Pasco County property tax: millage rates, homestead exemption and a worked bill

At a glance

Pasco County property tax rates by tax area

Millage is tax per $1,000 of taxable value. Pasco is simpler than many Florida counties: the Pasco County Property Appraiser's 2025 schedule has just eight tax areas, one for each of the six cities and two for unincorporated land. Almost every suburb buyers ask about, including Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes, Trinity, Odessa and Hudson, is unincorporated, so the tax area code on the parcel record (U or UF) matters more than the mailing city.

2025 total millage by tax area

What makes up the 16.8169 unincorporated rate

The non-school share is 10.5429 mills. That is the part the second $25,000-plus homestead exemption applies to, and the part the 2026 ballot measure would shrink for homesteads.

Why the city rates are higher

Pasco's cities levy their own millage on top of the county's. New Port Richey and Port Richey do not pay the 2.1225 county fire levy or the roads MSTU because they run their own services, but their city rates of 8.2000 and 6.2900 more than make up the gap. St. Leo's town rate of 0.8665 is why it sits just above the unincorporated fire district.

Where to find next year's rate

Rates are set each September. The proposed 2026 rates for your parcel are on the Notice of Proposed Property Taxes (TRIM notice) mailed in August 2026, and the appraiser's site has an Estimate Taxes link on every parcel record.

Worked example: tax on a typical Pasco County home

This uses Zillow's typical home value for Pasco County in August 2026, $329,346 (down 2.1% over the year), and the 2025 unincorporated fire-district rate of 16.8169. It assumes the assessed value equals that figure, which is a simplification: the appraiser values property as of January 1, and a sale price rarely matches. School and non-school levies are worked out separately because the second homestead exemption does not apply to school taxes.

The math, line by line

The $50,722 is the first $25,000 exemption plus the inflation-adjusted second exemption of $25,722 that applied in 2025, according to the Department of Revenue. For 2026 the second exemption rises to $26,411.

The same math on a Wesley Chapel home

Zillow's typical Wesley Chapel value was $400,424 in August 2026. At the same rate, a homesteaded owner would pay about $2,355 in school tax on $375,424 and $3,687 in non-school tax on $349,702, or roughly $6,042, against $6,734 without homestead. Add the CDD line if the home is in one (see below). The Wesley Chapel guide covers the area's communities.

What the estimate leaves out

Homestead is worth about $692 a year on the county-typical home. Your real bill depends on the January 1 value, your tax area, other exemptions and the rates adopted for the year, plus any flat charges. A buyer's assessed value resets on the next January 1 after purchase, so never budget from the seller's bill.

Pasco County homestead and senior exemptions

The statewide rules for homestead, veterans, widows and disability are in our Florida homestead exemption guide. The Pasco-specific details are below.

Filing homestead with the Pasco appraiser

The Pasco County Property Appraiser takes homestead applications online and all year, but the deadline for the current year is March 1, and you must have owned and lived in the home on January 1. Online filing requires a Florida driver license or ID and Social Security numbers for you and your spouse, even if your spouse is not on the deed. Bring your Florida vehicle registration and voter card if you have them, and the recorded deed or tax bill.

When online filing is not allowed

Apply in person, not online, for total and permanent disability, disabled veterans' exemptions, separate family units, homes held in a trust and the senior exemption. The offices are in New Port Richey, Land O' Lakes and Dade City.

How you know it was approved

Approved exemptions appear on the TRIM notice mailed in August. If the appraiser denies an application it must tell you by certified mail by July 1. Your lender will not adjust escrow automatically: send it the homestead receipt.

The new income-limited senior exemption

Pasco's Board of County Commissioners adopted an additional $50,000 exemption for seniors, and the appraiser began taking applications in January 2026. At least one owner must be 65 or older on January 1, already qualify for homestead and have household income at or below the state limit, which is $38,686 for 2026. It applies only to the County Commission operating levy of 7.4042 mills, so it is worth up to about $370 a year. Apply in person by March 1; income papers are due by June 1.

Save Our Homes and portability

Once homestead is on, your assessed value can rise by no more than 3% or the change in CPI, whichever is lower. The cap is 2.7% for 2026 and was 2.9% for 2025, according to the Department of Revenue. Homestead does not move with you, but the Pasco appraiser notes you may be able to transfer the assessment difference from your previous Florida homestead; file a new application after the sale. Details are in our Florida property tax guide.

CDD and other charges on a Pasco tax bill

In much of central and east Pasco, the biggest surprise on a bill is not millage at all. The Pasco County Tax Collector collects non-ad valorem assessments for more than 80 community development districts, cities and special programs, including Meadow Pointe I to IV, Epperson Ranch, Epperson Ranch II, Epperson North, Wiregrass, Wiregrass II, Bexley, Chapel Crossings, Seven Oaks, Watergrass and Union Park.

What recent CDD assessments look like

Figures from each district's adopted 2026/27 assessment schedule, which will appear on the November 2026 bill:

• Meadow Pointe (I): $906.72 per home, a preliminary figure.
• Meadow Pointe II: $415.28 for Anand Vihar apartments up to $2,099.29 in Colehaven, depending on village and lot type.
• Meadow Pointe III: $2,064.71 to $2,713.04.
• Meadow Pointe IV: $3,168.75 to $3,674.89.
• Epperson Ranch (south): $2,527.46 to $4,250.03 per lot.
• Wiregrass: $794.56 for Windermere townhomes up to $4,342.65 in parts of Persimmon Place.

Why two similar homes pay different amounts

A CDD bill usually has an operations part, which is set each year and can rise, and a debt part that repays the district's bonds and is usually fixed until they are paid off. Lot width, phase and bond series all change the number. Meadow Pointe III's operations charge rose 11.6% for 2026/27, while Wiregrass II's rose 42%.

How to check a parcel before you buy

Search the parcel on the tax collector's records search, open the latest bill and read each non-ad valorem line. Then ask the district manager for the current assessment, the bond series and payoff date, and whether a prepayment is allowed. HOA dues are billed separately and are not on the tax bill. Our Florida CDD fees guide explains the disclosure rules.

Paying Pasco County property taxes

Bills come from the Pasco County Tax Collector in November and are due by March 31. Florida law sets the early payment discounts: 4% in November, 3% in December, 2% in January, 1% in February and none in March. The same discount applies to CDD lines, which is why district budgets add a 4% gross-up.

Quarterly installments

You can pay the next year's taxes in four installments if they are estimated at more than $100. Apply between November 1 and April 30. Payments fall in June (6% discount), September (4.5%), December (3%) and March (no discount), and the first must be paid by July 31. Renewal is automatic once you are in the plan.

Fees by payment method

Online, a credit card costs a 3.00% fee with a $2.75 minimum, and an e-check costs $0.50. The fee goes to the card processor, not the tax collector. Wire transfers are accepted for real estate taxes, and delinquent taxes need certified funds.

Offices and mail

There are five offices: Dade City, New Port Richey, Gulf Harbors, Land O' Lakes and Wesley Chapel (4610 Pet Lane, Suite C101, off Wesley Chapel Boulevard). Gulf Harbors and Wesley Chapel also open 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays for Pasco residents. Checks by mail go to Pasco County Tax Collector, PO Box 276, Dade City, FL 33526-0276. The call center is 352-521-4338.

Appealing a Pasco County value

Start with the appraiser. If you think the January 1 value is wrong, call or visit one of the three appraiser offices and ask for an informal review, bringing recent sales of comparable homes or photos of defects. The appraiser's FAQ also suggests comparing the land, building and extra-feature details with your neighbor's parcel before assuming an error, since different exemptions often explain different bills.

Filing with the value adjustment board

A formal petition goes to the value adjustment board within 25 days of the TRIM notice mailing date, which in Pasco means late August or early September. If your hearing is still pending when taxes fall due, you must pay all non-ad valorem assessments and at least 75% of the ad valorem tax to avoid delinquency, according to the Department of Revenue's petition guide.

Storm and sinkhole damage

Value is set as of January 1, so damage after that date usually shows up the following year. The appraiser has a catastrophic event page for storm damage, and it publishes a subsidence and sinkhole listing by parcel, which is worth checking for any home you are considering. See our Florida sinkholes guide.

The 2026 ballot and what it would mean in Pasco

Amendment 3 on the November 3, 2026 ballot would raise the homestead exemption for all non-school taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then index it for inflation. It would also cut the cap on assessment increases for non-homestead property from 10% to 5%.

The saving for a Pasco homesteader

Against 2026's non-school exemption of $51,411, a $150,000 exemption adds $98,589. At the 2025 non-school rate of 10.5429 in the unincorporated fire district, that is worth about $1,039 a year before any rate changes. CDD assessments are non-ad valorem, so they would not change.

A catch for people moving from out of state

The ballot summary says people who are not Florida residents on December 31, 2026 would get the existing exemption at first and the larger one only from their fifth year of exemption. If you are relocating to Pasco, budget on today's exemption.

Pasco County tax data: values, bills and growth

The 2025 tax roll

The appraiser certified the 2025 roll on October 6, 2025: a just value of $92.67 billion across 316,194 real property parcels, county taxable value of $57.58 billion and school taxable value of $63.91 billion. Homestead exemptions removed $7.98 billion from the taxable base.

Median tax paid

The Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey puts the median real estate tax paid by Pasco County homeowners at $2,206 a year, with a median owner-occupied value of $300,900. In the Wesley Chapel census area the median was $3,652, reflecting newer, higher-value homes. Those medians include long-held homes with capped values, so a new buyer should expect more.

Why the base keeps growing

Pasco grew from 561,909 residents at the 2020 census base to an estimated 674,516 in July 2025, a 20% rise, almost all from people moving in, according to Census Bureau estimates. New homes add taxable value each year, which is one reason the county can hold rates steady. For Hillsborough rates next door, see the Hillsborough County property tax guide.

Common questions

Sources

• Pasco County Property Appraiser: Taxing authorities and 2025 millage rates by tax area
• Pasco County Property Appraiser: Homestead exemption
• Pasco County Property Appraiser: Senior exemption (age 65+)
• Pasco County Property Appraiser: Frequently asked questions
• Pasco County Property Appraiser: Estimate taxes
• Pasco County Property Appraiser: Subsidence and sinkhole listing
• Pasco County Tax Collector: Installment payment plan
• Pasco County Tax Collector: Pay your taxes online (fees)
• Pasco County Tax Collector: Payment information
• Pasco County Tax Collector: Hours, locations and mailing address
• Pasco County Tax Collector: Dollars returned to your CDD (districts collected on the bill)
• Pasco County Tax Collector: Recent real estate purchases and sales
• Florida Statutes: section 197.162, early payment discounts
• Florida Department of Revenue: Additional homestead exemption adjustment (revised January 2026)
• Florida Department of Revenue: Save Our Homes annual increase (revised January 2026)
• Florida Department of Revenue: Homestead exemption (PT-113)
• Florida Department of Revenue: Petitions to the value adjustment board (PT-101)
• Florida Department of State: Proposed constitutional amendments, November 3, 2026
• Meadow Pointe CDD: FY 2027 adopted budget
• Meadow Pointe II CDD: FY 2027 adopted budget
• Meadow Pointe III CDD: FY 2026/27 assessment chart
• Meadow Pointe IV CDD: FY 2026/27 assessment chart
• Epperson Ranch CDD: FY 2026-2027 adopted budget
• Wiregrass CDD: FY 2026-2027 assessment chart
• Wiregrass II CDD: FY 2026-2027 assessment chart
• US Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-year via Census Reporter: median real estate taxes and home value, Pasco County and Wesley Chapel
• US Census Bureau: County population estimates, 2020-2025
• Zillow Research: Zillow Home Value Index (August 2026 data)