City or county millage, the post-sale reset, the homestead deadline and the November ballot question, in the order a buyer runs into them

Couple reviewing property taxes

By David Myers, Broker Associate · NonaOrlandoProperties.com · Last updated October 2026

A Lake Nona tax bill depends first on whether the home is inside the City of Orlando or in unincorporated Orange County, and an Orlando mailing address does not settle that. City homes pay the City of Orlando's 6.6500 mills; unincorporated homes pay the county's fire and unincorporated millages instead, a combined 4.6480 mills, and every home pays the 4.4347-mill countywide rate. The seller's tax bill is not a guide, because a sale resets the assessed value to market value on the next January 1. A buyer who owns and lives in the home on January 1 can file for homestead by March 1 and cap future assessment growth at 3 percent or the change in CPI, whichever is lower. On November 3, 2026, Florida voters decide Amendment 3, which would raise the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with a five-year phase-in for new residents.

Out-of-state buyers usually ask about HOA and CDD fees first. Property taxes deserve the same attention, because the figure on a listing is the seller's bill, not yours.

Here is how the bill is built, why the seller's number will not be yours, and what the November ballot could change.

Is Lake Nona in the City of Orlando or unincorporated Orange County?

Large parts of Lake Nona are inside the City of Orlando, but an Orlando mailing address does not prove a home is in the city. Check each address.

The City of Orlando maps Lake Nona South, Education Village and NorthLake Park at Lake Nona as city neighborhoods in Commissioner District 1. The city itself warns that an address reading "Orlando" may be in unincorporated Orange County or another city, so the ZIP code (32827 or 32832) does not answer the question.

Check each address with the city's Check Your Address map. The seller's most recent tax bill is a second check: a City of Orlando line on it means the home is in the city.

The answer changes more than the tax rate. City homes are served by the Orlando Police Department and Orlando Fire Department; unincorporated homes are served by the Orange County Sheriff's Office and Orange County Fire Rescue.

How do City of Orlando and Orange County tax rates compare?

Every Lake Nona home pays Orange County's 4.4347-mill countywide rate. A city home adds the City of Orlando's 6.6500 mills; an unincorporated home adds 2.8437 mills for county fire and 1.8043 mills for unincorporated services, 4.6480 in total.

A mill is one dollar of tax per $1,000 of taxable value. On $100,000 of taxable value, the city portion is $665.00 and the two unincorporated millages together are $464.80. School, water management district and other levies appear on every bill in both areas, so these lines are only part of the total.

Millages that differ between city and unincorporated Lake Nona homes
Orange County countywide (all homes) 4.4347 mills, unchanged since 2008
City of Orlando (city homes only) 6.6500 mills in FY 2025-26; the city proposed keeping 6.65 for FY 2026-27
County Fire and EMS (unincorporated) 2.8437 mills, FY 2026-27
County unincorporated millage (unincorporated) 1.8043 mills, FY 2026-27

A lower millage is not automatically a cheaper house. Compare the full estimated bill, including any CDD assessment, and the services each government provides.

Why won't the seller's tax bill match yours?

Florida's Save Our Homes cap limits a homesteaded owner's assessment growth, and a sale resets the assessed value to market value on the next January 1.

Under Save Our Homes, the assessed value of a homesteaded home can rise no more than 3 percent a year or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. An owner who has held a Lake Nona home for years may be paying on an assessed value well below what the house sells for.

When the home sells, the Florida Department of Revenue says the cap is lost and the property is assessed at just value the following January 1. Your first full bill is based on roughly what you paid, not on the seller's capped figure. Ask your lender to escrow on the purchase price, not on last year's bill.

How does the Lake Nona homestead exemption work, and when do you file?

If you own the home and make it your permanent Florida residence by January 1, you can file for homestead with the Orange County Property Appraiser by March 1 of that year.

The exemption takes $25,000 off the assessed value for all taxes and an additional amount off assessed value above $50,000 for non-school taxes. That second amount is now adjusted for inflation; the combined exemption for 2026 is $51,411. Homestead also starts the Save Our Homes cap on future increases.

The property appraiser accepts applications online at exemption.ocpafl.org. Eligibility requires recorded title, residence on the property and permanent Florida residency as of January 1. A buyer closing in, say, February 2027 cannot claim homestead for 2027 and files for 2028.

Selling a homesteaded Florida home to buy in Lake Nona? Portability lets you move up to $500,000 of accumulated Save Our Homes savings to the new home if you establish it within three years. File Form DR-501T with the new application.

What would Amendment 3 on the November 3, 2026 ballot change?

Amendment 3 would raise the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then adjust it for inflation. It needs 60 percent of the vote to pass.

School taxes are not affected; the $25,000 school exemption stays. The amendment would also cut the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property, such as second homes and rentals, from 10 percent to 5 percent for non-school taxes. Save Our Homes and portability stay as they are.

The residency rule matters to relocators. As written, people who were permanent Florida residents as of December 31, 2026 qualify for the larger exemption in 2027. New residents after that start with a $50,000 non-school exemption and become eligible for the larger amount after four years of keeping a Florida homestead, starting January 1 of the fifth year. Implementing legislation could add procedures, so confirm the rule with the property appraiser before you plan around it.

Orange County estimates the amendment would reduce county property tax revenue by about $165 million in 2027 and $275 million in 2028, and says it has made no decisions on service cuts. If voters approve it, the first bills affected arrive in November 2027.

What else shows up on a Lake Nona property tax bill?

Non-ad valorem assessments, such as a Community Development District assessment, can appear on the same bill, and paying early earns a discount of up to 4 percent.

A CDD assessment is not a tax rate and is not reduced by homestead. It is a fixed charge tied to the district's bonds and operations. Our Lake Nona CDD fees guide explains how to find the figure for a specific address.

Orange County tax bills go out in November. Florida law sets the early-payment discount at 4 percent in November, 3 percent in December, 2 percent in January, 1 percent in February and none in March. Buyers with a mortgage escrow usually have the bill paid by the loan servicer; ask yours when it pays.

How do you estimate the taxes on a Lake Nona home before you make an offer?

Start from the price you expect to pay, subtract the exemptions you will qualify for, apply the full millage for that tax district, then add any CDD or other non-ad valorem assessment.

  1. Confirm city or unincorporated with the Check Your Address map.
  2. Pull the seller's latest bill to see every taxing authority and any non-ad valorem lines.
  3. Use your expected purchase price as the starting value, not the seller's assessed value.
  4. Subtract homestead only if you will own and occupy the home by January 1.
  5. Remember the school portion is calculated with only the $25,000 school exemption.
  6. Add the CDD assessment, then compare the result with your lender's escrow estimate.

Comparing homes across Lake Nona? Our Lake Nona neighborhoods guide lists every community, and the utilities page covers the other monthly bills.

Pros, Cons and Our Take

Pros

  • Save Our Homes caps a homesteaded owner's assessment growth at 3 percent or CPI, whichever is lower
  • The combined 2026 homestead exemption takes $51,411 off assessed value for non-school taxes
  • Orange County has held its countywide rate at 4.4347 mills since 2008
  • Paying in November earns a 4 percent discount

Cons

  • A sale resets the assessment, so the seller's bill understates yours
  • The City of Orlando millage is higher than the two unincorporated millages combined
  • CDD assessments add to many bills and are not reduced by homestead
  • If Amendment 3 passes, residents who arrive after 2026 wait years for the larger exemption

Our Take

Do not budget a Lake Nona purchase from the listing's tax figure. Confirm city or county, run the estimate on your own price, and file homestead the first January you qualify. Watch the November 3 result: if Amendment 3 passes, the date you become a Florida resident will matter more than it does today.

What the Neighbors Know

Owners who bought years ago and kept homestead pay on capped assessments, while recent buyers pay on their purchase price. Two similar houses on the same Lake Nona street can carry very different tax bills for that reason alone.

Browse every community in our Lake Nona neighborhoods guide.

Official Sources

Buying or selling in Lake Nona? Call/Text David Myers at 407.801.3286 or use the contact form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lake Nona in the City of Orlando?

Large parts of Lake Nona are inside the City of Orlando, but an Orlando mailing address does not prove a home is in the city. Check each address with the city's Check Your Address map.

What is the City of Orlando property tax rate?

The City of Orlando levied 6.6500 mills for FY 2025-26 and proposed keeping 6.65 for FY 2026-27. Unincorporated homes pay 2.8437 mills for county fire and 1.8043 mills for unincorporated services instead.

When is the homestead exemption deadline in Orange County?

March 1. You must own the home and make it your permanent Florida residence by January 1 of that tax year.

Will my taxes be the same as the seller's?

Usually not. A sale resets the assessed value to market value on the next January 1, so the seller's capped assessment does not carry over.

What would Amendment 3 do for Lake Nona homeowners?

If 60 percent of voters approve it on November 3, 2026, the non-school homestead exemption rises to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. School taxes are unchanged, and new residents after 2026 start with a $50,000 exemption.