Cost of Living
What Winter Garden really costs
Florida has no state income tax, but property taxes and insurance carry the load. Here is how the system works and how to estimate your own numbers.
HomeCost of Living
The three things to understand
- No state income tax. Florida funds itself through sales and property taxes instead.
- The homestead exemption. Florida's homestead exemption can reduce your home's taxable value by up to $51,411 for the 2026 tax year: $25,000 against all levies including school taxes, plus $26,411 against non-school taxes only. That second amount is adjusted for inflation every January 1, so confirm the current year's figure with the county property appraiser. File by March 1.
- The Save Our Homes cap. Once homesteaded, the assessed value of your primary residence cannot rise more than the lower of 3% or the change in CPI in a year — 2.7% for the 2026 tax year — which is why long-time owners often pay far less than a new buyer of the identical house next door. Budget from what YOU will pay, not what the seller paid.
Rough numbers
Homestead savings estimator
A representative illustration of the annual savings the exemption can produce. It is not your tax bill; millage varies by city, county, and district.
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Representative math for the 2026 tax year: $25,000 fully exempt plus $26,411 exempt from non-school taxes, at an illustrative 17.0 total / 6.5 school mills. The second figure is indexed to inflation and changes every January 1. Verify with the Orange County Property Appraiser, which publishes official estimating tools.
Orange County Property AppraiserOfficial values, exemptions, tax estimatorOrange County Tax CollectorBills, payment, local services
Insurance is the other big line: quotes vary widely by construction year, roof age, and location, so shop early in the process, not after you are under contract.