What a Fort Lauderdale home costs each year
Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.
Suggestions as you type come from Google; the lookup uses free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.
Starts at $389,285 of value before exemptions. Typical use.
- Property tax$6,388
1.840% of $389,285, less $25,000 homestead exemption and less $26,411 additional homestead exemption
- Flat charges on the tax bill$895
City of Fort Lauderdale fire assessment, per unit (2027) $444 · City of Fort Lauderdale stormwater assessment, single family (2027) $451
- Electricity$1,953
1104 kWh a month $1,775 · City of Fort Lauderdale public service tax $178
- Water and sewer$1,478
5,000 gallons a month on City of Fort Lauderdale: water $53, sewer $70 a month
- Trash$661
1 cart (single family), $55 a month
- Home insurance$6,136
Typical premium $6,136
A typical Fort Lauderdale house costs about $17,500 a year: $7,280 property tax and charges, $1,480 water and sewer, $660 trash, $1,950 electricity, $6,140 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.
Rates checked Oct 22, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.
Ways to pay less
Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:
Seniors 65+ with limited income: Broward County's Low-Income Senior's Additional Homestead ExemptionExemption raised to $50,000 for the County portion
The Broward County Commission passed an ordinance increasing the Low-Income Senior's Additional Homestead Exemption from $25,000 to $50,000 for the County portion of the property tax bill effective beginning in the 2017 tax year. Requirements: 65 or older as of January 1, 2027, receive the Homestead Exemption on the property, AND have a combined household adjusted gross income for 2026 not exceeding $38,686.
How: Submit the Adjusted Gross Household Income Sworn Statement to the Broward County Property Appraiser's office on or before the March 1, 2027 deadline.
Disabled veterans: $5,000 exemption$5,000 off
$5,000 Veteran's Disability Exemption: the disability must be military service-related, incurred during wartime service or by misfortune, and at least 10% before January 1; the veteran must be a permanent resident of Florida.
How: A copy of your Certificate of Disability from the U.S. Government or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Pay your tax bill in November for 4% off4% off the bill
Broward tax bills paid in full get 4% off in November, 3% in December, 2% in January and 1% in February. Partial payments forfeit the discounts.
How: Pay the Broward County Tax Collector in full in November.
Money dates
- Nov 1in 8 daysProperty taxes become due November 1; paying in full in November takes 4% off (3% in December, 2% in January, 1% in February).
- Mar 1, 2027Deadline to timely file for the 2027 homestead exemption with the Broward County Property Appraiser.
- Apr 1Taxes not paid by March 31 become delinquent on April 1, when 3% interest and advertising costs are added.
- Sep 20, 2027Absolute deadline to late-file for any 2027 exemption if you missed the March 1, 2027 deadline.
Who serves this house
- Water
- City of Fort Lauderdale
- City of Fort Lauderdale single-family water rates effective 10/01/2026: a $14.32 monthly charge for a 5/8 inch meter plus, per 1,000 gallons, $5.30 for 0 to 3,000, $11.64 for 4,000 to 8,000, $14.57 for 9,000 to 12,000, $19.65 for 13,000 to 20,000 and $28.53 over 20,000.
- Property tax
- 1.84% of value
- 2026 tax year (fiscal year 2026-27), Broward County millage code 0312 (Ft Lauderdale)
- Garbage
- City of Fort Lauderdale sanitation
- Sanitation cart service: 954-828-8000
- Electricity
- Florida Power & Light (FPL)
- Residential Service (RS-1): $10.52 base charge a month plus per-kWh charges (October 2026)
- Schools
- Broward County School Board
- 6.2940 mills for 2026 plus 0.1587 mills of school board debt
Other FL cities
Cape Coral home costsCoral Springs home costsDavie home costsDunedin home costsFort Myers home costsHialeah home costsHollywood home costsLargo home costsMelbourne home costsNorth Port home costsOakland Park home costsPlantation home costsPort St. Lucie home costsRockledge home costsSarasota home costsSt. Petersburg home costsTitusville home costsVenice home costsWest Melbourne home costsWeston home costsWinter Springs home costsAltamonte Springs home costsClermont home costsMinneola home costsMargate home costsCasselberry home costsDestin home costsCocoa Beach home costsDeBary home costsNorth Miami home costsFort Walton Beach home costsBonita Springs home costsPalmetto Bay home costsMount Dora home costsCutler Bay home costsPompano Beach home costsSatellite Beach home costsEdgewater home costsCoral Gables home costsDeltona home costsHallandale Beach home costsLeesburg home costsPalm Coast home costsLongwood home costsBradenton home costsPinecrest home costsSunrise home costsTamarac home costsCocoa home costsLauderhill home costsNorth Miami Beach home costsClearwater home costsDania Beach home costsSunny Isles Beach home costsNorth Lauderdale home costsPanama City Beach home costsWilton Manors home costsPalmetto home costsAventura home costsOrmond Beach home costsKey Biscayne home costsTavares home costsFernandina Beach home costsTemple Terrace home costs
How these numbers are made
- Florida tax bills are public, but we calculate yours from public rates and the value you enter.
- Property tax: 18.4026 mills for Broward County millage code 0312 (Ft Lauderdale), 2026 final rates: County 5.6628; School Board 6.2940 plus 0.1587 debt; Children's Services Council 0.4500; North Broward Hospital District 1.2391; FIND 0.0270; SFWMD 0.2301; City 4.1193 operating plus 0.2216 voted debt. Parcels in the Hillsboro Inlet district (0311) or downtown DDA (9312) pay extra mills, and Sunrise Key and some neighborhoods carry other special levies, not included here.
- Homestead takes $25,000 off all taxes and up to $26,411 more off non-school taxes (we apply the full $26,411). The starting value is the Property Appraiser's July 2026 median assessed value of Fort Lauderdale single-family homes ($389,285), which reflects the Save Our Homes cap; the average assessed value is $733,395 and the median market value is $568,685. Tax-bill charges from the City's property tax page, 2027 column: fire assessment $444 per unit and single-family stormwater $451 a year.
- Water and sewer: City rates effective 10/01/2026 for a 5/8 inch meter. Sewer is modelled as $18.32 plus 3,000 gallons at $6.93 ($39.11 for the first 3 kgal) and $15.32 per kgal above. The city's 5,000 gallons/month average-customer example sets the typical use (6.68 CCF). Sanitation (trash) is a utility-bill charge: 1 cart $55.12 FY2027. Trash and water are not on the tax bill.
- Electricity: FPL RS-1 October 2026, $10.52 plus 12.258¢ per kWh up to 1,000 kWh and 14.258¢ above, plus a 10% municipal public service tax on electricity (Florida DOR database), applied to the whole bill (slightly overstates, the fuel charge is exempt). Typical use 1,104 kWh is EIA's 2024 Florida residential average. Gas is not modelled. Insurance: Florida OIR Broward average with wind ($6,136).
- Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.
- BCPA 2026 final millage table
- BCPA 2026 median values
- City FY2027 utility rate sheet
- City sanitation rates FY2025-2030
- City new utility rates page
- City: understanding your property tax notice
- FPL residential rates Oct 2026
- FPL tariff section 7
- EIA Table 5A
- Florida OIR July 2026
- Broward Tax Collector: your tax bill
- BCPA exemptions
- BCPA senior exemption
- Santa Rosa PA exemptions
- Florida DOR via Lee PA homestead adjustment
- Florida DOR public service tax database
- BCPA TRIM
How Fort Lauderdale compares
A typical Fort Lauderdale house against the 65 Florida cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.
| Per year | Fort Lauderdale | Median | Where it falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property tax rate | 1.84% | 1.80% | higher than 37 of the other 64 Florida cities we cover |
| Water | $642 | $495 | higher than 41 of the other 64 Florida cities we cover |
| Sewer and utility-bill fees | $836 | $851 | lower than 34 of the other 63 Florida cities we cover |
| Trash | $661 | $368 | higher than 55 of the other 61 Florida cities we cover |
| Electricity and gas | $1,953 | $1,953 | higher than 20 of the other 64 Florida cities we cover |
| Home insurance | $6,136 | $3,733 | higher than 48 of the other 63 Florida cities we cover |
| Total | $17,511 | $13,141 | higher than 58 of the other 64 Florida cities we cover |
Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.
Questions to ask your candidates
Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.
1. Trash
The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $661 a year for the standard cart, higher than 55 of the other 61 Florida cities we cover. Where trash is billed through the tax bill or a separate hauler, it is not counted here.
Ask: "Trash pickup here costs about $661 a year for the standard cart, higher than 55 of the other 61 Florida cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"
Common questions about Fort Lauderdale house costs
What is the property tax rate in Fort Lauderdale?
About 1.84% of the value before exemptions a year (2026 tax year (fiscal year 2026-27), Broward County millage code 0312 (Ft Lauderdale)), plus flat charges on the same bill (City of Fort Lauderdale fire assessment, per unit (2027) $444, City of Fort Lauderdale stormwater assessment, single family (2027) $451).
How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Fort Lauderdale?
About $9,321 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homestead exemption, including $895 of flat charges.
How much is the water bill in Fort Lauderdale?
About $123 a month for water and sewer at typical use (5,000 gallons a month) on City of Fort Lauderdale.
How much does trash pickup cost in Fort Lauderdale?
$55 to $98 a month, depending on the trash cart size (1 cart (single family), 2 carts (single family)).
When is property tax due in Fort Lauderdale?
Nov 1: Property taxes become due November 1; paying in full in November takes 4% off (3% in December, 2% in January, 1% in February).
Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes. Seniors 65+ with limited income: Broward County's Low-Income Senior's Additional Homestead Exemption: The Broward County Commission passed an ordinance increasing the Low-Income Senior's Additional Homestead Exemption from $25,000 to $50,000 for the County portion of the property tax bill effective beginning in the 2017 tax year. Requirements: 65 or older as of January 1, 2027, receive the Homestead Exemption on the property, AND have a combined household adjusted gross income for 2026 not exceeding $38,686.
Where can I get help paying utility bills in Fort Lauderdale?
Seniors 65+ with limited income: Broward County's Low-Income Senior's Additional Homestead Exemption: The Broward County Commission passed an ordinance increasing the Low-Income Senior's Additional Homestead Exemption from $25,000 to $50,000 for the County portion of the property tax bill effective beginning in the 2017 tax year. Requirements: 65 or older as of January 1, 2027, receive the Homestead Exemption on the property, AND have a combined household adjusted gross income for 2026 not exceeding $38,686. Submit the Adjusted Gross Household Income Sworn Statement to the Broward County Property Appraiser's office on or before the March 1, 2027 deadline.
How much does a house in Fort Lauderdale cost to run each year?
A typical Fort Lauderdale house costs about $17,500 a year: $7,280 property tax and charges, $1,480 water and sewer, $660 trash, $1,950 electricity, $6,140 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.