See your real year-1 property tax in Palm Beach County at purchase, not the seller's capped bill, and how much you would save if Governor DeSantis's proposed $250,000 homestead exemption passes. Palm Beach County's 2025 total millage runs about 18.72 mills.
Palm Beach County sits in the Atlantic coast north of Broward. Its 2025 total millage is about 18.72 mills, of which roughly 6.50 mills fund schools and the rest covers county, city, and special-district services. On a homesteaded $550,000 home with the standard $50,000 exemption, that lands near $9,522 a year, about $794 a month. The figure moves with your purchase price, the city you buy in, and whether your community carries CDD or special-district millage, so treat it as a close estimate and run your own number above.
The number that trips up Palm Beach County buyers is the seller's tax line on the listing. A long-time West Palm Beach owner has years of Save Our Homes protection holding their assessed value below market, so their bill looks low. When you take ownership that cap resets to what you paid, and your first bill is usually higher. Pricing your carrying cost off the seller's old tax is one of the most common Florida buying mistakes.
Under the proposed exemption, the non-school portion of a $550,000 Palm Beach County bill would fall by about $2,444 a year, leaving $7,078. School taxes of about 6.50 mills stay in place, which is why the bill does not reach zero. The amendment (CS/HJR 1F) passed the Legislature on June 2, 2026 and goes to voters in November 2026, where it needs 60% to pass. The exemption phases in at $150,000 for 2027 and $250,000 for 2028, and new residents who establish Florida residency after December 31, 2026 wait five years for the full amount. See both phases for any price in the Florida amendment calculator, and price your home on today's real bill, treating the savings as upside.
The savings above are real for you. They are also revenue Palm Beach County stops collecting. Each homesteaded $350,000 home that takes the full exemption removes about $2,444 a year from the Palm Beach County non-school tax base, at the county’s non-school rate of about 12.22 mills. The amendment protects school funding, so the gap falls on county and city services like police, fire, parks, and roads. Statewide the Florida House staff analysis puts the reduction at about $4.6 billion in the first year, growing to about $8.4 billion a year at full phase-in. See how Palm Beach County ranks against all 67 counties in the county impact breakdown.
Two costs sit outside the millage math. the School District of Palm Beach County levies the school portion of every bill in the county. Communities such as the country-club and 55+ communities around Westlake, Wellington, and Boca can add CDD or special-district assessments, often $1,000 to $2,500 a year, billed separately from property tax. Cities like West Palm Beach can also carry their own additional millage on top of the county rate. Layer homeowners insurance and any HOA dues on top of all of it for a true monthly carrying cost. See your county's full monthly number in the true cost to own calculator, the 2026 Citizens insurance rate change for your county, and how far Florida property taxes have climbed since 2019.
The estimator opens preset to Palm Beach County. Enter your purchase price to see your year-1 bill, the 10-year Save Our Homes projection, and your estimated DeSantis savings. You can compare it against the seller's current bill to see the reset in real dollars. Open the Palm Beach County property tax calculator.
Looking at more than one county? Compare property tax in nearby Florida markets, or use the full Florida property tax hub for all 67 counties.