What a Melbourne house pays
Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.
Sent only to free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.
Starts at the typical market value, $306,400; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.
- Property tax$4,714
1.783% of $306,400, less $25,000 homestead exemption and less $26,411 additional homestead exemption
- Flat charges on the tax bill$121
Brevard County solid waste disposal assessment (FY 2026-27) $77 · City of Melbourne stormwater assessment, $44 per ERU (FY 2026-27) $44
- Electricity$1,775
1104 kWh a month $1,775
- Water and sewer$1,679
7,000 gallons a month on City of Melbourne: water $58, sewer $82 a month
- Trash$215
One trash cart + recycling + yard trash (one flat rate), $18 a month
- Home insurance$3,532
Typical premium $3,532
A Melbourne house at the typical market value ($306,400) pays about $12,000 a year: $4,830 property tax and charges, $1,680 water and sewer, $220 trash, $1,780 electricity, $3,530 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.
Rates checked Oct 20, 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: extra exemptionExtra exemption on county and city taxes
Residents 65 and older whose income does not exceed the state maximum can get an additional exemption. On Melbourne tax notices it applies to the Brevard County general fund levy and the City of Melbourne levy.
How: Apply to the Brevard County Property Appraiser with the prior year's federal tax return and W-2/1099 statements.
$5,000 exemptions for widows, widowers, blind and disabled residents$5,000 off taxable value
The widow/widower, blind person and disability exemptions each take up to $5,000 off the taxable value of one property you own.
How: Apply to the Brevard County Property Appraiser.
Veterans with a service-connected disability: exemptions$5,000 off, or no property tax on the homestead
Veterans with a service-connected disability rated 10% to 100% can get up to $5,000 off taxable value; veterans with a service-connected total and permanent disability get a 100% exemption from property taxes on their homestead.
How: Apply to the Brevard County Property Appraiser with a certificate from the U.S. government or a letter from Veterans Affairs.
Pay your tax bill early for 4% off4% off the bill
The Brevard County Tax Collector gives 4% off for the first 30 days after bills are mailed (about November 1), 3% in December, 2% in January and 1% in February.
How: Pay within 30 days of the November mailing for the largest discount.
Money dates
- Nov 1in 9 daysProperty tax bills are mailed on or about November 1; paying in the first 30 days takes 4% off (3% in December, 2% in January, 1% in February).
- Mar 1Deadline to apply for the homestead exemption for that year with the Brevard County Property Appraiser.
- Apr 1Unpaid property taxes become delinquent and a 3% minimum charge is added.
Who serves this house
- Water
- City of Melbourne
- City of Melbourne inside-city rates from October 1, 2026: a monthly service charge per ERC plus a gallonage charge per 1,000 gallons
- Property tax
- 1.78% of value
- 2026 tax year (fiscal year 2026-27), Brevard County millage code 43K0 (City of Melbourne)
- Garbage
- Waste Management (WM), city franchise
- $17.93 a month for garbage, recycling and yard trash (rate from January 1, 2026)
- Electricity
- Florida Power & Light (FPL)
- Residential Service (RS-1): $10.52 base charge a month plus per-kWh charges (October 2026)
- Gas
- Utility gas
- 3,927 of 22,125 owner-occupied homes in Melbourne heat with utility gas; 17,303 heat with electricity (Census ACS 2020-2024)
- Schools
- Brevard Public Schools
- 6.3020 mills for 2026-27: 3.0540 required local effort, 0.7480 discretionary, 1.0000 voted, 1.5000 capital
Your water
- Source
- Lake Washington, part of the St. Johns River, treated at the John A. Buckley Surface Water Treatment Plant, plus the Floridan Aquifer.
- E. coli
- In 2025 the city had an E. coli positive repeat sample (April and May 2025), had to complete a Level 2 assessment and completed the one required corrective action.
- Sodium
- Sodium measured 104 ppm in 2025, under the 160 ppm limit.
- Disinfectant
- Chloramines are used to control microbes: highest running annual average 3.1 ppm in 2025 against a 4.0 ppm limit.
Other FL cities
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How these numbers are made
- Florida tax bills are public, but we calculate yours from public rates and the value you enter.
- Property tax: 17.8343 mills in total for Brevard County millage code 43K0 (City of Melbourne), 2026 tax year, final adopted rates: Brevard County 3.0942 general fund, 0.3240 library, 0.1339 mosquito control, 0.3144 South Brevard recreation and 0.0719 Environmentally Endangered Lands (0.0457 operating + 0.0262 voted debt); Brevard Public Schools 6.3020; City of Melbourne 6.9473 plus 0.2885 for the police headquarters bonds; St. Johns River Water Management District 0.1793; Florida Inland Navigation District 0.0270; Sebastian Inlet District 0.1518. Parcels in Melbourne's other millage code without the Sebastian Inlet District (51K0 in 2025) pay 0.1518 mills less.
- Homestead takes $25,000 off all taxes and up to $26,411 more off non-school taxes (we apply the full $26,411, which every home assessed at $76,411 or more gets). The typical value is the Census median market value; the Save Our Homes cap keeps many homesteads' assessed value lower.
- Non-ad valorem charges on the November 2026 tax bill: Brevard County solid waste disposal assessment $76.57 (one billing unit for a single-family residence) and the City of Melbourne stormwater assessment at $44 per ERU; we assume one ERU for a single-family home, and a larger lot or more pavement can mean more ERUs. Parcels in special districts such as the Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District or a CDD pay more assessments that are not included.
- Water and sewer (inside city, from October 1, 2026): water $12.02 a month plus $6.87 per 1,000 gallons; sewer $16.68 a month plus $9.65 per 1,000 gallons. Garbage: WM's City of Melbourne residential rate of $17.93 a month from January 1, 2026; it changes each January with inflation.
- Electricity: FPL rate RS-1 effective October 2026, $10.52 a month plus 12.258¢ per kWh up to 1,000 kWh and 14.258¢ above (energy, conservation, capacity, environmental, storm protection and fuel charges less the transition credit). Taxes and fees FPL adds to the bill are not included. Typical use, 1,104 kWh a month, is EIA's 2024 Florida residential average. Insurance: Florida OIR's Brevard County average homeowners premium with wind coverage ($3,532, March 2026); flood insurance is a separate policy and is not included.
- Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.
- BCPAO: 2026 Notice of Proposed Property Taxes, Melbourne parcel, millage code 43K0
- Brevard County Resolution 26-090: final millages FY 2026-27
- Brevard Public Schools: FY 2027 millage resolution (ESE 524)
- City of Melbourne: Sept. 23, 2026 budget hearing agenda packet (Resolution 4436, millage)
- City of Melbourne: Sept. 23, 2026 budget hearing transcript
- St. Johns River WMD: FY 2026-27 adopted budget
- Nassau County Property Appraiser: 2026 final millage rates (FIND)
- Sebastian Inlet District: October 14, 2026 meeting packet (final millage minutes)
- BCPAO: 2025 millage by tax district
- BCPAO: exemptions
- Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser: homestead exemption amounts
- Florida DOR (via Lee County PA): additional homestead exemption adjustment
- US Census ACS 2020-2024: median value, Melbourne FL
- US Census ACS 2020-2024: house heating fuel, Melbourne FL
- Brevard County: FY 2027 solid waste disposal rate resolution
- Brevard County Solid Waste: billing services
- City of Melbourne: Aug. 11, 2026 agenda packet (FY 2026-27 stormwater assessment roll)
- Brevard County Tax Collector: non-ad valorem assessments
- Brevard County Tax Collector: important dates and discount periods
- City of Melbourne: Oct. 14, 2025 agenda packet (WM solid waste rates from Jan. 1, 2026)
- City of Melbourne: Oct. 14, 2025 minutes
- WM: Melbourne residential service
- City of Melbourne Ordinance 2025-46: water and sewer rates
- City of West Melbourne: 2025 water quality report (City of Melbourne results)
- FPL: residential rates October 2026
- FPL: tariff section 7 (communities served)
- EIA: 2024 average monthly residential bill by state (Table 5A)
- Florida OIR: July 2026 Insurer Stability Unit report
How Melbourne compares
A typical Melbourne house against the 53 Florida cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.
| Per year | Melbourne | Median | Where it falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property tax rate | 1.78% | 1.78% | in the middle of 52 other Florida cities we cover |
| Water | $699 | $515 | higher than 39 of the other 52 Florida cities we cover |
| Sewer and utility-bill fees | $980 | $901 | higher than 29 of the other 51 Florida cities we cover |
| Trash | $215 | $364 | lower than 50 of the other 51 Florida cities we cover |
| Electricity and gas | $1,775 | $1,953 | lower than 39 of the other 52 Florida cities we cover |
| Home insurance | $3,532 | $3,733 | lower than 33 of the other 51 Florida cities we cover |
| Total | $12,036 | $12,935 | lower than 36 of the other 52 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. Water
The fact: Water here costs about $699 a year at typical use, higher than 39 of the other 52 Florida cities we cover.
Ask: "Water here costs about $699 a year at typical use, higher than 39 of the other 52 Florida cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"
2. Trash
The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $215 a year for the standard cart, lower than 50 of the other 51 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 $215 a year for the standard cart, lower than 50 of the other 51 Florida cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"
3. Electricity and gas
The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $1,775 a year, lower than 39 of the other 52 Florida cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.
Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $1,775 a year for a typical house, lower than 39 of the other 52 Florida cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"
Common questions about Melbourne house costs
What is the property tax rate in Melbourne?
About 1.78% of the value before exemptions a year (2026 tax year (fiscal year 2026-27), Brevard County millage code 43K0 (City of Melbourne)), plus flat charges on the same bill (Brevard County solid waste disposal assessment (FY 2026-27) $77, City of Melbourne stormwater assessment, $44 per ERU (FY 2026-27) $44).
How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Melbourne?
About $8,287 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homestead exemption, including $121 of flat charges.
How much is the water bill in Melbourne?
About $140 a month for water and sewer at typical use (7,000 gallons a month) on City of Melbourne.
How much does trash pickup cost in Melbourne?
$18 a month for a house.
When is property tax due in Melbourne?
Apr 1: Unpaid property taxes become delinquent and a 3% minimum charge is added.
Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Melbourne?
Yes. Seniors 65+ with limited income: extra exemption: Residents 65 and older whose income does not exceed the state maximum can get an additional exemption. On Melbourne tax notices it applies to the Brevard County general fund levy and the City of Melbourne levy.
How much does a house in Melbourne cost to run each year?
A Melbourne house at the typical market value ($306,400) pays about $12,000 a year: $4,830 property tax and charges, $1,680 water and sewer, $220 trash, $1,780 electricity, $3,530 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.