Region preview · 2027 Edition

Moving to the Heartland: what to know

Florida's cattle, citrus and lake country, between the two coasts: Sebring and Avon Park on the ridge, Wauchula and Arcadia on the Peace River, and Okeechobee, Clewiston and LaBelle around the big lake.^{1,3,4,5,6,7,8} Small towns, wide-open land and the lowest prices in this manual, with long drives to big-city services.

Counties: Highlands, Hardee, DeSoto, Okeechobee, Glades, Hendry. Includes Sebring, Avon Park, Arcadia, Wauchula, Okeechobee, Clewiston, LaBelle.

74° / 49°¹January high / low, Sebring

91° / 71°¹July high / low

52 in¹rain a year, wettest June

$187,900²median home value, Highlands County

36.4%²aged 65 and over, Highlands County

$54,897²median household income

Weather

Warm, sunny winters with the occasional cold night, and hot, humid, stormy summers. Inland means no storm surge, but also no sea breeze.¹

Storms and hazards

Hurricanes cross the peninsula: storms that come ashore on either coast can reach the region with damaging wind, falling trees, long outages and river flooding. Mobile and manufactured homes should evacuate.⁵
Lake Okeechobee flooding. In 1928 a hurricane pushed the lake over its southern shore and at least 2,500 people drowned. The 143-mile Herbert Hoover Dike, finished in the late 1960s, now surrounds the lake; if you live near it, follow your county's evacuation orders.^3,4,5,9
Winter freezes: protect pipes, pets and plants.¹⁰

See every hurricane near the Heartland since 1851, mapped

Who it suits

Our judgment, from the facts in the full profile.

Retirees on a budget: more than a third of Highlands County residents are 65 or older
People who want land, horses or a small farm
Bass anglers: Lake Okeechobee is nationally known for largemouth bass and crappie
Anyone who wants small-town Florida without beach-town prices

A few things to see

Highlands Hammock State Park: old-growth cypress swamp on an elevated catwalk^2,11
The 12 Hours of Sebring in March^1,6
Lake Okeechobee and the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail^3,4,5

Only in Florida

Clewiston's official motto is America's Sweetest Town.⁷

Visitor information

The official, non-commercial places to ask about things to do, events and local services.^12,13 Many tourism offices also offer a free visitor guide.

County tourism offices

Highlands County: Visit Sebring (Highlands County)
Okeechobee County: Visit Okeechobee County
Hendry County: Discover Hendry County

VISIT FLORIDA lists no state-certified visitor center in this region; the county offices are the place to ask.

The full Heartland profile is in Choosing Your Place

Every county's people, income, home value and rent
Costs, insurance, hospitals, getting around, jobs, culture and history
18 town cards for this region, each with home value, rent, median age and the nearest 24-hour ER and airport
Side-by-side compare with any other region, and the monthly-cost calculator

Get Choosing Your Place · $9.99 What's inside

Moving here for sure? Living Here & Staying Ready has Heartland's county emergency and special-needs numbers, and a household plan. Get the Complete Edition for $19.99.

Written by Charles Squires, North Port, Florida. 40 years living in Florida, in eight places.

I called on schools in Arcadia, Sebring and the towns around them.

More about the author and how this manual is made

Towns in the Heartland

Free basics for each of the 18 places with 1,000 or more people: home value, rent and the nearest ER.

Arcadia · Avon Park · Bowling Green · Clewiston · Cypress Quarters · Fort Denaud · Harlem · LaBelle · Lake Placid · Montura · Moore Haven · Okeechobee · Port LaBelle · Sebring · Southeast Arcadia · Taylor Creek · Wauchula · Zolfo Springs

Other regions: Southwest Florida · Tampa Bay · Central Florida · North Central Florida · Northeast Florida · Space Coast and Daytona · Southeast Florida · Florida Keys · Big Bend and Nature Coast · Panhandle