What is the property tax rate in Lake County?

The combined effective property tax rate in Lake County, Florida is approximately 0.76%.

Lake County Property Tax Calculator (2026) — Florida Property Tax Almanac

Lake County, home to Tavares and 0.41 million Floridians, uses a millage-based property tax system with two of the most valuable protections in the country for homeowners: a $50,000+ Homestead Exemption (which increases annually with inflation) and the "Save Our Homes" 3% assessment cap. This guide explains every line of your bill, what Save Our Homes actually saves you, and the portability rule that lets you take your accumulated SOH benefit when you move within Florida.

How the bill is built

Florida property tax starts with your home's just value (market value, set by the property appraiser). If you qualify for the Homestead Exemption, two things happen. First, your assessed value is capped at a 3% annual increase over the prior year (the Save Our Homes cap) — so long-term owners often have assessed values far below market value. Second, your taxable value equals your assessed value minus the $25,000 + $25,000 Homestead Exemption (the second $25K only applies to non-school taxes and only above $50K AV; amended to $25,722 for 2025 with the Amendment 5 CPI adjustment).

Your taxable value is then multiplied by the combined millage rate (mills per $1,000 of taxable value) levied by every taxing authority covering your parcel: school board, county, city, water management district, and any special districts. A mill equals $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value, so a total of 20 mills on a $300,000 taxable value equals $6,000 of tax.

Heads up: This calculator estimates your year-one bill as if you just bought the home and established homestead — so it does not include accumulated Save Our Homes benefits from prior ownership. If you're buying a homesteaded home from a long-term owner, your first tax bill will likely be substantially higher than the seller's, because the assessed value resets to market on the sale.

2026 Lake County rate breakdown (millage per $1,000 taxable value (÷10 from stored per-$100), Tavares district)

Taxing entity	Rate
Lake County School Board	0.6085
Lake County BCC (general fund)	0.5025
Lake County MSTUs (fire, ambulance, stormwater, debt)	0.1479
North Lake County Hospital District	0.0386
Water management (Lake County Water Authority + SJRWMD)	0.0473
Combined total	1.3448

As of August 16, 2026 · From Lake County Property Appraiser.

Note: Lake County is named for the roughly 1,000 lakes inside its borders, and its growth is now driven almost entirely by Orlando spillover — Clermont and Minneola on the south end function as far-west Orlando suburbs, while Leesburg, Tavares, Eustis, and Mount Dora form an older lakefront core with a much longer-tenured homestead base.

Note: The 2025 final millage for unincorporated Lake is 13.4482 mills: schools 6.0850 (3.0870 state-required plus 2.9980 local), county general fund 5.0254, county MSTUs 1.4786, the North Lake County Hospital District 0.3859, and water management 0.4733. Median home value is $318,400 against a median bill of $2,433, a 0.76% effective rate.

Note: Municipal rates vary more here than in most Florida counties, so the countywide figure understates what a city address pays: Montverde adds 2.8300 mills at the low end while Eustis adds 7.3898 at the high end, putting total millage anywhere from about 15.40 to 19.94 depending on the city. The fire MSTU is also not universal — several districts, including Lady Lake and Fruitland Park’s VOFP group, run their own fire services and are excluded from it.

Exemptions you should actually file

Homestead Exemption — every primary-residence owner

Florida's Homestead Exemption is two stacked exemptions on your property's assessed value. The first $25,000 is exempt from all property taxes — school, county, city, and special districts. The second $25,000 (technically $25,722 for 2025 due to the Amendment 5 CPI adjustment) is exempt from everything except school taxes, and only applies to the portion of assessed value above $50,000.

File Form DR-501 with the Lake County Property Appraiser by March 1 of the tax year. You need a Florida driver's license or ID showing the property address, a Florida voter registration or declaration of domicile, and vehicle registration reflecting the Florida address. Once granted, the exemption automatically renews every year as long as you still occupy the property.

Save Our Homes (SOH) Assessment Cap — 3% annual cap on AV growth

Once you've established a Homestead Exemption, your assessed value cannot increase by more than 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index (whichever is lower) in any given year — regardless of what your market value does. The 2025 cap was 2.9%. The cap resets to full market value when the property sells, which is why buying a homesteaded home from a long-term owner almost always comes with "sticker shock" on the first new tax bill.

Portability — take your SOH savings when you move

Florida homeowners who sell a homesteaded home and buy another in Florida within three tax years can "port" up to $500,000 of their accumulated SOH savings (the dollar difference between market value and assessed value) to the new home. File Form DR-501T along with your new Homestead application.

Senior Exemption (local option) — additional $50,000 for qualifying seniors

Homeowners 65+ with total household income under $36,614 (2025 limit, indexed annually) may qualify for an additional $50,000 exemption from non-school taxes. Not all Florida counties offer this; it's a local-option exemption adopted by county or city ordinance. Contact the Lake County Property Appraiser to confirm availability in Lake County.

Disabled Veteran (100% service-connected) — full exemption

Veterans with a 100% service-connected disability receive a complete property tax exemption on their homesteaded primary residence. Partial disability ratings qualify for a $5,000 exemption. Apply with Form DR-501 or DR-501DV.

Appealing your assessment

If you believe the Lake PA's just value is too high, you have 25 days after TRIM notices are mailed (mid-August) to file a petition with the county's Value Adjustment Board (VAB). The VAB holds hearings through the fall and can order reductions. The filing fee is typically $15 per parcel.

Cities and towns in Lake County

Lake County contains 9 incorporated municipalities, ranging from Tavares to the smallest village. Search volume for property tax is often city-specific, so here is the complete list — with population from the 2020 US Census, rounded to the nearest 100.

Data: US Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census. Populations rounded. Cities marked as "split" straddle a county border — the portion inside Lake County is subject to Lake County's tax rolls, while the portion outside is subject to the adjacent county's.

City or town	Type	Population (2020)
Four Corners Split	Census-designated place	65,000
Clermont	city	46,900
Leesburg	city	30,800
Eustis	city	24,100
Groveland	city	22,000
Tavares County seat	city	20,500
Mount Dora	city	17,300
Lady Lake	town	16,700
Minneola	city	16,600

About city-level property tax rates: The rate breakdown and calculator on this page reflect the Tavares tax district. Other cities in Lake County may pay into different school districts, city rates, and special districts — so their combined rates can differ, sometimes substantially. Always verify the specific rates for your address with the Lake County Property Appraiser before relying on any estimate.

Frequently asked questions

When are Lake County property taxes due?

Florida property tax bills are mailed on November 1 for the current calendar year. Payment is due by March 31 of the following year, but Florida offers early-payment discounts: 4% off in November, 3% in December, 2% in January, and 1% in February. Unpaid taxes become delinquent on April 1 and accrue a 3% penalty plus interest.

What does Save Our Homes actually save me?

In year one after establishing homestead, Save Our Homes saves you nothing — assessed value equals market value. But each year after, your assessed value can only rise 3% (or less) while market values often rise much faster. After 5–10 years, homesteaded owners typically have assessed values 20–40% below market. When you sell, the cap resets, which is why buyers of long-held homesteaded homes often see a sharp "first-year" tax increase.

How do I file for the Homestead Exemption?

File Form DR-501 with the Lake County Property Appraiser by March 1 of the tax year you want it to begin. You'll need a Florida driver's license showing the property address, Florida voter registration, and typically a declaration of domicile. Once approved, the exemption renews automatically as long as you still occupy the home.

Can I appeal my property's assessed value?

Yes. The TRIM (Truth in Millage) notice is mailed in mid-August. You have 25 days to file a petition with the county's Value Adjustment Board (VAB). The filing fee is typically $15. VAB hearings run through fall and can order reductions to assessed value.

About Lake County

Beyond the property tax — a few things you might not know about the place.

Weird fact

Sugarloaf Mountain near Clermont rises to about 312 feet — the highest point in peninsular Florida. Its steep grades make it an improbable but genuine endurance-cycling destination, and professional and Olympic triathletes have used the Clermont hills as a winter training base for years.

Hometown hero

Jonathan Lucroy

Major League Baseball catcher born in Eustis, a two-time All-Star who was among the most highly regarded pitch-framing catchers of his era across twelve big-league seasons.

Biggest annual event

Mount Dora Arts Festival

A juried fine-arts festival held each February in downtown Mount Dora since 1975, drawing crowds well into the six figures over a single weekend and anchoring the town’s reputation as central Florida’s antiques-and-arts destination.

Property Tax in Lake County, 2026