Hillsborough County · 2025 rates

Unincorporated Hillsborough County property tax for home buyers

Buying in unincorporated Hillsborough County? Your property tax is reset to the purchase price, so budget about $7,320 a year on a $400,000 home, not the seller's number on the listing.

Unincorporated Hillsborough County property tax at a glance

• Combined 2025 millage: 18.25 mills, or 1.83% of taxable value.
• A $400,000 purchase: about $7,320 a year, or $610 a month in escrow, before exemptions.
• Unincorporated Hillsborough County has the lowest combined rate of the 4 taxing districts we track in Hillsborough County.
• Its rate is higher than 67% of the 287 Florida taxing districts we track.
• Hillsborough County's parcel-weighted average is 1.87%, so unincorporated Hillsborough County is below the county average.
• The same $400,000 home costs about $600 a year less in unincorporated Hillsborough County than in Tampa (1.98%).

This is the typical residential rate for unincorporated Hillsborough County, which includes communities such as Brandon, Riverview, Ruskin, Lutz, Valrico, Seffner, Thonotosassa, Apollo Beach, Sun City Center, Wimauma, Gibsonton, Dover, Town N Country, Westchase, Carrollwood, Northdale, Citrus Park, Keystone, Odessa, Fishhawk, Bloomingdale, Progress Village, Egypt Lake Leto, University, Pebble Creek, Cheval, Lake Magdalene. 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 Hillsborough County by price

You'll pay about $7,320, not the seller's $4,000

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 Hillsborough County at 1.83%

• 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 $4,000 a year (assessed value minus up to $50,000 homestead).
• Your bill after buying at $400,000: about $7,320 a year before exemptions, roughly 1.8× the seller's. With your own homestead exemption it can drop to about $6,410.

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 Hillsborough 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
• Brandon flood zones — share of homes in FEMA flood zones, elevation, evacuation zones
• Riverview flood zones — share of homes in FEMA flood zones, elevation, evacuation zones
• Apollo Beach flood zones — share of homes in FEMA flood zones, elevation, evacuation zones

Checking a specific listing?

• House Detective — permit history, open code violations, flood forensics, and hidden red flags for a specific unincorporated Hillsborough County address
• Offer Recommender — the highest offer that wins without overpaying, from comparable sales and 40+ market signals

Other Hillsborough County tax rates

• All Hillsborough County taxing districts
• Tampa — 1.98%
• Temple Terrace — 1.95%
• Plant City — 1.83%

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.