Citrus County, Florida sits on the Gulf Coast roughly 60 to 90 miles north of Tampa Bay — a county of 155,000 residents built around one of the most extraordinary natural environments in the eastern United States. The county’s geography is defined by the spring-fed river systems that flow west to the Gulf of Mexico: the Crystal River and Kings Bay, the Homosassa River, the Withlacoochee River along the county’s southern boundary, and the Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes running through its interior. These water systems are not incidental to Citrus County — they are the reason the county exists as a destination.
The median home price in Citrus County in 2025 ranged from approximately $270,000 to $305,000 depending on timing and source — a figure that represents one of the most compelling value propositions on Florida’s Gulf Coast corridor. Buyers relocating from Tampa Bay, South Florida, or out-of-state markets consistently express surprise at what their dollar buys in Citrus County: Gulf-connected waterfront access, golf community living, or large-lot rural residential properties at price points that have largely disappeared from the Tampa Bay and Sarasota coastal markets.
The county is also in transition. The Suncoast Parkway (SR 589) extension into Citrus County — Phase 1 operational since February 2022, Phase 2 completed in August 2025 — has materially changed the Tampa commute calculation. Future Phase 3 extensions will bring the parkway further into the county, continuing to narrow the gap between Citrus County’s Nature Coast lifestyle and Tampa Bay’s metro access. The buyers who are identifying Citrus County now are early. This window of extraordinary value is not permanent.
The Springs: What Makes Citrus County Unique
No other county in Florida — and arguably no other county in the United States — has the concentration of spring systems that Citrus County does. The spring discharge in the Kings Bay and Crystal River system alone includes more than 70 individual springs feeding into a single bay. The Homosassa Springs complex, a few miles to the south, produces a crystal-clear river that runs 8 miles to the Gulf. These springs are not a tourist attraction bolted onto an otherwise ordinary landscape — they are the landscape, and they define everything that follows: the manatee population, the water clarity, the fishing, the diving, the kayaking, and ultimately the real estate.
Kings Bay and Crystal River: The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge — established in 1983 specifically to protect the threatened Florida manatee — covers the Kings Bay spring complex, with Three Sisters Springs as its centerpiece. The Three Sisters Springs site encompasses 57 acres and three distinct spring vents producing millions of gallons of 72-degree water daily. During winter months, manatee concentrations in Kings Bay reach into the hundreds. Swimming alongside wild manatees here is legal under passive observation guidelines and remains one of the most unusual wildlife encounters available anywhere in North America. See the full Crystal River guide for the complete picture.
Homosassa Springs: The Homosassa River begins at Homosassa Springs — a major spring complex within Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park — and runs approximately 8 miles to the Gulf. The river’s consistent 72-degree temperature and exceptional water clarity support year-round snorkeling, diving, and wildlife encounters. Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park is also home to the legendary manatee “Lu,” who has lived at the park since 1964. Wild manatees, dolphins, and exceptional inshore fishing are all part of the Homosassa experience. See the full Homosassa guide for details.
Citrus County Communities: A Guide to the Market
Citrus County is not one market — it is a collection of distinct communities, each serving a different lifestyle priority and buyer profile. Understanding which community matches which buyer requires understanding what each delivers:
Crystal River: The county’s largest city and waterfront destination. Kings Bay, Three Sisters Springs, Gulf-connected boating, scalloping, and the Nature Coast’s most established tourism infrastructure. Median listing prices from approximately $285,000 to $404,000, with waterfront properties at a significant premium. The buyer who wants immediate water access and the fullest expression of the springs lifestyle chooses Crystal River.
Homosassa: Old-Florida authenticity on the Homosassa River. Direct Gulf-connected waterfront access at a median waterfront listing price of approximately $430,000 — a remarkable value for properties with boat lifts, deep-water canal access, and Gulf of Mexico connectivity. The buyer who wants raw Florida waterfront without the resort overlay chooses Homosassa.
Inverness: The county seat — a small city with real municipal infrastructure on the Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes. Median home value approximately $228,000, with waterfront canal properties ranging to $340,000. The Withlacoochee State Trail passes through the city. The buyer who wants a genuine small-city experience with lake access and county infrastructure chooses Inverness.
Citrus Hills: The county’s premier golf and country club community, built around the Terra Vista resort campus. Homes from the $400,000s through multi-million-dollar Bellamy Ridge luxury properties. Multiple 18-hole championship golf courses, resort amenities, and panoramic views. The buyer who wants country club lifestyle at a fraction of Tampa Bay prices chooses Citrus Hills.
Sugarmill Woods: Large master-planned golf community near Homosassa, with two country clubs (36 holes of golf), three residential villages, and a median sale price of approximately $325,000. The buyer who wants resort golf community living at the county’s most accessible price point chooses Sugarmill Woods.
Beverly Hills FL: Affordable central county residential community with Twisted Oaks Golf Club. Centrally positioned for access to all of Citrus County’s outdoor recreation without the waterfront or country club premium. The value-oriented buyer who wants Citrus County living at the most accessible price points chooses Beverly Hills.
Pine Ridge: The county’s established equestrian community — one-acre minimum lots, community horse trails, and the Pine Ridge Equestrian Center. The buyer who wants horses, land, and rural Florida living within 20 minutes of the Gulf Coast waterfront chooses Pine Ridge.
Citrus Springs, Lecanto, and Floral City: The county’s residential communities for buyers who want affordable non-resort homeownership, with Lecanto providing the county’s civic hub and Floral City the Tsala Apopka lakefront and Withlacoochee State Trail access in the south county.
Citrus County Real Estate Market Overview (2026)
The Citrus County real estate market in 2026 is a buyer’s market in the most direct sense. Extended days on market (90 to 150 days is common for lifestyle properties), motivated sellers, and a wide inventory give qualified buyers genuine negotiating leverage that has not existed in this county for years. The post-pandemic price run-up has corrected — the median sale price of $270,000 to $305,000 reflects a return to fundamentals after the 2021-2022 peak.
The market segmentation in Citrus County is important for buyers to understand:
- Gulf-connected waterfront: Homosassa waterfront properties at approximately $430,000 median; Crystal River waterfront at $350,000 to $500,000-plus for Kings Bay-adjacent properties with direct Gulf access.
- Freshwater lakefront: Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes properties in the Inverness and Floral City area at $300,000 to $400,000, with significant variation based on water access quality and lot size.
- Golf community: Citrus Hills from the $400,000s to multi-millions; Sugarmill Woods median approximately $325,000.
- Non-waterfront residential: The county-wide median of $270,000 to $305,000 applies primarily to standard residential neighborhoods across the county’s communities.
The ownership breakdown for Citrus County is approximately 56 percent owner-occupied, with a meaningful second-home and investment component. The snowbird seasonal population — which concentrates in the county from October through April — drives a portion of the market activity and supports the commercial and dining infrastructure during the peak months.
Outdoor Recreation: Why People Move to Citrus County
Citrus County’s outdoor recreation infrastructure is the core reason buyers choose it over other affordable Florida markets. The county is not simply “somewhere in Florida where housing is cheap” — it is a specific place with a specific outdoor environment that is not replicable elsewhere.
Manatee Swimming: Crystal River is one of the only places in the world where swimming alongside wild manatees is legal and supported by established tour infrastructure. The experience — floating in 72-degree crystal-clear water as manatees drift past at close range — has no equivalent on Florida’s Gulf Coast south of the county. Homosassa provides a similar experience with a more local, less tourist-oriented character.
Scalloping: The Gulf waters off Citrus County are among Florida’s premier bay scallop destinations. The season runs approximately July 1 through September 24 in Citrus County, and residents with boat access reach the scalloping grounds within 30 minutes from most waterfront properties in Crystal River and Homosassa. Scalloping is a family outdoor recreation tradition in Citrus County — a summer ritual that residents specifically plan their lives around.
Inshore Saltwater Fishing: The combination of spring-fed rivers, Gulf grassflats, and the island chains off the Citrus County coast produces some of the most productive inshore fishing waters in Florida. Redfish, snook, trout, tarpon, and cobia are all seasonally available. Many of Florida’s most respected inshore fishing guides operate from Crystal River and Homosassa. Property buyers with fishing as a lifestyle priority consistently identify Citrus County as the Gulf Coast corridor’s best-value fishing destination.
Freshwater Fishing: The Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes provides largemouth bass fishing that draws competitive tournament anglers alongside recreational fishing. The connected chain means skilled boaters can navigate between lake sections across the southern county. Bass fishing from an Inverness or Floral City address is a year-round activity.
Withlacoochee State Trail: At 46 miles, this paved multi-use trail is one of the longest rails-to-trails conversions in Florida, connecting Citrus County to Hernando County to the south and passing through Inverness, Floral City, and other communities along its route. Cycling, walking, and inline skating are the primary uses. For buyers who want non-motorized outdoor recreation infrastructure, the trail is a meaningful quality-of-life asset that typically goes unmentioned in market comparisons.
Kayaking and Paddleboarding: The spring systems — Kings Bay, Three Sisters Springs, the Homosassa River — provide some of the most visually extraordinary kayaking and paddleboarding in the state. The water clarity, the 72-degree temperature, and the wildlife (manatees, dolphins, fish visible through the water column) create an experience that paddlers from across the country travel to access. Residents of Citrus County do it on a Tuesday afternoon.
The Suncoast Parkway and Tampa Access
The Suncoast Parkway (SR 589) extensions into Citrus County represent the most significant infrastructure investment in the county’s accessibility in decades. The timeline:
- Phase 1 (US 98 to SR 44): Opened February 28, 2022 — a 13-mile extension bringing the parkway into the northern portion of Citrus County.
- Phase 2 (SR 44 to CR 486): Completed August 2025 — an additional 3-mile extension pushing the parkway further into the county.
- Phase 3A and 3B: Planned extension from CR 486 to US 19, currently in design and construction phases.
The practical effect of the Phase 1 and Phase 2 extensions has been to reduce the Tampa drive from Citrus County communities from what was once a 90-plus-minute, traffic-variable US 19 crawl to a more predictable 65 to 85 minutes of primarily freeway driving. For buyers who are evaluating whether Citrus County is “too far from Tampa,” the parkway extensions have changed the answer in a meaningful way.
The Phase 3 extension, when complete, will bring direct freeway access even closer to Crystal River, Inverness, and the county seat area — a development that is expected to further improve the real estate trajectory of Citrus County communities by expanding the buyer pool to include more Tampa-area workers and commuters.
Schools in Citrus County
The Citrus County School District has earned a B grade from the state of Florida. The district operates 11 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 3 high schools, 1 charter school, and 2 alternative schools across the county. The high school rankings within Florida’s system:
- Lecanto High School: #330 in Florida — the district’s top-performing high school, serving the north-central county area.
- Citrus High School: #388 in Florida, with a 46 percent AP participation rate, serving the central county and Inverness area.
- Crystal River High School: #430 in Florida, serving the western portion of the county.
The district’s B grade reflects solid performance relative to comparable rural-to-suburban Florida counties. Families relocating from the highest-performing suburban Tampa Bay school districts — Hillsborough, Sarasota, Manatee — should evaluate the Citrus County school situation with the same rigor they would apply to any other relocation factor. The schools are competent and provide a solid public education; they are not competitive with the strongest metropolitan-area districts.
Healthcare in Citrus County
Healthcare access is a meaningful consideration for the county’s primarily older demographic. Seven Rivers Regional Medical Center, located in the Lecanto/Crystal River corridor, serves as the primary hospital for Citrus County. The facility provides emergency services, surgery, and a range of specialty care. For complex specialty care and major medical procedures, Tampa’s major hospital systems — Advent Health Tampa, BayCare, Tampa General — are 70 to 90 minutes south via the Suncoast Parkway.
Who Buys in Citrus County
The Citrus County buyer pool is distinct from the broad Florida market and worth understanding before investing time in researching the county:
Retirees from northern markets: The traditional Citrus County buyer — snowbirds from Michigan, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and the broader Midwest and Northeast who have been visiting for years and are making the permanent move. These buyers know exactly what the county delivers and are buying at a price point they could not access in Sarasota, Naples, or the Tampa Bay coastal markets.
Tampa Bay relocators: Buyers who are leaving the Tampa Bay metro for lower cost, more space, or a specific lifestyle upgrade — the waterfront property they couldn’t afford in Hillsborough County, the golf community lifestyle they couldn’t justify in Manatee County. For this buyer, the Suncoast Parkway has been transformative. Many are maintaining Tampa Bay work connections via remote work or occasional commute.
Nature-focused lifestyle buyers: The buyer who has specifically researched Florida’s spring systems, manatee habitats, and inshore fishing destinations and identified Citrus County as the best value intersection of natural recreation and affordable real estate. This buyer is likely not a first-time Florida visitor — they have done the homework and are buying with conviction.
Remote workers: The growing cohort of location-independent workers who can live anywhere with reliable internet. Citrus County’s value proposition — extraordinary outdoor recreation at dramatically below-market prices — is particularly compelling for this buyer, who values lifestyle quality over metro proximity.
Frequently Asked Questions About Citrus County FL
What is the median home price in Citrus County FL?
The Citrus County median home price in 2025 ranged from approximately $270,000 to $305,000 depending on timing and data source. Waterfront properties carry a significant premium — Homosassa Gulf-connected waterfront medians approximately $430,000, Crystal River waterfront above that. Non-waterfront properties in the county’s residential communities generally fall within or below the county median.
Can you swim with manatees in Citrus County?
Yes — Crystal River and Kings Bay in Citrus County are among the few places in the world where swimming alongside wild manatees is legal. The Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge and Three Sisters Springs provide the primary swimming areas, with passive observation guidelines governing the interaction. Homosassa also offers wild manatee encounters in the river, with a more local and less tourist-oriented character.
How far is Citrus County from Tampa?
Approximately 60 to 90 minutes from Citrus County communities to Tampa, depending on the specific community and destination. The Suncoast Parkway Phase 1 (2022) and Phase 2 (August 2025) extensions have improved the drive from what was once a 90-plus-minute US 19 journey to a more predictable 65 to 85 minutes via the parkway. Future Phase 3 extensions will continue to improve the connection.
What is scalloping in Citrus County?
Bay scallop season in Citrus County runs approximately July 1 through September 24 — the window when residents and visitors can snorkel or free-dive in the Gulf grassflats off Crystal River and Homosassa to collect bay scallops. Residents with boat access reach the scalloping grounds in 30 minutes or less from most waterfront properties. It is one of the Nature Coast’s most distinctive seasonal outdoor recreation traditions.
What are the best communities in Citrus County for retirees?
Depends on priorities. For country club golf lifestyle, Citrus Hills and Sugarmill Woods are the primary options. For waterfront lifestyle and Gulf access, Crystal River and Homosassa. For affordable small-city living with lake access, Inverness. For value-oriented non-resort residential, Beverly Hills FL and Citrus Springs. Each community serves a different version of the retirement lifestyle that Citrus County can deliver.
Is Citrus County a good investment market?
Citrus County’s long-term real estate trajectory is positive for buyers who are patient. The Suncoast Parkway extension is a genuine infrastructure investment that expands the buyer pool and improves accessibility. The natural environment — the springs, the Gulf access, the fishing — cannot be replicated or built elsewhere, which provides a baseline demand floor that more generic Florida markets lack. The current buyer-favorable conditions represent an opportunity for buyers who have done their research.
Flood Risk in Citrus County: What Buyers Need to Know
Citrus County’s coastal and waterfront properties carry flood risk that requires careful due diligence. The Gulf Coast position and the spring-fed river systems that make the county exceptional also create flood exposure that varies significantly by specific location. FEMA flood zone designations, flood insurance requirements, and the distinction between AE zones (base flood elevation mapped) and X zones (minimal flood hazard) affect both insurability and insurance cost in a way that has become more financially significant after the insurance market contraction that followed the 2022 and 2024 hurricane seasons.
Waterfront properties on the Homosassa River, Crystal River, and the Gulf-adjacent areas are generally in flood zones that require flood insurance for any mortgaged property. The specific elevation of the home relative to the base flood elevation (BFE) determines the actual insurance premium — a well-elevated home in a mapped flood zone can have manageable insurance costs; a home at or below BFE can have premiums that materially affect the total cost of ownership. Buyers should request the Elevation Certificate for any waterfront or near-waterfront property and have it reviewed by an independent insurance professional before closing.
The inland communities — Inverness, Floral City, Beverly Hills, Citrus Springs, Lecanto, Citrus Hills, Sugarmill Woods, Pine Ridge — are largely outside the coastal flood zones, though the Tsala Apopka lake system creates localized flood exposure for waterfront properties along the chain. Non-waterfront properties in the inland communities are generally in X zones with minimal flood requirements.
The Value Case for Citrus County: How It Compares
The value proposition of Citrus County becomes most clear when placed in direct comparison with the Florida Gulf Coast markets it is frequently compared against:
vs. Sarasota County: The Sarasota metro median home price runs $450,000 to $550,000. Gulf waterfront in Sarasota ranges from $800,000 for entry canal properties to multiple millions for bay-front. Citrus County waterfront at $350,000 to $500,000 delivers comparable Gulf connectivity (though without the resort infrastructure) at 40 to 60 percent of the Sarasota price. The buyer who values the outdoor recreation and is willing to trade the Sarasota amenity set for the savings finds Citrus County extraordinary.
vs. Hillsborough County coastal: Waterfront in Apollo Beach, Riverview, and the South Shore market of Hillsborough County runs $500,000 to $900,000 for canal properties with Tampa Bay access. These properties offer Tampa proximity that Citrus County cannot match. But for buyers who are remote or retired and prioritizing lifestyle quality over commute, Citrus County’s spring systems, manatee habitat, scalloping, and Nature Coast character deliver a different quality of outdoor recreation than Tampa Bay’s more developed and heavily trafficked coastal waters.
vs. Manatee County coastal: Anna Maria Island, Bradenton Beach, and Holmes Beach in Manatee County deliver Gulf-front barrier island lifestyle starting around $800,000 and running to multiple millions. The island lifestyle and beach access are genuinely different from Citrus County’s springs and estuary character. Buyers who specifically want Gulf beach walking and barrier island culture should be in Manatee County. Buyers who want a more naturalistic, less developed coastal experience can find a different version of outdoor richness in Citrus County at a fraction of the price.
Citrus County for Remote Workers
The post-2020 remote work transformation has created a new buyer profile in Citrus County that was barely visible before 2021 but now represents a meaningful component of the buyer pool. Location-independent workers who can live anywhere with reliable internet have discovered that Citrus County’s value proposition — extraordinary outdoor recreation, low cost of living, minimal traffic, and improving Tampa access — is one of the most compelling lifestyle-to-cost intersections in Florida.
Broadband internet infrastructure in Citrus County has improved meaningfully. Fiber and cable internet are available in the incorporated communities and most developed residential areas. Rural lots and some sections of Citrus Springs, Pine Ridge, and Floral City may have more limited options — buyers who are remote workers dependent on reliable high-speed internet should verify connectivity for any specific address before purchasing, particularly for properties outside established subdivisions.
For the remote worker buyer, Citrus County’s lifestyle math works like this: in the time and cost saved by not living in the Tampa Bay metro — lower housing costs, no metro traffic, lower cost of living broadly — the weekly kayak trip to Three Sisters Springs, the tarpon fishing, and the scallop season are not special-occasion activities. They are Tuesday afternoon activities. This lifestyle shift is what converts research-stage visitors into committed buyers.
Citrus County’s Long-Term Real Estate Trajectory
Several factors support a positive long-term outlook for Citrus County real estate relative to the current buyer-favorable conditions:
Infrastructure investment: The Suncoast Parkway Phase 3 extension, when complete, will bring direct freeway access to the heart of the county. This is not a speculative infrastructure promise — it is a funded, designed, and under-construction project. Every mile of parkway that comes closer to Crystal River and the county center expands the buyer pool and reduces the perceived distance penalty that has historically depressed Citrus County values relative to the coastal markets to the south.
Non-replicable natural assets: The springs systems cannot be built, expanded, or moved. The manatee habitat, the scalloping grounds, and the inshore fishing ecosystem are not manufactured amenities — they are naturally occurring, state-protected, and increasingly rare on Florida’s coastline. As other Florida coastal markets have become more developed and their natural character more diluted, Citrus County’s Nature Coast identity becomes more valuable, not less.
Demographic tailwinds: The baby boom generation continues to reach traditional retirement age through the late 2020s. Citrus County’s retirement-oriented market is positioned in the path of one of the largest demographic flows in American history. Buyers who have visited the county over the years and are now ready to make the permanent move represent a backlog of demand that will sustain market activity even as the broader national real estate cycle fluctuates.
{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [ { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What is the median home price in Citrus County FL?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Approximately $270,000-$305,000 in 2025. Waterfront properties carry significant premiums: Homosassa Gulf-connected waterfront medians ~$430,000, Crystal River waterfront above that. Non-waterfront falls within or below the county median.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “Can you swim with manatees in Citrus County?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Yes — Crystal River’s Kings Bay and Three Sisters Springs are among the few places worldwide where swimming alongside wild manatees is legal, under passive observation guidelines. Homosassa also offers wild manatee encounters with a more local character.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “How far is Citrus County from Tampa?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Approximately 60-90 minutes depending on the specific community. The Suncoast Parkway Phase 1 (2022) and Phase 2 (August 2025) extensions have improved the drive to a more predictable 65-85 minutes. Future Phase 3 extensions will continue to improve the connection.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What is scalloping in Citrus County?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Bay scallop season in Citrus County runs approximately July 1 through September 24. Residents snorkel or free-dive in the Gulf grassflats off Crystal River and Homosassa to collect bay scallops — one of the Nature Coast’s most distinctive seasonal outdoor recreation traditions.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What are the best communities in Citrus County for retirees?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Depends on priorities: country club golf (Citrus Hills, Sugarmill Woods), Gulf waterfront (Crystal River, Homosassa), small-city with lake access (Inverness), value residential (Beverly Hills FL, Citrus Springs). Each serves a different version of the retirement lifestyle.” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “Is Citrus County a good investment market?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “The long-term trajectory is positive. The Suncoast Parkway extension expands the buyer pool. The spring systems and Gulf access cannot be replicated, providing demand floor that generic Florida markets lack. Current buyer-favorable conditions represent an opportunity for buyers who have done their research.” } } ] }