At a glance
| 2025 millage, most of Orlando | 18.0878 |
|---|---|
| 2025 millage, Winter Garden | 16.2943 |
| 2025 millage, unincorporated | 16.0858 to 16.1366 (base codes) |
| 2026 proposed, Orlando | 17.9818 |
| Homestead deadline | March 1 |
Orange County millage rates for 2025
One mill is $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value. Orange County uses mill codes, so two homes in the same city can have slightly different totals. The figures below are from the Orange County Property Appraiser's 2025 final millage rates, used for bills mailed in November 2025.
| Taxing area | School millage | Non-school millage | Total 2025 millage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando (St. Johns water district, e.g. mill code 08) | 6.4490 | 11.6388 | 18.0878 |
| Orlando (South Florida water district, e.g. code 22) | 6.4490 | 11.6896 | 18.1386 |
| Winter Garden | 6.4490 | 9.8453 | 16.2943 |
| Unincorporated (code 11) | 6.4490 | 9.6368 | 16.0858 |
| Unincorporated (code 10) | 6.4490 | 9.6876 | 16.1366 |
Everyone pays the county general levy (4.4347) and the school board (3.2010 state required plus 3.2480 local). Most areas also pay the library levy (0.3748) and either the St. Johns River (0.1793) or South Florida (0.2301) water management district. Orlando adds 6.6500 and Winter Garden adds 4.8565. Unincorporated parcels pay 4.6480 for the unincorporated taxing district and fire services instead of a city rate.
Some Orlando codes carry extra districts, such as the downtown DTI levy of 1.0000, so check the parcel's mill code.
For 2026, the proposed rates on August TRIM notices were 17.9818 for the base Orlando code and 16.1883 for Winter Garden, mainly because the state school rate fell to 3.0950. Final rates are set in September.
Worked example: tax on a typical Orange County home
This example uses Zillow's typical home value for Orange County in August 2026, $400,602, and the 2025 City of Orlando millage of 18.0878. It assumes the property appraiser's assessed value equals that figure, which is a simplification: the just value on a tax roll is set as of January 1 and often differs from a sale price. The formula is taxable value × millage ÷ 1,000, worked out separately for school and non-school levies because the second homestead exemption does not apply to school taxes.
| Line | Homesteaded | Not homesteaded |
|---|---|---|
| Assessed value | $400,602 | $400,602 |
| School taxable value | $400,602 − $25,000 = $375,602 | $400,602 |
| School tax | $375,602 × 6.4490 ÷ 1,000 = $2,422 | $400,602 × 18.0878 ÷ 1,000 = $7,246 (all levies) |
| Non-school taxable value | $400,602 − $50,722 = $349,880 | $400,602 |
| Non-school tax | $349,880 × 11.6388 ÷ 1,000 = $4,072 | Included above |
| Estimated ad valorem tax | $6,494 | $7,246 |
| If paid in November (4% discount) | $6,234 | $6,956 |
On these assumptions the homestead exemption is worth about $752 a year on a home at this value. Treat both figures as estimates only. Your actual bill depends on the appraiser's value, your exact taxing district, any other exemptions and the rates adopted for the year. Non-ad valorem assessments such as solid waste, stormwater, fire or CDD charges are billed on top and are not included here.
The same value in Winter Garden, at 16.2943 mills, comes to about $5,867 with homestead and $6,528 without. See also the Orlando cost of living guide.
How to file for the Orange County homestead exemption
File with the Orange County Property Appraiser. The appraiser takes applications online through its homestead portal. The deadline is March 1, and you must own the home and live in it as your permanent residence on January 1. Buy and move in during 2026, and you would file by March 1, 2027. Missing the deadline generally waives the exemption for that year.
The first $25,000 of assessed value is exempt from all taxes, including school taxes. A second exemption covers assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000 for non-school taxes only, and now rises with inflation: it was $25,722 for 2025 and is $26,411 for 2026, so the full exemption is up to $50,722 and $51,411. The appraiser may ask for your Florida driver license, vehicle registration and voter registration at the new address. If you are leaving another Florida homestead, file the portability form (DR-501T) with your application.
Save Our Homes cap, portability and the 10% cap
Once a home is homesteaded, its assessed value can rise no more than 3% a year or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. The cap was 2.9% for 2025 and is 2.7% for 2026. It limits the value, not the bill, so higher millage or new assessments can still raise what you pay.
The cap does not pass to a buyer. The home is reassessed at just value on the January 1 after a sale, so ask for the parcel's just value rather than relying on the seller's bill. Portability moves up to $500,000 of the benefit to a new Florida homestead established within three years of January 1 of the year you left the old one.
Second homes and rentals have a 10% annual cap on assessed value for non-school levies, and no cap on school levies. It resets on a sale.
When bills arrive and how the discounts work
The Orange County Tax Collector says bills are mailed by November 1 and the full amount is due by March 31. Taxes are due from November 1, and Florida law sets the early payment discounts: 4% in November, 3% in December, 2% in January and 1% in February. March is full price, and unpaid taxes become delinquent on April 1 (or 60 days after the bill is mailed, if later).
Taxes are normally prorated between buyer and seller at closing. Our guide to Florida closing costs explains how that shows up on the settlement statement.
Charges that are not in the millage
Non-ad valorem assessments are flat charges added to the bill, such as solid waste or street lighting charges, depending on the parcel.
Community development district (CDD) assessments also appear on the bill. On new construction in Winter Garden or around Orlando, ask for the CDD's current assessment for the specific lot.
What Amendment 3 on the November 2026 ballot would change
Amendment 3 on the November 3, 2026 ballot would raise the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then index it to inflation. It would also cut the non-homestead assessment cap from 10% to 5% and set up a process for counties and cities to raise the exemption further. School taxes would keep the $25,000 exemption. It needs at least 60% of the vote and would take effect January 1, 2027. People who were not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 would get the larger exemption only from their fifth year of exemption.
As a rough illustration, raising the non-school exemption from $51,411 to $150,000 adds $98,589 of exemption. At the 2025 City of Orlando non-school rate of 11.6388, that is about $1,147 a year. It is not a forecast, because rates and fees would change. Orange County government estimates the amendment would reduce its property tax revenue by about $165 million in 2027 and $275 million in 2028.
Common questions
What is the property tax rate in Orange County?+
For 2025, the total millage for City of Orlando was 18.0878, which works out to about $18.09 per $1,000 of taxable value. Winter Garden was 16.2943, and parts of Orlando with special districts run higher. Your exact rate depends on the taxing district shown on your TRIM notice or tax bill, and non-ad valorem assessments are added separately.
When is the Orange County homestead exemption deadline?+
The deadline is March 1. You must own the home and make it your permanent residence by January 1 of the tax year, then file with the Orange County Property Appraiser. A home bought and occupied in 2026 would be filed for by March 1, 2027. Missing the deadline generally means losing the exemption for that year.
How much does homestead save on a typical Orange County home?+
Using Zillow's August 2026 typical value of $400,602 and 2025 City of Orlando rates, the estimated bill is about $6,494 with homestead and $7,246 without, a difference of about $752. This assumes assessed value equals that figure and excludes non-ad valorem assessments.
Sources
- Orange County Property Appraiser: 2025 Final Millage Rates
- Orange County Property Appraiser: 2025 Final Millage Rates (detailed view)
- Orange County Property Appraiser: 2026 Proposed Millage Rates (detailed view)
- Orange County Property Appraiser: Tax roll and millage rates
- Orange County Tax Collector: About property tax
- Orange County Government: Property Tax Amendment 3
- Florida Department of Revenue: Property Tax Information for Homestead Exemption (PT-113)
- Florida Department of Revenue: Additional Homestead Exemption Adjustment (revised January 2026)
- Florida Department of Revenue: Save Our Homes annual increase table (revised January 2026)
- Florida Department of Revenue: Save Our Homes Assessment Limitation and Portability Transfer (PT-112)
- Palm Beach County Property Appraiser: Assessment caps (10% non-homestead cap)
- Florida Statutes: section 197.162, discounts for early payment
- Florida Statutes: section 197.333, when taxes are due and delinquent
- Florida Department of State: Proposed Constitutional Amendments for the General Election, November 3, 2026
- Tax Foundation: Florida Property Tax Proposal, 2026 details and analysis