Tavares, FL · Updated Oct 2026

What a Tavares 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.

Example · a Tavares house

$10,596a year · $883 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $254,500; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$4,138
1.959% of $254,500, less $25,000 homestead exemption and less $26,411 additional homestead exemption
Electricity$2,238
1104 kWh a month $2,035 · City of Tavares 10% public service tax on electricity $203
Water and sewer$1,209
7,000 gallons a month on City of Tavares: water $33, sewer $57, single-family stormwater rate $10 a month
Trash$362
Residential monthly charge (twice-weekly garbage pickup), $30 a month
Home insurance$2,650
Typical premium $2,650

A Tavares house at the typical market value ($254,500) pays about $10,600 a year: $4,140 property tax and charges, $1,210 water and sewer, $360 trash, $2,240 electricity, $2,650 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: up to $50,000 off the assessed value for county taxes, up to $25,000 for Tavares'Up to $50,000 off assessed value
Florida law provides an additional exemption for Senior Citizens over 65 with a homestead exemption and adjusted gross household income of no more than $38,686. Lake County authorizes it up to $50,000 and Tavares up to $25,000.
How: Apply to the Lake County Property Appraiser between January 2 and March 1; household income documents are due by May 1.
$5,000 exemptions for widows and widowers and for totally and permanently disabled owners$5,000 off assessed value
The widow/widower exemption and the disability exemption each reduce the assessed value of your property by $5,000.
How: Apply to the Lake County Property Appraiser by March 1; the widow/widower exemption needs a copy of the death certificate, the disability exemption Form DR-416 or a Social Security letter.
Veterans with a service-connected disability: $5,000 exemption$5,000 off assessed value
This exemption reduces the assessed value by $5,000 for a Florida resident honorably discharged veteran with a service-connected disability of 10 percent or more.
How: Apply by March 1 of the year you wish the exemption to begin, with a letter from the U.S. Government or the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as proof.
Pay your tax bill by November 30 for 4% off4% off the bill
The Lake County Tax Collector gives a 4% discount if paid in full by November 30, 3% by December 31, 2% by January 31 and 1% by February 28.
How: Pay the Lake County Tax Collector; for mailed payments, the postmark sets the discount.
Four free bulk item pickups each fiscal year4 free pickups a year
The city offers 4 free bulk item pickups per fiscal year (Oct. 1 - Sep. 30), each up to 2 cubic yards.
How: Place bulk items away from your cart on your bulk collection day.
Free household trash drop-off at the Lake County LandfillFree for city residents
Disposal of household trash is free for any City of Tavares resident with a valid ID at the Lake County Landfill on County Road 561, Tavares.
How: Bring a valid ID; call 352-343-3776 ahead for hours.

Adjust to match your bills

What you know

Value before exemptionsUse the assessed value on your TRIM notice or property record card: with the Save Our Homes cap, a long-held homestead is often assessed well below market value. Not included: the City of Tavares fire assessment, a separate charge on the tax bill whose per-home amount we could not find; check your TRIM notice or tax bill.

I live here and have the Homestead exemption and Additional homestead exemption

Home insurance, a yearFrom your policy. We start at $2,650, Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, July 2026 Insurer Stability report: Lake County average homeowners premium including wind, data as of March 31, 2026.

Your use

Water, thousands of gallons a month

On your water bill. A typical house uses 5,000–8,000 gallons.

Electricity, kWh a month

On your Duke Energy Florida bill. An electric car adds about 300 kWh.

Money dates

Nov 1in 9 daysLake County property tax collection begins November 1; paying in full by November 30 takes 4% off (3% by December 31, 2% by January 31, 1% by February 28).
Mar 1Deadline to apply for the homestead exemption with the Lake County Property Appraiser.
Mar 31The gross amount of the property tax bill must be paid by March 31.
Apr 1Unpaid taxes become delinquent on April 1, when 3% statutory interest is added.

Who serves this house

Water: City of Tavares; City of Tavares inside-city single-family water rates effective 10/01/2026: a monthly base charge plus a usage rate per 1,000 gallons in four blocks.
Property tax: 1.96% of value; 2026 tax year (fiscal year 2026-27), Lake County final millage, taxing authority code 000T (Tavares)
Garbage: City of Tavares Solid Waste Division; Twice-per-week collection for over 7,200 residential accounts
Schools: Lake County School Board; 6.0540 mills for 2026 (3.0560 state required local effort plus 2.9980 local)

Pay or manage your bills

Other FL cities

How these numbers are made

Florida tax bills are public, but we calculate yours from public rates and the value you enter.
Property tax: 19.5866 mills in total for Lake County taxing authority code 000T (Tavares), 2026 final rates from the Lake County Property Appraiser: county general fund 5.0254, voted debt service 0.0719, ambulance MSTU 0.4629, Lake County Water Authority 0.2940, School Board 6.0540 (3.0560 required local effort plus 2.9980 local), North Lake County Hospital District 0.4046, St. Johns River Water Management District 0.1793, City of Tavares 6.9610 and City voted debt 0.1335. The city also budgets a fire assessment fee for fiscal year 2026-27, which appears on the tax bill; we did not find its residential amount (the adopted budget gives only the fund total, not a per-home charge), so it is NOT included and your bill will be higher by that amount. Cresswind Lake Harris CDD parcels carry the same millage but may have CDD charges; not included. HOA dues are not included.
Homestead takes $25,000 off all taxes and up to $26,411 more off non-school taxes. The starting value is the Census median market value; Save Our Homes keeps many homesteads' assessed value lower, so enter your assessed value.
Water, sewer, garbage and stormwater (City of Tavares rates, inside city): water $18.10 a month plus $1.40, $2.03, $3.28 and $4.41 per 1,000 gallons in blocks breaking at 3,000, 7,000 and 14,000 gallons (effective 10/01/2026); we add the City's 10% public service tax on water (Florida Department of Revenue database) into the water prices. Sewer $26.67 a month plus $4.57 per 1,000 gallons capped at 14,000 gallons; the public service tax is not applied to sewer. Garbage $30.14 a month (rates 02/01/2026 to 01/31/2027); stormwater $10.45 a month for a single-family home.
Electricity: Duke Energy Florida residential rate RS-1 effective October 1, 2026, with BA-1 per-kWh charges added, using a seasonal weighted average (3 winter months, 9 other months) of the non-fuel rate; plus the City's 10% public service tax on electricity. The City's adopted budget lists franchise fee revenue from electric, but we did not find how or whether a franchise fee appears as a line on Duke bills in Tavares, so no franchise fee is included and the electric cost may be understated. This page assumes Duke Energy Florida; we did not find which utility serves most Tavares homes. Parts of Tavares are served by SECO (Sumter Electric Cooperative) at different rates that are not modeled; we could not source which utility serves most homes. Typical use 1,104 kWh is the EIA Florida residential average. Natural gas is not modeled.
Insurance: Florida OIR's Lake County average homeowners premium with wind coverage ($2,650, data as of March 31, 2026); flood insurance is a separate policy and is not included.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

Common questions about Tavares house costs

What is the property tax rate in Tavares?

About 1.96% of the value before exemptions a year (2026 tax year (fiscal year 2026-27), Lake County final millage, taxing authority code 000T (Tavares)), plus flat charges on the same bill.

How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Tavares?

About $8,946 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homestead exemption.

How much is the water bill in Tavares?

About $101 a month for water and sewer at typical use (7,000 gallons a month) on City of Tavares.

How much does trash pickup cost in Tavares?

$30 a month for a house.

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Tavares?

Yes. Seniors 65+ with limited income: up to $50,000 off the assessed value for county taxes, up to $25,000 for Tavares': Florida law provides an additional exemption for Senior Citizens over 65 with a homestead exemption and adjusted gross household income of no more than $38,686. Lake County authorizes it up to $50,000 and Tavares up to $25,000.

How much does a house in Tavares cost to run each year?

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