outside them you’ll find communities like Compass Lake, Cypress, Dellwood, Oakdale, Round Lake, Simsville, Sink Creek and Two Egg.
The county was created on Aug. 12, 1822, from Escambia County, and named for Andrew Jackson, the War of 1812 general who became Florida’s first military governor in 1821. Marianna has been the county seat since about 1829. To the north, the county line touches Geneva and Houston counties in Alabama and Seminole County in Georgia.
Marianna
Marianna is the county seat. Florida Caverns State Park is here at 3345 Caverns Road, the School Board office is at 2903 Jefferson St., county government works out of the Administration Building at 2864 Madison Street, and Chipola College is based in town. Marianna Municipal Airport sits on the former Graham Air Base.
Graceville
Graceville is one of the county’s cities, and West Florida Electric Cooperative runs a district office here at 5282 Peanut Road. Ask whether the house you like is on the cooperative’s lines or FPL’s before you set up service.
Sneads
Sneads has its own West Florida Electric Cooperative district office at 8292 Hwy. 90. Three Rivers State Park lies north of town.
Cottondale
Cottondale sits near the spot where US 231 meets I-10 at Exit 130. That interchange is the main route from Panama City up to the interstate, and the same road carries truck traffic from Port Panama City.
Malone, Grand Ridge and Greenwood
Malone, Grand Ridge and Greenwood are all incorporated towns with their own town governments, along with Alford, Bascom, Campbellton and Jacob City. If a listing gives one of these as the address, check whether the lot sits inside town limits or out in the county, since that decides who provides water and handles permits.
Compass Lake and Two Egg
Compass Lake is an unincorporated lake community in the county. Two Egg, another unincorporated community, is on the county’s list too, and yes, that’s the real name.
Buying a home in Jackson County and the loan limits
Jackson County’s FHA and Conventional limits are listed in the table below. HUD and FHFA reset them every January, and the table updates on its own, so the figure you see is the one in force.
Here’s the down payment math as an example, not a Jackson County price: on a $200,000 purchase, FHA’s 3.5% minimum down payment is $7,000, and county SHIP help can cover part or all of that. Call or text us at 954-816-8820 with the address, whether it’s in Marianna, Graceville or out by Compass Lake, and we’ll figure the payment on that house.
If you rent in Marianna or Sneads now, call 888-601-8344 and we’ll show you how a mortgage payment on a Jackson County home stacks up against your rent.
| Loan limits in Jackson 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.
If you plan to use county SHIP money, the first mortgage has to be fixed-rate. The county accepts first mortgages from participating lenders, Florida Housing’s bond program or USDA Rural Development, and we can set up the FHA or USDA side to match.
Out in the county, ask early whether the house is on a city water system or a private well and septic, and have both checked during the inspection period.
Down payment help for Jackson County buyers
Jackson County’s SHIP program is run by the county Housing Division together with the Apalachee Regional Planning Council. Florida Housing’s statewide programs work here too.
Jackson County SHIP Purchase Assistance
Jackson County helps very low, low and moderate income first-time buyers of new or existing single-family homes, and rehab costs can be rolled in. The money is a 0% deferred loan that the county forgives a portion of each year you keep the home, and it comes due if the home loses homestead status.
You need a first-time homebuyer course certificate, a lender pre-approval and a fixed-rate first mortgage, and the county caps the sales price based on the area’s average purchase price.
The award amounts, that price cap and the funding behind them all move with the county’s SHIP plan. Before you write an offer, call 888-601-8344 and we’ll check with the Housing Division on Madison Street what SHIP pays for that address and whether it has purchase money to give.
Jackson County Housing Division
The Jackson County Housing Division works out of the Board of County Commissioners Administration Building at 2864 Madison Street, Marianna, FL 32448. Apalachee Regional Planning Council administers the program under contract.
That’s where SHIP applications start. Call us first and we’ll have your pre-approval ready for them.
Jackson County SHIP help for current owners
Jackson County SHIP also covers owners: rehabilitation, emergency repairs, demolition and reconstruction through a deferred loan, and disaster recovery grants for very low to moderate income owners after a declared disaster.
Which of those the county is funding depends on the plan and what’s left in it. If Michael or a later storm left work undone on your house, call or text us at 954-816-8820 and we’ll ask the Apalachee Regional Planning Council which repair money is open, or price a cash-out refinance to cover it.
Florida Hometown Heroes (statewide)
Florida Housing’s Hometown Heroes pairs a 30-year fixed first mortgage with a second that pays toward your down payment and closing costs. The second is 0%, with nothing due each month, and it’s settled up when you sell, refinance, pay off the home or move out. It isn’t forgiven.
To qualify, one buyer needs full-time work with an eligible Florida-based employer in health care, K-12 schools, first response, public safety, the courts or licensed child care, so someone working in the Jackson County schools qualifies. Active-duty personnel are eligible with any employer; veterans and Reserve and National Guard members are eligible with any full-time Florida-based employer. A job offer letter, a part-time schedule or a remote role won’t qualify you.
Florida Housing assistance is once in a lifetime, so use it on the right house with the right lender. Funds are reserved loan by loan, so call 888-601-8344 before you offer on a Jackson County home and we’ll confirm Hometown Heroes is reserving and check your income and price against the county’s limits.
FL Assist, HLP and HFA Advantage PLUS (statewide)
FL Assist puts money toward the down payment and closing costs at 0%, with no monthly payment, and you pay it back when you sell, refinance, transfer the home or move out; it only goes behind a Florida Housing FHA, VA, USDA or Conventional first. HLP is the second with a payment, a small fixed amount over 30 years. On the Conventional side, HFA Advantage PLUS uses a Freddie Mac first and a second that’s forgiven over 5 years while you live in the home.
Florida Housing works through participating lenders and brokers, not directly with buyers. Which of these lines up with a Jackson County SHIP award depends on the rules when you apply, so call or text us at 954-816-8820 and we’ll lay them out for the house you want.
FHA 100% financing pairs a 96.5% FHA first mortgage with a second for down payment assistance, so the 3.5% down on a Jackson County home doesn’t have to come out of savings. Before you write an offer anywhere from Sneads to Graceville, call 888-601-8344 and we’ll check which programs are open and how each one works with your loan.
Property taxes and your homestead exemption
Your primary residence in Jackson County qualifies for Florida’s homestead exemption. It cuts as much as $50,000 from taxable value: the first $25,000 applies to all property taxes and the rest to non-school taxes. After that, Save Our Homes keeps the assessed value from rising more than 3% a year or the change in CPI, whichever is lower, and portability can carry some or all of that difference to a new Florida homestead.
Homestead goes by who owns the home on January 1, and Form DR-501 is due to the Jackson County Property Appraiser by March 1 of the year after you buy.
If you buy with Jackson County SHIP money, keep that exemption in place, because the county’s SHIP loan comes due if the home loses homestead status. Most buyers pay property taxes through an escrow account, and we’ll show it in your monthly payment.
Jackson County Property Appraiser
Homestead filing: with the Jackson County Property Appraiser in Marianna
Statewide rules and the DR-501 form: Florida Department of Revenue homestead brochure
Storms, cave country and insurance
Jackson County sits well inland, and Hurricane Michael still reached it. After the Category 5 landfall near Mexico Beach on Oct. 10, 2018, Michael caused wind damage in Marianna.
Jackson County is also cave country. Florida Caverns State Park is a designated State Geological Site, and inside the park the Chipola River disappears underground for a few thousand feet.
- Before you make an offer near the Chipola River, Compass Lake or any other water in Jackson County, pull the flood zone from the FEMA Flood Map Service Center. A federally backed loan on a home in a high-risk zone, one starting with A or V, carries a flood insurance requirement.
- Get your homeowners quote early and ask how the policy handles sinkhole and ground collapse claims, since this is cave country. The roof’s age weighs heavily on the price, and a wind mitigation inspection can bring the premium down.
- Know that Jackson County SHIP has disaster mitigation and recovery grants for very low to moderate income owners after a declared disaster.
Jobs, schools and getting around
Marianna holds county government, the School Board office and Chipola College. West Florida Electric Cooperative keeps district offices in Graceville and Sneads, and US 231 links the county to Panama City and its port, while I-10 runs east and west across the south end.
Schools and colleges
Public schools are run by the Jackson County School Board (jcsb.org), with its office at 2903 Jefferson St. in Marianna, (850) 482-1200.
Chipola College is based in Marianna.
Getting around
Interstate 10 crosses the southern part of the county for 33 miles, with five interchanges: US 231 (Exit 130), SR 276 (Exit 136), SR 71 (Exit 142), SR 69 (Exit 152) and CR 268 (Exit 158).
US 231 runs south from I-10 to Panama City and Port Panama City and is the main truck route from the port to I-10 and I-65. Marianna Municipal Airport handles general aviation on the old Graham Air Base.
Caverns, springs and state parks
Florida Caverns State Park
Florida Caverns was one of Florida’s first state parks, and it runs guided cave tours. Civilian Conservation Corps workers enlarged the cave passages by hand in the 1930s and built the visitor center. The park is on the Native American Heritage Trail.
Chipola River
The Chipola River ducks underground for a few thousand feet inside Florida Caverns State Park before coming back to the surface.
Blue Springs and Three Rivers
Blue Springs Recreation Area sits east of Marianna, and Three Rivers State Park lies north of Sneads.
Moving to Jackson County: your first-month checklist
- Electric: West Florida Electric Cooperative serves Jackson County (800-342-7400, offices in Graceville and Sneads), and FPL’s territory, formerly Gulf Power’s, also included Jackson County. Ask which one serves the house before closing so the power’s on when you move in.
- Water and sewer: ask whether the home is on a city system or a private well and septic, and have them checked during your inspection period.
- Schools: Jackson County School Board, 2903 Jefferson St., Marianna, (850) 482-1200.
- Homestead: the Jackson County Property Appraiser takes Form DR-501 through March 1 of the year after your closing.
- County government: Jackson County Board of County Commissioners Administration Building, 2864 Madison Street, Marianna, FL 32448.
Buying or refinancing in Jackson County with AAA Capital Funding
Buying a home
Most of our Jackson County buyers go FHA, with 3.5% down and flexible credit guidelines, and a fixed-rate FHA loan works with the county SHIP program. Eligible veterans and service members can use VA with nothing down, and we also write Conventional loans, Hometown Heroes, DSCR loans for rentals and FHA 100% financing.
We’ve worked as a licensed Florida mortgage broker since 1997 and lend statewide in all 67 Florida counties, the Panhandle included. Your loan gets shopped with multiple wholesale lenders, and you’ll know what you qualify for before you fall for a house in Marianna or Malone.
Refinancing the home you have
Jackson County owners refinance to lower the monthly payment, take cash out for a new roof or a remodel, pay off higher-interest debt, or buy out someone else’s share of the home. Equity in a house near Marianna can pay for any of it.
Call 888-601-8344 and we’ll put the payment you have now beside the new one, along with the cash you’d take out and the closing costs, so you decide with real numbers.
Jackson County questions we hear a lot
What is the FHA loan limit in Jackson County?
Check the live table in the homes section of this page. It lists Jackson County’s FHA limits for one to four units and the Conventional single-family limit, and it changes on its own every January when HUD and FHFA reset them.
Is there down payment assistance in Jackson County?
Yes. Jackson County SHIP helps income-qualified first-time buyers with a 0% deferred loan the county forgives over time, and Florida Housing’s statewide seconds, including Hometown Heroes and FL Assist, work here as well. SHIP money runs by plan year, so let us confirm it’s available before you plan around it.
Where is the Jackson County SHIP office?
The Jackson County Housing Division is in the Board of County Commissioners Administration Building, 2864 Madison Street, Marianna. Apalachee Regional Planning Council administers the program for the county.
When do I file for homestead in Jackson County?
File Form DR-501 with the Jackson County Property Appraiser by March 1 of the year after you buy. The county looks at who held title on January 1.
Do I need flood insurance in Jackson County?
A federally backed mortgage requires flood insurance when FEMA’s maps put the home in a high-risk zone, and outside those zones it’s your choice. Inland homes still face storms, as Michael’s wind damage in Marianna showed, so get your homeowners quote early.
Sources for this guide (16)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Jackson County, FL
- Jackson County, Florida (Wikipedia, history, roads and parks)
- Bay County, Florida (Wikipedia, US 231 and Cottondale)
- City Population: Jackson County places
- Florida Housing: Jackson 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 State Parks: Florida Caverns
- Florida Ports Council: Port Panama City (US 231 corridor)
- Florida Department of Education: school districts
- Gulf Power Company (Wikipedia, FPL territory)
- West Florida Electric Cooperative
AAA Capital Funding, Inc. NMLS #374739. Jason J. Sarji, NMLS #374700. Licensed Florida mortgage broker serving Jackson 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 Jackson 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