Palm Coast, FL Property Tax Rate and Millage: Exemptions and TRIM Notice

The property tax rate in Palm Coast, Florida for 2025 is about 18.17 mills on most parcels, which works out to roughly $18.17 in tax for every $1,000 of taxable value.1Flagler County Property Appraiser. 2025 Flagler County Tax Districts and Tax Rates That combined rate is not one tax but six, layered together by the county, the school district, the city, and three special districts. What you actually owe depends on your parcel’s taxable value after exemptions and any assessment cap, not on what your home would sell for.

The Six Taxing Authorities Behind Your Bill

A mill is one dollar of tax per $1,000 of taxable value.2Florida Department of Revenue. A Florida Homeowner’s Guide – Millage Each authority below sets its own rate, and the total shows up as a single aggregate millage on your bill:

  • Flagler County Board of County Commissioners: 8.1800 mills (7.9945 operating and 0.1855 voter-approved debt service)
  • Flagler County School Board: 5.3490 mills
  • City of Palm Coast: 4.0893 mills
  • East Flagler Mosquito Control: 0.3500 mills
  • St. Johns River Water Management District: 0.1793 mills
  • Florida Inland Navigation District: 0.0270 mills

For a typical Palm Coast parcel inside city limits and inside the mosquito control district, those add up to 18.1746 mills.1Flagler County Property Appraiser. 2025 Flagler County Tax Districts and Tax Rates A small number of parcels outside mosquito control coverage pay about 17.82 mills instead. Parcels in a community development district or the Palm Coast redevelopment area carry the same ad valorem millage but may pick up additional non-ad valorem assessments, which are flat charges (garbage, drainage, and the like) that don’t depend on property value. Your TRIM notice and November tax bill spell out which district you fall in.

Why Taxable Value Is Lower Than Market Value

The millage rate is only half the equation. It gets multiplied by your taxable value, which for most Palm Coast homeowners is well below what the house would sell for. The Flagler County Property Appraiser assigns three figures to every parcel:

  • Just value: the estimated market price as of January 1.
  • Assessed value: the just value after any assessment cap is applied.
  • Taxable value: the assessed value minus your exemptions. This is the number the millage rate is applied to.

All three appear on the Property Appraiser’s website for your parcel, and it’s worth checking them once a year.

The Save Our Homes Cap

If you have a homestead exemption, Florida limits annual increases in your assessed value to 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 193.155 – Homestead Assessments In a rising market, that gap widens year after year, which is why a long-time owner in Palm Coast can pay far less than the buyer of an identical house next door. The cap resets to full just value when the property changes hands, and the 3% clock starts over for the new owner.

The Non-Homestead 10% Cap

Second homes and rentals with nine or fewer units get a looser cap: assessment increases are limited to 10% per year.4The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 193.1554 – Assessment of Nonhomestead Residential Property It also resets after a change of ownership. If the appraiser later finds the cap was applied when it shouldn’t have been, the owner can be billed for back taxes, 15% annual interest, and a 50% penalty.

The Homestead Exemption

The standard homestead exemption is the largest tax break most Palm Coast homeowners will see, and its structure is worth understanding. The first $25,000 of assessed value is exempt from all property taxes. Nothing is exempt on the next $25,000 of value. A second $25,000 exemption applies to value above $50,000, but this second slice is exempt only from non-school levies.5The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 196.031 – Exemption of Homesteads For a home assessed at $75,000 or more, you effectively get $50,000 off for county and city purposes but only $25,000 off the value used for school taxes.

Florida offers additional exemptions layered on top of the homestead:

Applications go to the Flagler County Property Appraiser’s office. The deadline is generally March 1 of the tax year, and most exemptions renew automatically as long as your circumstances don’t change.

Estimating What You’ll Pay

Once you know your taxable value, the math is straightforward: divide taxable value by 1,000 and multiply by the millage rate. A homesteaded Palm Coast property with a taxable value of $200,000 in a standard tax district would owe about $200,000 ÷ 1,000 × 18.1746 = $3,635 in ad valorem taxes.1Flagler County Property Appraiser. 2025 Flagler County Tax Districts and Tax Rates The final bill can be higher because the Flagler County Tax Collector adds any non-ad valorem assessments before mailing it. In unincorporated Flagler County, for example, garbage collection alone runs $445.20 per unit for 2025.8Flagler County Tax Collector. Property Taxes

When to Pay and How to Pay Less by Paying Early

Bills go out by November 1, and Florida gives a sliding discount for paying early:9The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 197.162 – Tax Discount Payment Periods

  • November: 4% off
  • December: 3% off
  • January: 2% off
  • February: 1% off
  • March: full amount, no discount

On the $3,635 example above, paying in November instead of March saves roughly $145. Payments can be made through the Flagler County Tax Collector’s online portal or by mail.8Flagler County Tax Collector. Property Taxes

If paying the whole bill at once is difficult, the Tax Collector offers a quarterly installment plan for properties with estimated annual taxes over $100. The application is due by April 30.10Flagler County Tax Collector. Installment Payment Plan Installments fall on June 30 (6% discount), September 30 (4.5% discount), December 31 (3% discount), and March 31 (no discount).11The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 197.222 – Prepayment of Estimated Taxes by Installment Method Missing the first installment by July 31 cancels enrollment for the year, and the full amount is then due by March 31. Enrolled participants are rolled forward automatically each year.

Unpaid taxes become delinquent April 1 and start accruing interest at 18% per year, with a 3% minimum charge.12The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 197.172 – Interest Rates on Delinquent Taxes By June 1 the Tax Collector sells tax certificates on any parcel still in arrears, and an unredeemed certificate can eventually lead to loss of the property through a tax deed sale.13Florida Department of Revenue. Property Tax Calendar

Check the TRIM Notice Before the Bill Arrives

In August, the Property Appraiser mails every owner a Truth in Millage notice showing just, assessed, and taxable values, every exemption applied, and the proposed tax from each authority.14The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 200.065 – Method of Fixing Millage This is the moment to catch a missing exemption or an assessment that jumped in a way that doesn’t add up. The formal appeal window is short: 25 days from the TRIM mailing for valuation disputes, and 30 days from the denial notice for exemption denials.15The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 194.011 – Assessment Notice; Objections to Assessments Waiting for the November bill is too late.

Petitions go to the Flagler County Value Adjustment Board with a non-refundable $50 filing fee per parcel; contiguous, substantially similar undeveloped parcels can be combined at $50 for the first and $5 for each additional.16Flagler County Clerk and Comptroller. Value Adjustment Board A special magistrate hears the case, typically on evidence like recent comparable sales, an independent appraisal, or documentation of damage the appraiser didn’t account for. Before filing, a phone call to the Property Appraiser’s office is worth trying. Many valuation questions resolve informally once new information is on the table, and that path costs nothing.