Recent research places all 67 Florida counties in order based on property taxes as GOP leaders focus on tax reductions.

Property Tax Rankings for Florida Counties Released

Florida Tax Watch has unveiled new findings on property tax rankings across all 67 counties in the state.

The CEO of this nonpartisan nonprofit asserts that the report sheds light on the current debate, which is often clouded by confusion surrounding property taxes and their potential repeal in Florida.

“Property taxes have seen a sharp rise,” noted Dominick Calabro during an interview with a local news outlet.

The rankings indicate that the average property tax bill in Florida stands at $2,397.57 per person. For specifics, Palm Beach County ranks 4th with an average of $3,741.67, Martin County follows at 5th with $3,656.86, while Indian River, St. Lucie, and Okeechobee come in at 15th, 18th, and 31st respectively, with averages of $2,537.59, $2,307.45, and $1,645.69, respectively.

In terms of school taxes, Palm Beach is also fifth at $1,454.38, with Martin ninth at $1,337.17 and Indian River at 12th with $1,097.71. St. Lucie County ranks significantly for miscellaneous charges related to property tax calculations.

When looking at cities, Port St. Lucie has experienced the 4th largest property tax increase in the past decade, a staggering 257%. West Palm Beach isn’t far behind, ranking 15th with a 156.3% increase. Many other cities like Boynton Beach and Boca Raton also show up in the top 50 for these increases.

Property tax reduction is a significant agenda for the Republican majority in the state Legislature as they prepare for the upcoming session in January. Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Blaise Ingoglia, recently commented, “I’m here to ensure accountability. If a city or county is overspending, regardless of its political affiliation, I will address it.”

Ingoglia revealed that auditors identified nearly $2 billion in wasted expenses across 11 counties, with $344 million attributed to Palm Beach County, a figure county leaders dispute. They assert, “We don’t quite understand how this number was determined.” Cutting $344 million, they argue, would equate to halving the county’s budget.