1st Advantage MortgageIn Glades County, Florida, the typical household earns $45,870 a year and the typical rent is $886. Your income, debts and credit decide what you qualify for. Get offers in writing, compare the total repaid, and never pay a fee up front.
On this page
- Glades County by the numbers
- Glades County housing compared with Florida
- What Glades County households earn
- Employment and commuting in Glades County
- Glades County towns compared
- Neighboring counties at a glance
- Debt-to-income at Glades County's medians
- Reading the Glades County data as a borrower
- Glades County households compared
- A Glades County borrower's checklist
- Lender oversight for Glades County
- Nearby and statewide guides
- Frequently asked questions
Glades County by the numbers
Glades County is home to about 12,563 people, according to the Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, which makes it the 64th most populous of 67 county-level areas in Florida. Land area is 807 square miles (2024 Gazetteer), so density runs near 16 per square mile. It sits outside every metropolitan statistical area in the July 2023 OMB delineation. Of the 3 Census places inside Glades County, Port LaBelle leads by population with about 7,923; 1 of the 3 are incorporated.
Glades County housing compared with Florida
Renters in Glades County pay a median of $886 a month, 47% below the Florida figure of $1,669. Rent takes 30% or more of income for 54% of renter households here. Home values center on $137,000, or 3.0 years of median income. Owners occupy 85% of homes. Median construction year: 1990.
| Cost | Glades County | Florida figure | Median county, U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $886/mo | $1,669/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $137,000 | $359,000 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 85% | 68% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 54% | 60% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 25% | 35% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 54.0% | 8.0% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 33% | 15% | n/a |
In an owner-heavy county like Glades County, many borrowers can also choose a home equity loan or line of credit. Those can price lower but put the house on the line, so compare the two in writing; our personal loan vs. HELOC guide walks through it. Rent pressure is real here, so run any payment through the debt-to-income calculator before you apply.
What Glades County households earn
Glades County households have a median income of $45,870 (ACS 2020 to 2024), which ranks 67th of 67 in Florida.
| Yearly household income | Glades County | Gap to Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 35.1% | +12.8 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 41.9% | +0.9 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 20.6% | -5.0 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 2.4% | -8.6 pts |
The spread is wide: 23% of Glades County households make $100,000 or more, and 35% make less than $35,000. Census counts 17.2% of Glades County residents in poverty, against 12.6% across Florida. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.464 here. Income from any regular source can count, including Social Security, pensions and disability benefits, as long as you can document it.
Employment and commuting in Glades County
The biggest employer of Glades County residents, by industry, is construction at 13% of workers, followed by education and health care (13%). The sharpest difference from the state is in agriculture, forestry and mining, at 8% locally and 1% for Florida. Averaged over the five survey years, 7.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking. Long commutes are common here: 32% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. Households without a car make up 2.0% of the total (6.0% statewide).
| Top industries | Glades County share | +/- vs Florida |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 13.5% | +5.3 pts |
| Education and health care | 13.0% | -8.0 pts |
| Retail trade | 13.0% | +1.0 pts |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 11.3% | +4.9 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 11.0% | -3.2 pts |
| Manufacturing | 9.6% | +4.3 pts |
Where long drives are the norm, a car repair is one of the most common surprise bills. A small repair fund can keep a breakdown from turning into a loan.
Glades County towns compared
3 Census places fall mainly inside Glades County; the 3 biggest are below. They account for 11,040 residents, leaving about 12% of the county in unincorporated, unnamed areas. Among places of 500 or more people, median income runs from $40,094 in Moore Haven to $75,231 in Port LaBelle. This guide covers each of the 3 places and the rural areas around them.
| Community | Type | Residents | Household income (median) | Rent (median) | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port LaBelle | CDP | 7,923 | $75,231 | $983 | 18 mi |
| Moore Haven | city | 2,131 | $40,094 | $861 | 10 mi |
| Buckhead Ridge | CDP | 986 | $43,167 | $1,047 | 22 mi |
Neighboring counties at a glance
Distances run center to center, from Highlands County at 28 miles out to Charlotte County at 50. Income ranges from $54,417 in DeSoto County to $82,943 in Martin County; all six of these neighbors top Glades County's median.
| Adjacent area | How far | HH income (median) | Rent (median) | Owner share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glades County | - | $45,870 | $886/mo | 85% |
| Highlands County, FL | 28 mi | $54,897 | $1,035/mo | 79% |
| Hendry County, FL | 29 mi | $56,393 | $1,003/mo | 74% |
| Okeechobee County, FL | 35 mi | $57,984 | $1,082/mo | 74% |
| DeSoto County, FL | 41 mi | $54,417 | $932/mo | 73% |
| Martin County, FL | 50 mi | $82,943 | $1,569/mo | 80% |
| Charlotte County, FL | 50 mi | $69,952 | $1,464/mo | 84% |
Debt-to-income at Glades County's medians
How much room does a median Glades County budget have? Take median income, subtract median rent, and check what is left under a few common debt-to-income limits.
- Start: $3,822 gross per month ($45,870 / 12)
- 23% goes to median rent ($886)
- $490: what a 36% ratio leaves once rent is paid
- 43% debt-to-income limit: $758 left for all other debt payments
Car, student loan and card payments come out of that room first. Try your own numbers in the calculator.
Reading the Glades County data as a borrower
Based on the Glades County data above, these borrowing questions are most likely to matter locally.
- Uninsured care. 23% lack coverage here; nonprofit hospitals must publish an assistance policy, so ask for it first (guide).
- Vehicle repairs. 32% of Glades County workers commute 45+ minutes, so a breakdown can cost a paycheck. Get two written estimates.
- Repairs on manufactured housing. With 54% of homes here, compare a personal loan with any dealer or park repair program.
- Benefit income. With half of residents older than 46, lenders often see pension and Social Security income, which counts like wages.
Glades County households compared
Degree holders: 13% of adults over 25. The uninsured rate is 22.8%, against 11.5% for Florida.
| Residents | Glades County | Florida | Middle U.S. county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.0 | 42.6 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 13.4% | 34.1% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 24.7% | 10.1% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 22.8% | 11.5% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 2.0% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 3.8% | 15.7% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 17.2% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 7.1% | 4.8% | 4.4% |
| Commute length | Glades County |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 32.8% |
| 15 to 29 min | 23.3% |
| 30 to 44 min | 11.5% |
| 45 to 59 min | 12.4% |
| 60+ min | 19.9% |
A Glades County borrower's checklist
Steps that save money for Glades County residents:
- Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
- Ask each lender for the APR and all fees in writing.
- Look the lender up with the state regulator first.
- Keep a small cushion so one surprise bill does not mean another loan.
Lender oversight for Glades County
Licensing happens at the state level, so a lender working with Glades County borrowers answers to the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. A CFPB complaint gets forwarded to the company for a response. See the Florida state guide for the statewide picture.
Nearby and statewide guides
For statewide rules and data, see the Florida guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median household income in Glades County?
$45,870 a year in the 2020 to 2024 Census survey, versus $74,568 for Florida. It ranks 67th of 67 in the state.
Is Glades County expensive for renters?
Median rent is $886 against $1,669 statewide, and 54% of renter households are cost-burdened.
I own my home in Glades County. Personal loan or HELOC?
A HELOC uses the house as collateral; a personal loan usually does not. With 85% of homes owner-occupied here, many readers can compare both in writing.
What are the biggest places in Glades County?
By population: Port LaBelle, Moore Haven, Buckhead Ridge. The county has 3 Census places in all.
Will a Glades County address affect my match?
Beyond confirming Florida as your state, no. Your answers about amount, credit, income and payments are all that count.