Monroe County property taxes
Monroe County — the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Key West, plus a mostly protected mainland in the Everglades — has the lowest average total millage of Florida's 67 counties and the lowest school millage, 2.9470. Five cities levy their own rates; the unincorporated Keys pay fire, road patrol and other district levies instead.
The 2025 numbers
Monroe County's average total millage on the 2025 certified roll is 8.2361 mills — about $8.24 for every $1,000 of taxable value — the 67th-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 | 2.947 | School board operating and debt levies — the portion the additional homestead exemption does not reduce |
| Non-school | 5.2891 | County commission, municipal, water management, independent and special districts |
| Average total | 8.2361 | 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 $46.0 million here — $519 per parcel, against $597 statewide (see the 2025 non-ad valorem study).
2025 rate decisions. The county commission set its 2025 operating rate at 2.6929 mills (2024: 2.6929), above its rolled-back rate of 2.4786, so under Florida law it was a tax increase. The 2025 millage study lists all 8 county, city and district operating rates in Monroe County on the state's report, and the vote each one took.
Key West, Marathon and Florida Keys tax rates (2025)
Actual 2025 rates by city, from the Monroe County 2025 final millage rates, as filed with the Florida Department of Revenue.
| Area | City millage (or fire district) | Total millage | Tax per $100,000 taxable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key West | 1.9551 | 8.2250 | $823 |
| Marathon | 2.0631 | 8.4455 | $845 |
| Islamorada | 2.6500 | 8.9199 | $892 |
| Key Colony Beach | 2.8200 | 9.2024 | $920 |
| Layton | 2.8337 | 11.0112 | $1,101 |
| Key Largo | 1.3101 Key Largo fire | 8.0445 | $804 |
| Other unincorporated Keys | 1.9076 fire and ambulance | 8.6420 to 8.7545 | $864 to $875 |
| Ocean Reef | no fire district | 6.7344 | $673 |
Totals in this table run from 6.7344 mills (Ocean Reef) to 11.0112 mills (Layton): on $100,000 of taxable value, location alone moves the bill by about $428 a year.
Every Monroe parcel pays the county's 0.9157 general fund, 1.7457 fine and forfeiture and 0.0315 health clinic levies, 2.9470 for the school board (1.0490 required plus 1.8980 local), mosquito control at 0.3999 and the 0.0948 South Florida water management, 0.1026 Okeechobee basin and 0.0327 Glades project levies — 6.2699 in all. Unincorporated parcels add 0.1756 general purpose and 0.2889 road patrol millage plus a fire district: 1.9076 for the Lower and Middle Keys or 1.3101 in Key Largo; Ocean Reef pays neither. Marathon, Key Colony Beach and three Middle Keys island tax areas add 0.1125 for Middle Keys health care, and Layton pays the 1.9076 fire levy on top of its city rate. The mainland tax areas total 6.5043 to 6.7344.
Trash pickup. In Monroe County, homes outside city limits get garbage service this way: county contract or franchise hauler (WM, Marathon Garbage Service and Keys Sanitary Service). Cities run their own service. Check the official page, or compare every county in the trash pickup study.
Fire and trash fees. On Monroe County's 2025 tax roll, there were no fire assessments and solid-waste assessments came to about $315 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 Monroe County's local governments at $39 million a year once Amendment 3 is fully in effect ($14 million in its first year), out of about $11.83 billion statewide. A homestead assessed at $300,000 would save about $1,050 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 Monroe County's average millage, using the school/non-school split above:
| Scenario | Estimated annual tax |
|---|---|
| $300,000 assessed value, homestead (both exemptions) | ≈ $2,125.24 |
| $500,000 assessed value, homestead (both exemptions) | ≈ $3,772.46 |
| $300,000 assessed value, no homestead (investment or second home) | ≈ $2,470.83 |
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 Monroe County? The listing's bill is not your bill
At sale the assessment resets to market (§193.155), so your first Monroe 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 Monroe County pre-selected; moving a Florida homestead? The portability calculator computes what carries over.
USDA income limits in Monroe County
USDA's guaranteed home loan caps household income by county. In Monroe County the limit is $164,800 for households of 1 to 4 and $217,550 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 Monroe 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 Monroe 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 and notable counties
- Collier County property taxes — 9.8185 mills average
- Miami-Dade County property taxes — 18.4893 mills average
- Broward County property taxes — 19.8638 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 Monroe County record
Search any Monroe County address in the property-tax lookup, or go straight to the county's own offices:
- Property Appraiser: qpublic.net/monroe
- Tax Collector: www.monroetaxcollector.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 Monroe County?
Monroe County's average total millage is about 8.24 mills — the 67th-highest of Florida's 67 counties. On a $300,000 assessed home that computes to roughly $2,125 a year with the homestead exemption, or about $2,471 without it. Monroe County — the Florida Keys from Key Largo to Key West, plus a mostly protected mainland in the Everglades — has the lowest average total millage of Florida's 67 counties and the lowest school millage, 2.9470. Five cities levy their own rates; the unincorporated Keys pay fire, road patrol and other district levies instead.
Where do I pay my Monroe County property tax bill?
Monroe County property tax bills are issued and collected by the county Tax Collector (www.monroetaxcollector.com). The county Property Appraiser (qpublic.net) keeps the certified value record behind it; the property-tax lookup here finds both for any Monroe County address.
Will buying a home reset my property taxes in Monroe 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 Monroe 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 $2,471 without homestead protections versus $2,125 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 Monroe County?
In Monroe 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 Monroe County?
For a USDA guaranteed loan in Monroe County, household income must be under $164,800 for 1 to 4 people or $217,550 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 Key West?
Key West's 2025 total property tax rate is 8.2250 mills, per Monroe County's 2025 final millage filing — about $822.50 for every $100,000 of taxable value. It includes the city's own 1.9551 mills; city parcels skip the county's unincorporated fire, road patrol and general purpose levies.
Data verified as of October 2026.