What is the property tax rate in St. Johns County?

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

St. Johns County Property Tax Calculator (2026)

St. Johns County, home to St. Augustine and 0.31 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 St. Johns County rate breakdown (millage per $1,000 taxable value (÷10 from stored per-$100), St. Augustine district)

Taxing entity	Rate
St. Johns County School District	0.6272
General County	0.4500
County Fire District	0.1470
County Road	0.0844
Anastasia Mosquito Control District	0.0160
Water management, navigation & health unit	0.0222
Combined total	1.3469

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

Note: St. Johns County has the highest median home value in this almanac’s Florida coverage at $489,200, and has been among the fastest-growing counties in the state for a decade. Its school district is consistently ranked first in Florida by the state accountability system, which is the single largest driver of in-migration to Nocatee, Julington Creek, and the World Golf Village corridor.

Note: The 2025 millage for unincorporated St. Johns totals 13.4686 mills: schools 6.2720 (3.0240 by state law, 3.2480 local board), general county 4.4999, the county fire district 1.4700, county road 0.8444, Anastasia Mosquito Control 0.1600, and water management, inland navigation and the health unit together 0.2223. Median bill is $3,721, a 0.76% effective rate.

Note: The city rates diverge sharply. St. Augustine parcels total 19.5552 mills — the city levies 7.5000 and runs its own fire service in place of the county fire district — while St. Augustine Beach totals 16.1093. Newer developments on the county’s north end frequently carry Community Development District assessments as separate non-ad-valorem line items, and the Ponte Vedra Beach municipal service district adds its own 0.2464 levy; none of these are included in the estimate above.

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 St. Johns 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 St. Johns County Property Appraiser to confirm availability in St. Johns 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 St. Johns 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 St. Johns County

St. Johns County contains 7 incorporated municipalities, ranging from St. Augustine 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 St. Johns County is subject to St. Johns County's tax rolls, while the portion outside is subject to the adjacent county's.

City or town	Type	Population (2020)
Fruit Cove	Census-designated place	35,900
Nocatee	Census-designated place	27,400
World Golf Village	Census-designated place	26,100
Palm Valley	Census-designated place	19,800
St. Augustine County seat	city	15,400
St. Augustine Shores	Census-designated place	9,500
St. Augustine Beach	city	6,900

About city-level property tax rates: The rate breakdown and calculator on this page reflect the St. Augustine tax district. Other cities in St. Johns 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 St. Johns County Property Appraiser before relying on any estimate.

Frequently asked questions

When are St. Johns 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 St. Johns 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 St. Johns County

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

Weird fact

St. Augustine, founded in 1565, is the oldest continuously occupied European-established settlement in the continental United States, and the Castillo de San Marcos guarding its harbor is built from coquina — a soft local shell stone that absorbed cannonballs rather than shattering, which is a substantial part of why the fort was never taken by force.

Hometown hero

Ray Charles

Attended the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine as a boy, where he learned to read and write music in braille and received the formal training that underpinned his later career.

Biggest annual event

Nights of Lights

From November through January, St. Augustine’s historic district is strung with millions of white lights in a display that has been named among the best holiday light shows in the world, and which effectively extends the county’s tourist season through the winter.

Property Tax in St. Johns County, 2026