ZIP 33870

33870 is one of 8 ZIP codes that lie mostly in Highlands County, FL.

Shaded by typical home value, it ranks 8 of the 8 with a value.

13 school locations in 33870: 4 elementary, 1 middle, 7 high, 1 other.

In alphabetical order: FRED WILD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HIGHLANDS COUNTY HOSPITAL/HOMEBOUND PROGRAM, HIGHLANDS COUNTY SCHOOLS JAIL PROGRAM, HIGHLANDS VIRTUAL FRANCHISE, and more on the ZIP page. Locations only — no ratings are shown here.

In January 2004 the typical home in 33870 was worth $64,399.

Values peaked at $215,138 in July 2024. The latest reading is −5.7% from that peak.

As of August 2026: $202,777, −2.2% over twelve months.

Start with the typical home: $202,777. Put 20% down and borrow $162,222 at 7.40%, the 30-year fixed average as of October 8, 2026.

That is $1,123 a month in principal and interest.

The median household here earns $50,606 a year, $4,217 a month. So the payment takes 26.6% of income — rated “affordable” (Lotvox ZIP bands: under 28% affordable · 28–36% stretched · 36%+ severe).

The line holds today's rate fixed and moves only the price: at that rate, the same share was 8.5% in 2004.

Take the typical home's price each month, borrow 80% at that month's actual 30-year average rate: in January 2004 (5.71%) the payment was $299.

In December 2020, with rates at 2.68%, it was $446.

By August 2026, at 6.67%, it was $1,043 — +134% since December 2020, while the home's value moved +47%.

Reported values rose +215% since January 2004.

General prices (CPI-U) rose +79% over the same span.

Divide one by the other: in August 2026 dollars, the 2004 home was worth $115,500. So the real change is +76%, not +215%.

33870: +215% since January 2004.

Highlands County: +177% since January 2004.

Florida: +137% since January 2004 — 33870 ran ahead of it by 78 points.

Owning the typical home costs about $1,326 a month once taxes and insurance (estimated at 1.2% of price a year) are added. Renting runs about $1,433 a month.

Price divided by a year's rent: 11.8. Lotvox reads under 15 as favoring buying and 20 or more as favoring renting.

Picture the Listings Flow Ladder as a basin: new listings pour in from the faucet, the homes for sale are the water, and closed sales run out the drain. Coming in — new listings: about 38 a month (Redfin, 3-month rolling data through August 2026). That is 117% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months.

On the shelf — homes for sale at the end of the period: 176.

Going out — closed sales: about 29 a month. That is 91% of the 2015–2019 level for the same months. The drain is drawn 45% narrower: the share of homes for sale that sell each month is 55% of its 2015–2019 level.

The ladder: homes for sale ÷ monthly sales = 6.1 months of supply — above the 4–6 month balanced range. In the basin, that is the water level against the shaded balanced band.

The net reading: about 9 more homes came on than sold each month, so inventory is growing. The basin is filling.

Homes sold: about 29 a month in August 2026 (Redfin).

The 2015–2019 level for the same month was 29 — so sales ran at 100% of it, and below it in 11 of the last 24 months.

Across Highlands County, builders pulled permits for 768 new homes in 2025.

Of those, 92% were in 1-unit buildings (the Census Bureau's category for detached and attached single homes).

This ZIP sits in Highlands County. IRS tax returns for 2022-2023: among the ten counties sending the most households, 1,431 moved in. Among the ten receiving the most, 872 moved out.

Net across those counties: +559 households. Beside it, homes for sale in this ZIP: 176 in June 2026.

Most arrivals came from Polk, FL (306 households); most departures went to Polk, FL (304).