Hendry County property taxes
Hendry County — Clewiston on Lake Okeechobee's south shore, LaBelle on the Caloosahatchee River, and the sugar and citrus country between them — ranks in the top quarter of Florida's counties on average total millage. Its bills carry a county-wide hospital authority levy of 3.5000 mills (3.2800 operating plus 0.2200 debt) that every parcel pays.
The 2025 numbers
Hendry County's average total millage on the 2025 certified roll is 17.1732 mills — about $17.17 for every $1,000 of taxable value — the 16th-highest countywide average of Florida's 67 counties (how all 67 compare in the 2025 data study). It splits like this:
| Levy group | Mills | What it funds |
|---|---|---|
| School district | 5.346 | School board operating and debt levies — the portion the additional homestead exemption does not reduce |
| Non-school | 11.8272 | County commission, municipal, water management, independent and special districts |
| Average total | 17.1732 | Taxable-value-weighted countywide average, Florida DOR "Millage and Taxes Levied Report," 2025 roll |
A countywide average is a planning number, not your bill: the parcel's own districts set its millage (the city table below shows the spread), and non-ad-valorem assessments (fire, solid waste, CDD) come on top. On the 2025 tax roll they came to about $20.9 million here — $585 per parcel, against $597 statewide (see the 2025 non-ad valorem study).
2025 rate decisions. The county commission set its 2025 operating rate at 6.7700 mills (2024: 6.8022), above its rolled-back rate of 6.6104, so under Florida law it was a tax increase. The 2025 millage study lists all 4 county, city and district operating rates in Hendry County on the state's report, and the vote each one took.
Clewiston, LaBelle and Hendry County tax rates (2025)
Actual 2025 rates by city, from the Hendry County 2025 final millage rates, as filed with the Florida Department of Revenue.
| Area | City millage (or district levy) | Total millage | Tax per $100,000 taxable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clewiston | 6.3962 | 22.2423 | $2,224 |
| LaBelle | 5.0000 | 20.8461 | $2,085 |
| Port LaBelle Community Development District | 3.1454 district | 18.9915 | $1,899 |
| Unincorporated Hendry | none | 15.8461 | $1,585 |
Totals in this table run from 15.8461 mills (Unincorporated Hendry) to 22.2423 mills (Clewiston): on $100,000 of taxable value, location alone moves the bill by about $640 a year.
Every Hendry parcel pays the county's 6.7700 mills, 5.3460 for the school board (3.0980 required, 1.5000 capital outlay and 0.7480 discretionary), the hospital authority's 3.2800 plus 0.2200 debt, and three South Florida Water Management District levies — 0.0948 district, 0.1026 Okeechobee Basin and 0.0327 Everglades Construction Project — 15.8461 in all. Clewiston and LaBelle add city rates; the Port LaBelle district adds its own 3.1454.
Trash pickup. In Hendry County, the study could not verify from an official source how homes outside city limits get garbage service. Cities run their own service. Check the official page, or compare every county in the trash pickup study.
Fire and trash fees. On Hendry County's 2025 tax roll, fire assessments came to about $133 per parcel (statewide: $129) and solid-waste assessments came to about $105 per parcel (statewide: $172). The 2025 fire and trash fee study compares all 67 counties.
Amendment 3 here. The state's Revenue Estimating Conference puts the cut to Hendry County's local governments at $17 million a year once Amendment 3 is fully in effect ($7.7 million in its first year), out of about $11.83 billion statewide. A homestead assessed at $300,000 would save about $2,349 a year here from 2028, at the county's average non-school rate. The Amendment 3 by county study shows what it would cut for every city and county government.
What that means in dollars
Engine-computed examples at Hendry County's average millage, using the school/non-school split above:
| Scenario | Estimated annual tax |
|---|---|
| $300,000 assessed value, homestead (both exemptions) | ≈ $4,410.26 |
| $500,000 assessed value, homestead (both exemptions) | ≈ $7,844.90 |
| $300,000 assessed value, no homestead (investment or second home) | ≈ $5,151.96 |
Homestead rows apply only the $25,000 exemption (§196.031(1)(a)) and the additional exemption up to $26,411 on non-school levies (§196.031(1)(b), 2026 CPI-indexed). Other programs stack on top; the buyer estimator models all eleven.
Buying in Hendry County? The listing's bill is not your bill
At sale the assessment resets to market (§193.155), so your first Hendry County bill tracks your price, not the seller's (the reset question below has the county's gap in dollars). Run the buyer estimator with Hendry County pre-selected; moving a Florida homestead? The portability calculator computes what carries over.
USDA income limits in Hendry County
USDA's guaranteed home loan caps household income by county. In Hendry County the limit is $122,800 for households of 1 to 4 and $162,100 for 5 to 8, counting everyone who will live in the home after small deductions (USDA's income worksheet, October 2026). That is the $122,800 level most Florida counties share. The home also has to be in an eligible area: the USDA eligibility lookup checks an address and runs the income check. Other counties: all 67 USDA limits.
Key Hendry County property tax dates
Set by state law, so identical statewide:
- Pay early, pay less: the 2026 bill is 4 percent off through November, stepping down each month until it is due by March 31 (the exact dates).
- Homestead exemption: live there on January 1 and file with the Hendry County Property Appraiser by March 1 (what it saves).
- Value appeals: 25 days from the mailing date on your August TRIM notice (make a reminder for your deadline).
Add the 2026 tax discount dates to your calendar Add the 2027 homestead dates
Nearby counties
- Broward County property taxes — 19.8638 mills average
- Charlotte County property taxes — 15.4683 mills average
- Collier County property taxes — 9.8185 mills average
- Glades County property taxes — 18.3732 mills average
- Lee County property taxes — 13.9967 mills average
- Martin County property taxes — 16.0598 mills average
- Okeechobee County property taxes — 14.4357 mills average
- Palm Beach County property taxes — 17.4918 mills average
Related reading
Your TRIM notice, explained · Amendment 3, explained · Homestead exemption calculator · Pay early, keep 4 percent
Buying here? Estimate your closing costs
Title insurance calculator · Documentary stamp (deed tax) calculator · Full closing cost worksheet · Seller net sheet
Look up an actual Hendry County record
Search any Hendry County address in the property-tax lookup, or go straight to the county's own offices:
- Property Appraiser: www.hendryprop.com
- Tax Collector: hendrycountytc.com
Estimates on this page are planning figures from official DOR millage data — never a bill, never tax advice. The county's TRIM notice and tax bill control.
Quick answers
How much is property tax in Hendry County?
Hendry County's average total millage is about 17.17 mills — the 16th-highest of Florida's 67 counties. On a $300,000 assessed home that computes to roughly $4,410 a year with the homestead exemption, or about $5,152 without it. Hendry County — Clewiston on Lake Okeechobee's south shore, LaBelle on the Caloosahatchee River, and the sugar and citrus country between them — ranks in the top quarter of Florida's counties on average total millage. Its bills carry a county-wide hospital authority levy of 3.5000 mills (3.2800 operating plus 0.2200 debt) that every parcel pays.
Where do I pay my Hendry County property tax bill?
Hendry County property tax bills are issued and collected by the county Tax Collector (hendrycountytc.com). The county Property Appraiser (www.hendryprop.com) keeps the certified value record behind it; the property-tax lookup here finds both for any Hendry County address.
Will buying a home reset my property taxes in Hendry County?
Yes — Florida assessed values reset to market value at sale (Fla. Stat. §193.155), so the seller's Save Our Homes cap ends at closing and your first full Hendry County bill is computed from what you paid, not what the seller paid. The gap is visible in this county's own numbers: the same $300,000 home computes to about $5,152 without homestead protections versus $4,410 with them. Non-homestead property carries its own separate 10 percent assessment cap (Fla. Stat. §193.1554), which also does not transfer.
Who pays for title insurance in Hendry County?
In Hendry County, local custom puts the owner's title-insurance premium on the seller's side of the closing statement, as in most Florida counties. It is custom, not law; the contract controls.
What is the USDA income limit in Hendry County?
For a USDA guaranteed loan in Hendry County, household income must be under $122,800 for 1 to 4 people or $162,100 for 5 to 8, counting everyone who will live in the home after small deductions. The home must also be in a USDA eligible area; the USDA eligibility lookup checks both.
What is the property tax rate in Clewiston?
Clewiston's 2025 total property tax rate is 22.2423 mills, per Hendry County's 2025 final millage filing — about $2,224 for every $100,000 of taxable value. It includes the city's own 6.3962 mills; LaBelle totals 20.8461 and unincorporated Hendry 15.8461.
Data verified as of October 2026.