The millage rate, the homestead exemption, the senior exemption that most buyers don't claim, Save Our Homes, and portability — here's the complete picture with real math at South Hillsborough home prices.
Sun City Center sits in unincorporated Hillsborough County — not within the City of Tampa or any other incorporated municipality. This matters because the unincorporated millage rate is lower than the rate for homes inside Tampa city limits.
| Jurisdiction | Approx. Combined Millage Rate | Annual Tax on $300K Taxable Value |
|---|---|---|
| Unincorporated Hillsborough (SCC, KP, Wimauma) | ~17.9 mills | ~$5,370 |
| City of Tampa | ~19.7 mills | ~$5,910 |
| City of Brandon (unicorp.) | ~17.9 mills | ~$5,370 |
Millage rates change annually with county budget cycles. Figures shown reflect approximate 2023–2024 rates. Verify current rates with Hillsborough County Tax Collector before closing.
One mill = $1 per $1,000 of taxable value. At 17.9 mills, a home with $300,000 in taxable value produces a tax bill of $5,370/year before exemptions. The exemptions are where the real savings come in.
Any Florida homeowner who makes the property their primary residence and applies by March 1 qualifies for the standard homestead exemption — $50,000 off assessed value. This is not automatic; you must file with the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser.
This is the exemption most buyers from out of state don't know about — and it's worth nearly $900/year. Hillsborough County offers an additional $50,000 off assessed value for homeowners who are:
• Age 65 or older, AND
• Have total household income below approximately $36,614 (2024 threshold, adjusted annually)
Combined with the standard homestead exemption, qualifying seniors get $100,000 off their assessed value.
That's $895/year in savings compared to the standard exemption alone — compounding annually. Over 10 years at 3% tax growth, the cumulative savings approach $10,000.
Income threshold: The $36,614 income limit is household income, not per-person. If you and a spouse have combined Social Security, pension, and investment income above that threshold, you may not qualify — even if either individual income is below the limit. Verify with the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser before assuming you qualify.
Once you establish homestead in Florida, the annual increase in your home's assessed value is capped at 3% or the Consumer Price Index — whichever is lower. In practice this means 3% most years.
In a market where home values rise 6–8% per year, Save Our Homes creates a growing gap between market value and assessed value. A buyer who paid $295,000 in 2020 might have a market value of $385,000 in 2024 — but their taxable assessed value (before exemptions) would be capped at approximately $332,000. That gap represents real tax savings that compound over time.
The practical implication: long-term SCC and Kings Point residents often have assessed values significantly below market value, making their effective tax rate lower than what new buyers pay. This is a genuine advantage of buying early in a rising market and staying put.
| Year | Market Value | SOH Cap (3%/yr) | Tax Bill (std exemption only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (purchase) | $295,000 | $295,000 | $4,385/yr |
| Year 5 | $360,000 | $332,000 | $5,042/yr |
| Year 10 | $435,000 | $385,000 | $5,997/yr |
| Year 10 (without SOH cap) | $435,000 | $435,000 | $6,893/yr |
| 10-year SOH savings | ~$4,900 | ||
If you're selling a Florida home where you've accumulated Save Our Homes benefit, you can transfer up to $500,000 of that accumulated benefit to your new Florida home. This is called portability, and it can dramatically reduce your tax bill in the first year in Sun City Center.
Example: if your previous Florida home has a market value of $450,000 and an assessed value of $280,000 due to years of SOH capping, you have $170,000 of portable SOH benefit. You can apply that toward your new SCC home, reducing your assessed value by up to $170,000 from the first year.
Portability must be filed within 3 years of establishing your previous homestead. If you abandoned your previous Florida homestead more than 3 years ago, the benefit is lost. File through the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser's office when you establish your new homestead.
Portability math tip: Calculate your portable SOH benefit before shopping. If you have a large benefit transferable from your current Florida home, it may be worth comparing how different purchase prices affect your taxable value after portability — sometimes buying a slightly higher-priced home with portability applied produces a lower tax bill than a lower-priced home without it.
A critical point that trips up buyers: Florida's homestead exemption, senior exemption, and Save Our Homes cap reduce only your ad valorem (assessed value-based) property tax. They have no effect on the CDD assessment, which is a flat charge based on the bond — not your property value.
If you're buying in Valencia Lakes or Regency at Waterset, your exemptions reduce your regular tax bill but the $1,500–$2,000/year CDD is charged in full regardless of your age, income, or exemption status. Full CDD guide →
| Purchase Price | Standard Exemption Only | With Senior Exemption | With Portability ($100K) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $185,000 | $2,421/yr | $1,526/yr | $1,526/yr* |
| $250,000 | $3,585/yr | $2,690/yr | ~$1,793/yr |
| $320,000 | $4,838/yr | $3,943/yr | ~$3,047/yr |
| $400,000 | $6,269/yr | $5,374/yr | ~$4,478/yr |
| $500,000 | $8,057/yr | $7,162/yr | ~$6,265/yr |
*$185K home: standard + senior exemptions together exceed assessed value at this price point, so portability has no additional effect at that price. Portability column assumes $100,000 portable SOH benefit. All figures use 17.9 mills unincorporated Hillsborough rate. Verify with Hillsborough County Property Appraiser.