Jacksonville Property Taxes, explained simply.

How Florida property tax works

Florida property tax is calculated by multiplying the taxable value of a property by the millage rate. A mill equals $1 per $1,000 of taxable value. So a $400,000 taxable value at 20 mills equals $8,000 in annual property tax.

Three numbers control your tax bill: market value (what the property is worth), assessed value (what the county records show, capped by Save Our Homes), and taxable value (assessed value minus exemptions). Most people pay attention only to the final tax bill. The mechanics matter for long-term ownership.

Millage rates by county

Jacksonville-area millage rates vary by county and specific taxing district. Approximate ranges for 2026:

Duval County: 19-22 mills, depending on the specific taxing district. The City of Jacksonville accounts for most of the rate; school district, library, and water management add the rest.

St. Johns County (Nocatee, Ponte Vedra, World Golf Village): 14-16 mills. Lower because St. Johns County operates more efficiently and has higher property values supporting the same services.

Clay County (Orange Park, Fleming Island, Middleburg): 17-19 mills.

These ranges include school district millage, which is the largest component for most properties.

Florida homestead exemption

If you own and occupy a Florida property as your primary residence, you can file for the homestead exemption. The exemption reduces your taxable value by $50,000 (up to certain limits), which saves roughly $1,000-$1,200 per year in property tax depending on your millage.

You must file by March 1 to receive the exemption for that tax year. The county property appraiser's office handles the application. There is no fee, and the exemption renews automatically as long as you continue to occupy the property as your primary residence.

Save Our Homes 3% cap

This is one of the most valuable provisions in Florida property law for long-term homeowners. Once you file homestead exemption, your assessed value cannot increase by more than 3% per year regardless of how much the market value rises.

Over a decade, this can produce dramatic savings. A homeowner who bought in 2014 may have an assessed value far below the current market value of their home, with their property tax reflecting the lower assessed value.

The cap resets when you sell. The new buyer's assessed value starts at the current market value. This is why long-time Florida homeowners often pay less tax than new buyers in the same neighborhood with the same home.

Portability

If you sell your homesteaded property and buy another Florida primary residence within 3 years, you can port some or all of your Save Our Homes benefit to the new property. Up to $500,000 of the assessed value differential is portable.

This is significant for upsizing or downsizing homeowners. Talk to your accountant or the county property appraiser about how portability applies to your specific situation.

How to estimate your tax bill

For a property without homestead exemption (new purchase, non-primary residence): multiply purchase price by approximately 0.0175-0.020 for Duval, 0.013-0.016 for St. Johns, 0.0165-0.019 for Clay.

Example: $500,000 home in Mandarin (Duval, no homestead first year) = approximately $9,000-$10,000 annual property tax. After filing homestead the next year, expect approximately $8,000-$9,000.