In the area I live, (the panhandle), property taxes are really low.
Gas taxes are high tho.
I also live in the panhandle. If your property taxes are low, it’s because of one of two things...or both.
You either have a crap home, or you’ve been protected by the Florida property tax welfare system, called “Save Our Homes,” which is nothing more than an organized way for long term residents to transfer much of their share of the property tax burden onto the renters, those with second homes in FL, and new FL residents.
Florida’s economy will suffer badly until they throw that unfair and unconstitutional law out and replace it with a property tax system that treats all citizens equally.
Young high school and college grads have little if any chance of being able to enjoy the “American Dream” if they remain residents of Florida.
By the way, I suggest that if you truthfully believe that property taxes are low in the FL panhandle that you pull up the Okaloosa County assessor's web page and take a look at the property taxes paid for some of those 3,000 sq/foot waterfront homes purchased 15-20 years ago in Fort Walton Beach, Niceville, Valporaiso, and compare what those residents are paying in property taxes to someone who owns a similar sized home that purchased it in 2005 or 2006.
Look at some of those nice early ‘80s homes along the waterfront on Bayshore in Niceville that are worth upwards of $1.5-$2Million but are paying property taxes on a an assessed value of less than $400K. Then look at any off-water home in Bluewater Bay, Swift Creek, Rocky Bayou Country Club Estates, or across the bridge in Destin and Sandestin that was purchased in 2005 or 2006. I can show you instances where homes on the water in Okaloosa county are taxed on an appraised value that's less than 1/4 of their current actual value, while many homes in the newer subdivisions I mentioned that were purchased in the last few years are taxed at 100% of current-day value or more.
The reason you use the word “average” to apply it to the tax level is that you have to average the thousands of residents who paying the property taxes for hundreds of thousands of long-term FL homeowners who turned their property tax system into another form of wealth redistribution.
Florida is NOT a low tax state for anyone thinking of renting or moving her from out of state, or anyone who made the mistake of moving to Florida in the past five years.