Okaloosa County property taxes
Okaloosa County — Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Niceville and Crestview, with Eglin Air Force Base filling much of the land between them — averages one of the lowest total millages in Florida. Along the coast and the bay, the unincorporated communities are covered by separate fire districts whose millage is added to the county's, so two unincorporated addresses a few miles apart can differ by several mills.
The 2025 numbers
Okaloosa County's average total millage on the 2025 certified roll is 12.2773 mills — about $12.28 for every $1,000 of taxable value — the 60th-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 | 5.377 | School board operating and debt levies — the portion the additional homestead exemption does not reduce |
| Non-school | 6.9003 | County commission, municipal, water management, independent and special districts |
| Average total | 12.2773 | 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 $3.2 million here — $28 per parcel, against $597 statewide (see the 2025 non-ad valorem study).
2025 rate decisions. The county commission set its 2025 operating rate at 3.8308 mills (2024: 3.8308), above its rolled-back rate of 3.6825, so under Florida law it was a tax increase. The 2025 millage study lists all 16 county, city and district operating rates in Okaloosa County on the state's report, and the vote each one took.
Crestview, Destin and Okaloosa County tax rates (2025)
Actual 2025 rates by city, from the Okaloosa County 2025 final millage rates, as filed with the Florida Department of Revenue.
| Area | City millage (+ fire district where levied) | Total millage | Tax per $100,000 taxable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crestview | 6.6466 | 15.8751 | $1,588 |
| Fort Walton Beach | 4.3282 | 13.5567 | $1,356 |
| Destin | 1.6150 + 1.0000 fire | 11.8435 | $1,184 |
| Niceville | 4.5000 | 13.7285 | $1,373 |
| Valparaiso | 5.6504 | 14.8789 | $1,488 |
| Mary Esther | 5.0261 | 14.2546 | $1,425 |
| Shalimar | 2.2000 + 2.7500 fire | 14.1785 | $1,418 |
| Cinco Bayou | 3.0000 + 2.7500 fire | 14.9785 | $1,498 |
| Laurel Hill | 3.5000 | 12.7285 | $1,273 |
| Unincorporated Okaloosa | 0.2880 + fire district | 9.5165 to 13.1165 | $952 to $1,312 |
Totals in this table run from 9.5165 mills (Unincorporated Okaloosa) to 15.8751 mills (Crestview): on $100,000 of taxable value, location alone moves the bill by about $636 a year.
Every Okaloosa parcel pays the county's 3.8308 mills, 5.3770 for the school board and the Northwest Florida Water Management District's 0.0207 — 9.2285 in all, one of the lowest bases in Florida. Unincorporated parcels add 0.2880 that city parcels don't pay, plus the fire district where they sit: Destin 1.0000, North Bay 2.2700, Florosa 2.3877, Ocean City-Wright 2.7500, East Niceville 3.4000 or Okaloosa Island 3.6000. Destin's low city rate gives it the lowest city total; Crestview has the highest.
Trash pickup. In Okaloosa County, homes outside city limits get garbage service this way: county contract or franchise hauler (WM). Cities run their own service. Check the official page, or compare every county in the trash pickup study.
Fire and trash fees. On Okaloosa County's 2025 tax roll, there were no fire or solid-waste assessments at all (statewide they averaged $129 and $172 per parcel). The 2025 fire and trash fee study compares all 67 counties.
Amendment 3 here. The state's Revenue Estimating Conference puts the cut to Okaloosa County's local governments at $46 million a year once Amendment 3 is fully in effect ($27 million in its first year), out of about $11.83 billion statewide. A homestead assessed at $300,000 would save about $1,370 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 Okaloosa County's average millage, using the school/non-school split above:
| Scenario | Estimated annual tax |
|---|---|
| $300,000 assessed value, homestead (both exemptions) | ≈ $3,194.01 |
| $500,000 assessed value, homestead (both exemptions) | ≈ $5,649.47 |
| $300,000 assessed value, no homestead (investment or second home) | ≈ $3,683.19 |
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 Okaloosa County? The listing's bill is not your bill
At sale the assessment resets to market (§193.155), so your first Okaloosa 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 Okaloosa County pre-selected; moving a Florida homestead? The portability calculator computes what carries over.
USDA income limits in Okaloosa County
USDA's guaranteed home loan caps household income by county. In Okaloosa 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 Okaloosa 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 Okaloosa 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
- Santa Rosa County property taxes — 11.7171 mills average
- Walton County property taxes — 9.1512 mills average
- Miami-Dade County property taxes — 18.4893 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 Okaloosa County record
Search any Okaloosa County address in the property-tax lookup, or go straight to the county's own offices:
- Property Appraiser: www.okaloosapa.com
- Tax Collector: www.okaloosatax.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 Okaloosa County?
Okaloosa County's average total millage is about 12.28 mills — the 60th-highest of Florida's 67 counties. On a $300,000 assessed home that computes to roughly $3,194 a year with the homestead exemption, or about $3,683 without it. Okaloosa County — Fort Walton Beach, Destin, Niceville and Crestview, with Eglin Air Force Base filling much of the land between them — averages one of the lowest total millages in Florida. Along the coast and the bay, the unincorporated communities are covered by separate fire districts whose millage is added to the county's, so two unincorporated addresses a few miles apart can differ by several mills.
Where do I pay my Okaloosa County property tax bill?
Okaloosa County property tax bills are issued and collected by the county Tax Collector (www.okaloosatax.com). The county Property Appraiser (www.okaloosapa.com) keeps the certified value record behind it; the property-tax lookup here finds both for any Okaloosa County address.
Will buying a home reset my property taxes in Okaloosa 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 Okaloosa 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 $3,683 without homestead protections versus $3,194 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 Okaloosa County?
In Okaloosa 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 Okaloosa County?
For a USDA guaranteed loan in Okaloosa 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 Crestview?
Crestview's 2025 total property tax rate is 15.8751 mills, per Okaloosa County's 2025 final millage filing — about $1,588 for every $100,000 of taxable value. It includes the city's own 6.6466 mills; Destin totals 11.8435.
Data verified as of October 2026.