Alachua County · 2025 rates
Unincorporated Alachua County property tax for home buyers
Buying in unincorporated Alachua County? Your property tax is reset to the purchase price, so budget about $7,640 a year on a $400,000 home, not the seller's number on the listing.
Unincorporated Alachua County property tax at a glance
- Combined 2025 millage: 19.09 mills, or 1.91% of taxable value.
- A $400,000 purchase: about $7,640 a year, or $637 a month in escrow, before exemptions.
- Unincorporated Alachua County has the lowest combined rate of the 10 taxing districts we track in Alachua County.
- Its rate is higher than 73% of the 287 Florida taxing districts we track.
- Alachua County's parcel-weighted average is 1.91%, so unincorporated Alachua County is in line with the county average.
- The same $400,000 home costs about $2,560 a year less in unincorporated Alachua County than in Archer (2.55%).
This is the typical residential rate for unincorporated Alachua County, which includes communities such as Tioga, Jonesville, Haile. Addresses in these areas often use a nearby city in their mailing address, but pay the unincorporated rate unless they are inside city limits. Fire and special districts can move the exact rate slightly.
Year-1 property tax in unincorporated Alachua County by price
| Purchase price | Year-1 tax (no exemption) | Monthly escrow | With homestead (as low as) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $5,730 | $478 | $4,770 |
| $400,000 | $7,640 | $637 | $6,680 |
| $500,000 | $9,550 | $796 | $8,590 |
| $750,000 | $14,330 | $1,194 | $13,370 |
You'll pay about $7,640, not the seller's $4,180
Florida's Save Our Homes cap limits how fast a homesteaded owner's assessed value can rise: 3% a year or inflation, whichever is lower. When the home sells, the cap resets and the property is reassessed at market value for the new owner's first full tax year. The tax bill on the listing is the seller's capped bill, not yours.
Illustrative example in unincorporated Alachua County at 1.91%
- The seller bought 10 years ago for $200,000 and has had a homestead exemption since. With the 3% cap, their assessed value is at most about $268,800 today, even if the home is now worth $400,000.
- Seller's bill: about $4,180 a year (assessed value minus up to $50,000 homestead).
- Your bill after buying at $400,000: about $7,640 a year before exemptions, roughly 1.8× the seller's. With your own homestead exemption it can drop to about $6,690.
In real sales the seller's bill is often even lower, because the cap follows inflation when inflation is under 3%. Budget from the purchase price, never from the listing's tax line.
Before you budget
Homestead exemption: if the home is your permanent residence on January 1 and you apply with the county property appraiser by March 1, up to $50,000 comes off your taxable value (the second $25,000 doesn't apply to school taxes, so real savings are a bit lower). Your first homesteaded year also starts your own 3% Save Our Homes cap.
Not included: non-ad valorem assessments such as CDD fees, solid waste, stormwater, and some fire or lighting districts. They appear on the same tax bill as flat charges and can add a few hundred to several thousand dollars a year, especially in newer CDD communities.
Estimate your costs
- Closing costs and tax escrow for a home in unincorporated Alachua County — free, pre-filled with this tax rate
- True Cost Calculator — monthly cost of ownership for a specific address
- Save Our Homes explained — why the seller's tax bill doesn't transfer
Checking a specific listing?
- House Detective — permit history, open code violations, flood forensics, and hidden red flags for a specific unincorporated Alachua County address
- Offer Recommender — the highest offer that wins without overpaying, from comparable sales and 40+ market signals
Other Alachua County tax rates
- All Alachua County taxing districts
- Archer — 2.55%
- Waldo — 2.55%
- Hawthorne — 2.54%
- High Springs — 2.25%
- Gainesville — 2.21%
- La Crosse — 2.21%
- Alachua — 2.18%
- Newberry — 2.14%
- Micanopy — 2.06%
Rates are 2025 combined millage (all taxing authorities: county, school board, city, water management and special districts) from county property appraiser and tax collector millage sheets and Florida Department of Revenue taxing-authority reports. Estimates multiply the purchase price by the combined rate. The property appraiser's just value is often somewhat below the sale price, so treat these as a conservative budget, not a bill. Rates are set each fall, and your parcel's exact district can differ.
Frequently asked questions
What is the property tax rate in unincorporated Alachua County?
The 2025 combined millage for Unincorporated Alachua County (Suwannee MSTU-Law typical) is 19.09 mills, about 1.91% of taxable value, before non-ad valorem assessments like CDD or solid waste fees.
How much are property taxes on a $400,000 home in unincorporated Alachua County?
About $7,640 a year ($637 a month) once the home is reassessed at the purchase price, before the homestead exemption. With homestead it's up to $960 a year less.
Why is the seller's property tax bill lower than mine will be?
Save Our Homes caps a homesteaded owner's assessed value increases at 3% a year or inflation, whichever is lower. The cap resets on sale, so the buyer's first full-year bill is based on market value. A long-time owner's bill can be half of what a new buyer pays.