Current developer-published amenity fee for new buyers. An existing home’s contractual fee and adjustment schedule may differ.
Buyer Guide · Ownership Costs
Cost of Living in The Villages, Florida
A practical monthly budget for homeowners—including the amenity fee, property-tax and insurance estimates, utilities, and the address-specific charges you need to verify before buying.
Planning estimate—not a quote
Property taxes, insurance, bond balances, maintenance assessments, fire assessments, and utility use can vary by home and address. Purchase price is used here only as a proxy for the property appraiser’s future just value.
Separate the common costs from the address-specific costs
The published amenity fee and normal household services give you a useful starting point. A reliable total requires the home’s taxing jurisdiction, tax estimate, insurance quote, current bond information, district maintenance assessment, and any fire assessment.
Developer estimate combining trash, average sewer and water, and average gas/electric. Household use can move the result.
March 2026 countywide insurance averages across Sumter, Marion, and Lake. Obtain a quote for the specific home.
Tax jurisdiction, bond, CDD maintenance, fire assessment, insurance, lawn care, internet, and mortgage.
Three Purchase Prices
Worked monthly planning examples
Each table compares three example tax jurisdictions. These are not countywide rates. The property-tax row assumes homestead eligibility, uses 2025 certified millage, and uses purchase price as a planning proxy for future just value.
On a phone, swipe or scroll sideways to compare all three examples.
| Budget item | Sumter example | Marion example | Lake example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amenity fee published amount | $204 | $204 | $204 |
| Trash, water, sewer, gas/electric developer estimate | $198–$298 | $198–$298 | $198–$298 |
| Property tax modeled estimate | $177$2,122/year | $268$3,215/year | $280$3,362/year |
| Homeowners insurance countywide average | $175$2,105/year | $183$2,191/year | $221$2,650/year |
| Planning subtotal before address-specific costs | $754–$854 | $853–$953 | $903–$1,003 |
| Budget item | Sumter example | Marion example | Lake example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amenity fee published amount | $204 | $204 | $204 |
| Trash, water, sewer, gas/electric developer estimate | $198–$298 | $198–$298 | $198–$298 |
| Property tax modeled estimate | $302$3,627/year | $460$5,518/year | $482$5,780/year |
| Homeowners insurance countywide average | $175$2,105/year | $183$2,191/year | $221$2,650/year |
| Planning subtotal before address-specific costs | $879–$979 | $1,045–$1,145 | $1,105–$1,205 |
| Budget item | Sumter example | Marion example | Lake example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amenity fee published amount | $204 | $204 | $204 |
| Trash, water, sewer, gas/electric developer estimate | $198–$298 | $198–$298 | $198–$298 |
| Property tax modeled estimate | $428$5,131/year | $652$7,820/year | $683$8,198/year |
| Homeowners insurance countywide average | $175$2,105/year | $183$2,191/year | $221$2,650/year |
| Planning subtotal before address-specific costs | $1,005–$1,105 | $1,237–$1,337 | $1,306–$1,406 |
Add these for the specific home
Mortgage, current bond installment, CDD maintenance, fire assessment, lawn and pest service, internet, optional golf fees, and any other household costs. The Lake example above excludes any address-specific fire assessment. Not every home is inside a residential CDD.
Use the buyer’s likely value—not the seller’s bill
A sale can reset the assessed value. The seller may also have exemptions or Save Our Homes protection that will not carry forward to you. Taxing jurisdiction follows the parcel, not an area label or mailing address.
Use the exact address and expected purchase price in the property-tax calculator, then confirm the parcel with the county property appraiser.
Use county averages only as a starting point
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reported March 2026 countywide averages of $2,105 in Sumter, $2,191 in Marion, and $2,650 in Lake for homeowners policies including wind coverage.
A specific quote can be higher or lower. Roof, replacement value, carrier, coverage, and deductibles matter. Obtain quotes while the home is under inspection.
CDD Charges
Bond and maintenance must be checked by address
Many residential CDD areas use annual non-ad valorem assessments for infrastructure debt and ongoing district operations. The older Lady Lake/Lake County section is outside the residential CDD boundaries. A prior owner may also have prepaid a bond assessment on an individual home.
Read the current tax bill and use the applicable district and unit schedule. For the difference between the annual installment, scheduled balance, and exact payoff, read The Villages bond guide.
Method and official sources
Figures are dated because rates change. The examples use 2025 certified millage, the 2026 maximum homestead exemption, March 2026 insurance data published in July 2026, and the developer’s cost page reviewed September 2026.
- The Villages published cost estimates
- Florida Department of Revenue: 2026 homestead exemption
- Florida Department of Revenue: assessment after a sale
- Florida Office of Insurance Regulation: July 2026 report
- DistrictGov residential district directory
- DistrictGov Lady Lake/Lake County service-area explanation
FAQ
Cost of living in The Villages FAQs
There is no reliable community-wide total. The published amenity fee and normal household services provide a starting point, but property taxes, insurance, bond balance, district maintenance, fire assessment, lawn care, internet, mortgage, and utility use can vary. Use the examples on this page for planning, then verify the exact address.
No. The Villages has no traditional homeowners association and no HOA fee — owners pay a contractual amenity fee tied to each home’s deed. No HOA does not mean no rules: deed restrictions govern the property, and exterior changes need approval through an Architectural Review Application. Many homes also have annual CDD assessments, but the older Lady Lake/Lake County section is outside the residential CDD boundaries. Check the deed, tax bill, and district for the specific home.
No. A bond assessment repays bond-financed infrastructure and can end when the scheduled obligation is complete or the property assessment is prepaid. A maintenance assessment supports the district’s ongoing operations and infrastructure and is set through the annual budget. Not every Villages home is inside a residential CDD.
Not safely. A change of ownership can reset the assessed value, and the seller’s exemptions may not apply to you. Use the expected purchase price and exact taxing jurisdiction for a planning estimate, then confirm the parcel with the county property appraiser.
Florida’s July 2026 insurance report showed countywide averages of $2,105 in Sumter, $2,191 in Marion, and $2,650 in Lake for homeowners policies including wind coverage. Those are statistical averages, not quotes. Roof, replacement value, carrier, coverage, deductibles, and the specific home can change the premium materially.
Want the real numbers for a specific home?
Send me the address. I'll help you check its tax jurisdiction, current bond balance and annual installment, maintenance assessment, fire assessment, and the insurance questions to ask before you make an offer.