Sumter County property taxes
Sumter County — Bushnell, Wildwood and the Sumter County part of The Villages, which also reaches into Lake and Marion counties — averages one of the lowest total millages in Florida. Its 2025 filing splits the county between two fire districts: The Villages fire district at 0.0464 mills and the county fire district at 0.8571, so where a parcel sits matters even outside the cities.
The 2025 numbers
Sumter County's average total millage on the 2025 certified roll is 11.2052 mills — about $11.21 for every $1,000 of taxable value — the 63rd-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 | 4.912 | School board operating and debt levies — the portion the additional homestead exemption does not reduce |
| Non-school | 6.2932 | County commission, municipal, water management, independent and special districts |
| Average total | 11.2052 | 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 $155.1 million here — $1,489 per parcel, against $597 statewide (see the 2025 non-ad valorem study).
2025 rate decisions. The county commission set its 2025 operating rate at 4.8900 mills (2024: 4.8900), above its rolled-back rate of 4.6684, so under Florida law it was a tax increase. The 2025 millage study lists all 6 county, city and district operating rates in Sumter County on the state's report, and the vote each one took.
The Villages, Wildwood and Sumter County tax rates (2025)
Actual 2025 rates by city, from the Sumter County 2025 final millage rates, as filed with the Florida Department of Revenue.
| Area | City millage (+ fire district) | Total millage | Tax per $100,000 taxable |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Villages, unincorporated Sumter | 0.0464 Villages fire | 10.0315 | $1,003 |
| Wildwood | 2.8287 + fire district | 12.8602 to 13.6709 | $1,286 to $1,367 |
| Bushnell | 3.3061 + 0.8571 fire | 14.1483 | $1,415 |
| Coleman | 3.2500 + 0.8571 fire | 14.0922 | $1,409 |
| Center Hill | 3.7201 + 0.8571 fire | 14.5623 | $1,456 |
| Webster | 8.0000 + 0.8571 fire | 18.8422 | $1,884 |
| Other unincorporated Sumter | 0.8571 county fire | 10.8422 | $1,084 |
Totals in this table run from 10.0315 mills (The Villages, unincorporated Sumter) to 18.8422 mills (Webster): on $100,000 of taxable value, location alone moves the bill by about $881 a year.
Every Sumter parcel pays the county's 4.8900 mills, 4.9120 for the school board and the Southwest Florida Water Management District's 0.1831 — 9.9851 in all — plus one of two fire districts: The Villages fire district at 0.0464 or the county fire district at 0.8571. Wildwood spans both, so its parcels in The Villages total 12.8602 and the rest 13.6709. The Villages' community development district charges are billed separately, not as millage.
Trash pickup. In Sumter County, homes outside city limits get garbage service this way: private haulers by subscription. Cities run their own service. Check the official page, or compare every county in the trash pickup study.
Fire and trash fees. On Sumter County's 2025 tax roll, fire assessments came to about $106 per parcel (statewide: $129) and there were no solid-waste assessments. The 2025 fire and trash fee study compares all 67 counties.
Amendment 3 here. The state's Revenue Estimating Conference puts the cut to Sumter County's local governments at $89 million a year once Amendment 3 is fully in effect ($36 million in its first year), out of about $11.83 billion statewide. A homestead assessed at $300,000 would save about $1,250 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 Sumter County's average millage, using the school/non-school split above:
| Scenario | Estimated annual tax |
|---|---|
| $300,000 assessed value, homestead (both exemptions) | ≈ $2,915.22 |
| $500,000 assessed value, homestead (both exemptions) | ≈ $5,156.26 |
| $300,000 assessed value, no homestead (investment or second home) | ≈ $3,361.56 |
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 Sumter County? The listing's bill is not your bill
At sale the assessment resets to market (§193.155), so your first Sumter 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 Sumter County pre-selected; moving a Florida homestead? The portability calculator computes what carries over.
USDA income limits in Sumter County
USDA's guaranteed home loan caps household income by county. In Sumter 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 Sumter 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 Sumter 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
- Citrus County property taxes — 15.4758 mills average
- Hernando County property taxes — 14.5695 mills average
- Lake County property taxes — 15.6324 mills average
- Marion County property taxes — 15.8838 mills average
- Pasco County property taxes — 17.2168 mills average
- Polk County property taxes — 15.4378 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 Sumter County record
Search any Sumter County address in the property-tax lookup, or go straight to the county's own offices:
- Property Appraiser: www.sumterpa.com
- Tax Collector: www.sumtertaxcollector.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 Sumter County?
Sumter County's average total millage is about 11.21 mills — the 63rd-highest of Florida's 67 counties. On a $300,000 assessed home that computes to roughly $2,915 a year with the homestead exemption, or about $3,362 without it. Sumter County — Bushnell, Wildwood and the Sumter County part of The Villages, which also reaches into Lake and Marion counties — averages one of the lowest total millages in Florida. Its 2025 filing splits the county between two fire districts: The Villages fire district at 0.0464 mills and the county fire district at 0.8571, so where a parcel sits matters even outside the cities.
Where do I pay my Sumter County property tax bill?
Sumter County property tax bills are issued and collected by the county Tax Collector (www.sumtertaxcollector.com). The county Property Appraiser (www.sumterpa.com) keeps the certified value record behind it; the property-tax lookup here finds both for any Sumter County address.
Will buying a home reset my property taxes in Sumter 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 Sumter 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 $3,362 without homestead protections versus $2,915 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 Sumter County?
In Sumter 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 Sumter County?
For a USDA guaranteed loan in Sumter 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 The Villages?
The 2025 total property tax rate for The Villages' unincorporated Sumter County parcels is 10.0315 mills, per Sumter County's 2025 final millage filing — about $1,003 for every $100,000 of taxable value. Villages parcels inside Wildwood total 12.8602; the Lake and Marion County sections follow those counties' rates.
Data verified as of October 2026.