Union County property taxes
Union County — Lake Butler, Worthington Springs and Raiford, in Florida's smallest county by area — ranks in the top third of Florida's counties on average total millage. Lake Butler and Worthington Springs add city rates; Raiford levies none, so the town totals the same 16.2352 mills as the rest of the county.
The 2025 numbers
Union County's average total millage on the 2025 certified roll is 16.7165 mills — about $16.72 for every $1,000 of taxable value — the 18th-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 | 5.454 | School board operating and debt levies — the portion the additional homestead exemption does not reduce |
| Non-school | 11.2625 | County commission, municipal, water management, independent and special districts |
| Average total | 16.7165 | 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 $646,835 here — $88 per parcel, against $597 statewide (see the 2025 non-ad valorem study).
2025 rate decisions. The county commission set its 2025 operating rate at 10.0000 mills (2024: 10.0000), above its rolled-back rate of 9.7972, so under Florida law it was a tax increase. The 2025 millage study lists all 3 county, city and district operating rates in Union County on the state's report, and the vote each one took.
Lake Butler and Union County tax rates (2025)
Actual 2025 rates by city, from the Union County 2025 final millage rates, as filed with the Florida Department of Revenue.
| Area | City millage | Total millage | Tax per $100,000 taxable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Butler | 3.2500 | 19.4852 | $1,949 |
| Worthington Springs | 1.8914 | 18.1266 | $1,813 |
| Raiford | none | 16.2352 | $1,624 |
| Unincorporated Union | none | 16.2352 | $1,624 |
Totals in this table run from 16.2352 mills (Raiford) to 19.4852 mills (Lake Butler): on $100,000 of taxable value, location alone moves the bill by about $325 a year.
Every Union parcel pays the county's 10.0000 mills, 5.4540 for the school board (3.2060 required plus 2.2480 discretionary), the Suwannee River Water Management District's 0.2812 and the voter-approved special library district's 0.5000 — 16.2352 in all. The 2025 filing leaves the library levy out; the state's 2025 property tax data book counts it. Lake Butler adds 3.2500 and Worthington Springs 1.8914; Raiford adds nothing.
Trash pickup. In Union 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 Union County's 2025 tax roll, there were no fire assessments and solid-waste assessments came to about $44 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 Union County's local governments at $1.5 million a year once Amendment 3 is fully in effect ($1.4 million in its first year), out of about $11.83 billion statewide. A homestead assessed at $300,000 would save about $2,237 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 Union County's average millage, using the school/non-school split above:
| Scenario | Estimated annual tax |
|---|---|
| $300,000 assessed value, homestead (both exemptions) | ≈ $4,299.58 |
| $500,000 assessed value, homestead (both exemptions) | ≈ $7,642.88 |
| $300,000 assessed value, no homestead (investment or second home) | ≈ $5,014.95 |
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 Union County? The listing's bill is not your bill
At sale the assessment resets to market (§193.155), so your first Union 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 Union County pre-selected; moving a Florida homestead? The portability calculator computes what carries over.
USDA income limits in Union County
USDA's guaranteed home loan caps household income by county. In Union 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 Union 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 Union 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
- Alachua County property taxes — 20.8894 mills average
- Baker County property taxes — 14.6131 mills average
- Bradford County property taxes — 16.5732 mills average
- Columbia County property taxes — 14.6841 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 Union County record
Search any Union County address in the property-tax lookup, or go straight to the county's own offices:
- Property Appraiser: union.floridapa.com
- Tax Collector: unioncountytc.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 Union County?
Union County's average total millage is about 16.72 mills — the 18th-highest of Florida's 67 counties. On a $300,000 assessed home that computes to roughly $4,300 a year with the homestead exemption, or about $5,015 without it. Union County — Lake Butler, Worthington Springs and Raiford, in Florida's smallest county by area — ranks in the top third of Florida's counties on average total millage. Lake Butler and Worthington Springs add city rates; Raiford levies none, so the town totals the same 16.2352 mills as the rest of the county.
Where do I pay my Union County property tax bill?
Union County property tax bills are issued and collected by the county Tax Collector (unioncountytc.com). The county Property Appraiser (union.floridapa.com) keeps the certified value record behind it; the property-tax lookup here finds both for any Union County address.
Will buying a home reset my property taxes in Union 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 Union 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 $5,015 without homestead protections versus $4,300 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 Union County?
In Union 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 Union County?
For a USDA guaranteed loan in Union 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 Lake Butler?
Lake Butler's 2025 total property tax rate is 19.4852 mills, per Union County's 2025 final millage filing plus the county's 0.5000-mill library district — about $1,949 for every $100,000 of taxable value. It includes the city's own 3.2500 mills; unincorporated Union totals 16.2352.
Data verified as of October 2026.