Florida · FIPS 12055 · ACS 2020–2024
Highlands County, Florida property tax rate
Homeowners in Highlands County paid a median of $1,353 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $187,900 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.69% of home value, 12% below the Florida rate of 0.78% and 27% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.69%Effective tax rate±0.04% margin · Florida: 0.78%
- $1,353Median tax per yearFlorida: $2,730 · U.S.: $3,119
- $187,900Median home valueFlorida: $359,000
- 36,845Owner-occupied homes79% of households own
| Measure | Highlands County | Florida | U.S. | Highlands County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.69% | 0.78% | 0.94% | 0.69% | −0.01 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $1,353 | $2,730 | $3,119 | $1,295 | +$58 (+4.5%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $1,633 | $2,993 | $3,489 | $1,496 | +$137 (+9.2%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $1,123 | $2,319 | $2,576 | $1,101 | +$22 (+2.0%) |
| Median home value | $187,900 | $359,000 | $332,700 | $177,900 | +$10,000 (+5.6%) |
| Total taxes paid | $56,334,600 | $21,481,835,400 | $360,573,527,500 | $52,271,800 |
How Highlands County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $6.88 a year, against $7.79 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in Florida: 29 of 61 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 42% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.71% of value; homes without one: 0.66%. Median bills: $1,633 and $1,123.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (−0.01 pts) and the median tax changed +$58 (+4.5%). The two 5-year surveys share four years of responses, so year-to-year moves are small and partly noise.
- Margin of error: the effective rate is 0.69% ± 0.04% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 36,845 owner-occupied homes.
Florida counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardee County | 0.66% | $1,264 | $153,600 |
| Suwannee County | 0.67% | $1,213 | $171,600 |
| Brevard County | 0.68% | $2,311 | $339,600 |
| Wakulla County | 0.69% | $1,642 | $258,300 |
| Seminole County | 0.70% | $2,599 | $386,900 |
| Indian River County | 0.71% | $2,436 | $351,500 |
| Hernando County | 0.71% | $1,858 | $276,000 |
| Sarasota County | 0.72% | $3,106 | $411,800 |
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table-based summary file: B25090 (aggregate real estate taxes), B25082 (aggregate home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes), B25077 (median home value) and B25003 (tenure); files dated January 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, same tables (files dated October 31, 2024), for the comparison column.
- Geography names: Census Bureau Geos20245YR.txt (file dated January 22, 2026).
Effective rate = total real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied homes ÷ their total value, as reported by owners to the Census Bureau. It is not a millage rate. Your bill depends on your assessed value, exemptions (such as homestead) and local levies.