Lee County property taxes
Lee County — Fort Myers, Cape Coral and the barrier islands — averages one of the lower total millages among Florida's large counties. Parcel records are directly linkable on the Property Appraiser's site, so the lookup tool can take an address straight to the county's official record page.
The 2025 numbers
Lee County's average total millage on the 2025 certified roll is 13.9967 mills — about $14.00 for every $1,000 of taxable value — the 54th-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 | 5.319 | School board operating and debt levies — the portion the additional homestead exemption does not reduce |
| Non-school | 8.6777 | County commission, municipal, water management, independent and special districts |
| Average total | 13.9967 | 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 $426.6 million here — $762 per parcel, against $597 statewide (see the 2025 non-ad valorem study).
2025 rate decisions. The county commission set its 2025 operating rate at 3.7623 mills (2024: 3.7623), above its rolled-back rate of 3.6162, so under Florida law it was a tax increase. The 2025 millage study lists all 28 county, city and district operating rates in Lee County on the state's report, and the vote each one took.
Cape Coral, Fort Myers and other Lee County tax rates (2025)
Actual 2025 rates by city, from the Lee County 2025 final millage rates, as filed with the Florida Department of Revenue.
| Area | City millage (operating + debt) | Total millage | Tax per $100,000 taxable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Coral | 5.1471 + 0.1608 debt | 15.3806 | $1,538 |
| Fort Myers | 6.5000 | 16.5034 | $1,650 |
| Bonita Springs | 0.8470 + fire district | 12.7970 to 13.1384 | $1,280 to $1,314 |
| Estero | 0.7300 + fire district | 12.6800 to 13.0924 | $1,268 to $1,309 |
| Sanibel | 2.5000 + 0.1151 debt + fire district | 14.0882 | $1,409 |
| Fort Myers Beach | 1.0294 + fire district | 13.4329 | $1,343 |
| Unincorporated Lee | 0.8398 MSTU + fire district | 10.8132 to 16.1625 | $1,081 to $1,616 |
Totals in this table run from 10.8132 mills (Unincorporated Lee) to 16.5034 mills (Fort Myers): on $100,000 of taxable value, location alone moves the bill by about $569 a year.
Lee's totals turn on fire protection more than city millage. Cape Coral and Fort Myers show no separate fire district levy; Bonita Springs, Estero, Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach and the unincorporated areas each sit in an independent fire district whose millage is part of the total. That's why Estero and Bonita Springs, with city rates under one mill, still total 12.68 to 13.14. Unincorporated parcels run from 10.8132 where no fire district levy applies to 16.1625 in the Alva fire district.
Trash pickup. In Lee County, homes outside city limits get garbage service this way: county contract or franchise hauler (WM and Waste Pro). Cities run their own service. Check the official page, or compare every county in the trash pickup study. Look up a home’s pickup day by address.
Fire and trash fees. On Lee County's 2025 tax roll, fire assessments came to about $222 per parcel (statewide: $129) and solid-waste assessments came to about $235 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 Lee County's local governments at $453 million a year once Amendment 3 is fully in effect ($178 million in its first year), out of about $11.83 billion statewide. A homestead assessed at $300,000 would save about $1,723 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 Lee County's average millage, using the school/non-school split above:
| Scenario | Estimated annual tax |
|---|---|
| $300,000 assessed value, homestead (both exemptions) | ≈ $3,619.91 |
| $500,000 assessed value, homestead (both exemptions) | ≈ $6,419.25 |
| $300,000 assessed value, no homestead (investment or second home) | ≈ $4,199.01 |
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 Lee County? The listing's bill is not your bill
At sale the assessment resets to market (§193.155), so your first Lee 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 Lee County pre-selected; moving a Florida homestead? The portability calculator computes what carries over.
USDA income limits in Lee County
USDA's guaranteed home loan caps household income by county. In Lee County the limit is $129,250 for households of 1 to 4 and $170,650 for 5 to 8, counting everyone who will live in the home after small deductions (USDA's income worksheet, October 2026). That is above the $122,800 most Florida counties share, because the area's incomes run higher. 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 Lee 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 Lee 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
- Charlotte County property taxes — 15.4683 mills average
- Collier County property taxes — 9.8185 mills average
- Glades County property taxes — 18.3732 mills average
- Hendry County property taxes — 17.1732 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 Lee County record
Search any Lee County address in the property-tax lookup, or go straight to the county's own offices:
- Property Appraiser: www.leepa.org
- Tax Collector: leetc.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 Lee County?
Lee County's average total millage is about 14.00 mills — the 54th-highest of Florida's 67 counties. On a $300,000 assessed home that computes to roughly $3,620 a year with the homestead exemption, or about $4,199 without it. Lee County — Fort Myers, Cape Coral and the barrier islands — averages one of the lower total millages among Florida's large counties. Parcel records are directly linkable on the Property Appraiser's site, so the lookup tool can take an address straight to the county's official record page.
Where do I pay my Lee County property tax bill?
Lee County property tax bills are issued and collected by the county Tax Collector (leetc.com). The county Property Appraiser (www.leepa.org) keeps the certified value record behind it; the property-tax lookup here finds both for any Lee County address.
Will buying a home reset my property taxes in Lee 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 Lee 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 $4,199 without homestead protections versus $3,620 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 Lee County?
In Lee 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 Lee County?
For a USDA guaranteed loan in Lee County, household income must be under $129,250 for 1 to 4 people or $170,650 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 Cape Coral?
Cape Coral's 2025 total property tax rate is 15.3806 mills, per Lee County's 2025 final millage filing — about $1,538 for every $100,000 of taxable value. It includes the city's 5.1471 operating mills and 0.1608 for the voted parks debt; Fort Myers totals 16.5034.
Data verified as of October 2026.