Florida's average effective property-tax rate is 0.94% of owner-occupied housing value. New Jersey is 2.21%, Illinois is 2.05%, and New York is 1.40%. Those figures are from the Tax Foundation's Facts & Figures 2025 dataset (property tax as a percent of owner-occupied housing value). The U.S. figure in the same table is 1.11%.
On a $350,000 value, the statewide averages imply about $3,290 a year in Florida, $7,735 in New Jersey, $7,175 in Illinois, and $4,900 in New York. That gap is why buyers leaving the Northeast and Chicago look at Southwest Florida. It is an average, not your future bill in Hendry County or Lee County.
Last updated October 29, 2026. General information, not a tax projection.
Florida vs New Jersey, Illinois, and New York
| Effective rate | Rank in the Tax Foundation table | Tax on an illustrative $350,000 value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 2.21% | 1 (highest) | $7,735 |
| Illinois | 2.05% | 2 | $7,175 |
| New York | 1.40% | 14 | $4,900 |
| United States | 1.11% | — | $3,885 |
| Florida | 0.94% | 25 | $3,290 |
Source: Tax Foundation, property tax as a percent of owner-occupied housing value, Facts & Figures 2025. Ranks and rates are statewide. A town in New Jersey can be far above 2.21%. A parcel in LaBelle can be above or below 0.94% depending on millage and exemptions.
The illustration does not include insurance. Florida wind and homeowners premiums can erase part of a tax savings. Price insurance before you decide the move "pays for itself."
Why Florida's bill is structured differently
Three Florida rules sit on top of the lower average rate:
- No state tax on personal income. Article VII of the Florida Constitution bars a state income tax on natural persons. New York, New Jersey, and Illinois tax wages. A household that keeps the same salary and moves to Florida stops paying that state income tax. Local wage taxes, if any, depend on where you work.
- Homestead lowers taxable value. For 2026 the base exemption is $25,000 on all taxing authorities, plus an additional exemption of up to $26,411 on non-school taxes for assessed value above $50,000. The additional amount is indexed. See the Florida Department of Revenue CPI sheet (revised January 2026).
- A 4% discount for paying in November. Section 197.162 is explained in Florida's early-payment discount.
Save Our Homes then caps later increases in assessed value at 3% or inflation, whichever is lower. For 2026 the cap is 2.7%, and it starts the year after homestead is granted. Read what new buyers should expect.
What people moving from those states still pay in Florida
Leaving a high property-tax state does not make Florida free.
- Documentary stamp tax on the deed is 70 cents per $100 of consideration in every Florida county except Miami-Dade, where the rate differs. LaBelle and Lehigh Acres are not in Miami-Dade. On a $350,000 deed, 70 cents per $100 is $2,450. Source: Florida Department of Revenue, documentary stamp tax and section 201.02. Who pays is a contract term. Ask the title company.
- The first year is often the expensive assessment year. Save Our Homes does not cap the year homestead is first granted.
- You must own and occupy the home as your permanent residence on January 1 to qualify for that year's homestead. A closing in June 2026 generally points at the 2027 roll, with a filing deadline the property appraiser publishes (commonly March 1). Confirm with the county.
- Rent-to-own delays homestead until you take title. The tax comparison above is an owner comparison. Our rent-to-own program is how many out-of-state families move in with $0 down while they prepare to buy.
A practical comparison before you leave New Jersey, Illinois, or New York
- Pull your current tax bill and your state income-tax return. You need both. Property tax alone understates the difference.
- Ask a Florida insurer for a quote on the model you want, not on a ZIP code average.
- Look at published prices, not a national median. M.J. Newell Homes lists new single-family homes from $316,900 in LaBelle (Hendry County, no HOA on our LaBelle homes) and from $346,900 in Lehigh Acres (Lee County). Current numbers are on each model page.
- Decide whether you are buying at closing or moving in first. Purchase uses your lender. Rent-to-own locks a price and credits part of the rent toward the future down payment and closing costs. The $0 down figure is to move in, not a promise that every later mortgage will be zero down.
Frequently asked questions
Are Florida property taxes always lower than New York, New Jersey, and Illinois?
The statewide effective rates in the Tax Foundation table are lower in Florida than in those three states. A specific house can break the pattern if the local millage is high, the home is not homesteaded, or you are comparing a small Florida condo bill with a long-time homestead in a New York town that has a large exemption. Use the county bill, not the state average, for a contract.
Does moving to Florida eliminate state income tax immediately?
Florida does not tax the income of a Florida resident. Your old state may still tax income you earned there, and it may have its own rules for part-year residents. A CPA in both states should time the move. We build houses. We do not prepare returns.
Can I buy from out of state without flying down first?
You can start online. You should still see the house. Schedule a visit or start with the out-of-state buyer questions.
Sources
- Tax Foundation, Facts & Figures 2025, table of property tax as a percent of housing value and Facts & Figures PDF
- Florida Constitution, Article VII
- Florida Department of Revenue, additional homestead exemption adjustment (January 2026)
- Florida Statute 201.02
Texas and California are a different comparison, because one has no income tax and high property tax, and the other has high income tax and lower property tax. That piece is Florida vs Texas and California.
