The short version: Bushnell is in Sumter County, and the Sumter County Property Appraiser’s main office is in Bushnell. Inside city limits, the certified 2026 city millage is 3.3061 mills, added to the county total of 9.8221 mills plus a fire district levy. The City provides electric, water and wastewater service and sets zoning for newly annexed land. None of The Villages’ residential district pages lists Bushnell. Sumter County has no designated hurricane evacuation zone, but it tells people in low-lying areas and in mobile or manufactured homes to consider other shelter.
Bushnell, FL at a glance
| County | Sumter County (county seat) |
|---|---|
| History | Post office opened October 28, 1885; incorporated 1911; named for John W. Bushnell, who brought the railroad |
| Government | Five-member City Council (Mayor, Vice Mayor and three members, four-year terms) and a City Manager |
| City utilities | Electric, water and wastewater divisions; sanitation through Public Works |
| Planning | Comprehensive plan amendments and zoning of newly annexed parcels; the City publishes an annexation checklist and timeline |
| 2026 millage (certified) | City of Bushnell 3.3061 millsAdded to the Sumter County total of 9.8221 (county 4.8900, schools 4.7490, water board 0.1831), plus a fire district levy |
| Records | Sumter County Property Appraiser (main office 218 E. McCollum Ave., Bushnell) and Sumter County Tax Collector |
| Flood program | Sumter County floodplain management is a consolidated service with all five cities |
| Landmark | Dade Battlefield Historic State Park, 7200 Battlefield Pkwy., Bushnell 33513, a National Historic Landmark |
From the City of Bushnell’s home, history, City Council, utilities and planning pages, the Sumter County Property Appraiser’s certified 2026 millage, Sumter County Emergency Management and Floodplain Management, and Florida State Parks. Checked October 10, 2026.
What “inside city limits” changes in Bushnell
The Sumter County Property Appraiser explains it plainly: each city is its own taxing district, and a property in the City of Bushnell adds the city’s millage to the county total. For 2026 the certified numbers are 9.8221 mills for the county total and 3.3061 for the City of Bushnell. One mill is one dollar per $1,000 of taxable value, so the city line adds about $661 a year on $200,000 of taxable value. A fire district levy is added on top, and the parcel’s location decides which one: the table lists 4.6000 mills for the Sumter County Fire District and 0.0464 for The Villages Fire District.
The other change is utilities. The City of Bushnell runs electric, water and wastewater divisions and a sanitation division. A buyer should confirm which of those services the specific house receives, and get recent bills, before setting a monthly budget.
Land at the edge of town
The City’s planning and zoning department handles comprehensive plan amendments, assigns land use and zoning to newly annexed parcels, and publishes an annexation checklist and timeline along with its land development regulations. If you are buying acreage or a home near the city line and care about city services or zoning, ask the City before you close, not after. Survey, zoning, outbuildings and the utility setup belong in the same conversation.
Flood and storm checks
Sumter County’s protective actions page says the county is not in a designated evacuation zone because it is an interior county. It still says people in low-lying or flood-prone areas, in manufactured, modular or mobile homes, and in RV parks should consider other shelter. The County’s floodplain management office is a consolidated service with all five cities, handles flood zone determinations and elevation certificate review, and runs a public flood risk portal. Pair that with the FEMA Flood Map Service Center and the seller’s written flood disclosure.
Bushnell and The Villages
The District Government places The Villages’ Sumter County residential districts in unincorporated Sumter County (Districts 1 to 3 and 5 to 10) or in the City of Wildwood (Districts 12, 13, 15 and 16). None lists Bushnell. If you are touring both, the useful comparison is the monthly cost, including the fire district line above, not the label. If you are weighing a Wildwood or Villages address too, see Wildwood and The Villages guide.
Bushnell is also home to Dade Battlefield Historic State Park, established in 1921 at the site of Dade’s Battle of 1835.
How I’d price and sell a Bushnell home
- Read the bill line by line.
City line or not, which fire district, homestead status and any special assessment, from the Sumter County Property Appraiser record and the Sumter County Tax Collector bill.
- Document the utilities.
City electric, water and wastewater accounts, or well and septic records if the parcel is outside the system.
- Treat land as land.
Survey, zoning (city or county), outbuilding permits and access. On acreage these matter as much as square footage.
- Compare with the right sales.
Bushnell and nearby Sumter County sales outside The Villages first. Villages sales only explain the monthly-cost difference.
- Price from your net.
Start with the seller net sheet, then set the list price.
A Sumter County listing in Lakeside Landings. Same county records and tax-bill reading as a Bushnell sale. See the listing.
Questions people ask about Bushnell, FL
Is Bushnell part of The Villages?
No. The District Government’s residential district pages place The Villages’ Sumter County districts in unincorporated Sumter County or the City of Wildwood, and none lists Bushnell. Bushnell is its own city and the Sumter County seat.
What does living inside Bushnell city limits add to my tax bill?
The City of Bushnell’s certified 2026 millage is 3.3061 mills, added to the Sumter County total of 9.8221 mills, according to the Sumter County Property Appraiser. A fire district levy also applies, depending on location. One mill is one dollar per $1,000 of taxable value.
Does the City of Bushnell provide electricity?
Yes. The City’s Utilities Department has electric, water and wastewater divisions, and Public Works runs sanitation. Confirm which services a specific address actually receives before you budget.
Is Bushnell in a hurricane evacuation zone?
Sumter County says it is not in a designated evacuation zone because it is an interior county. It still advises people in low-lying or flood-prone areas, and in manufactured, modular or mobile homes, to consider other shelter.
Sources
Checked October 10, 2026. Certified millage, fire district and utility service are confirmed against your parcel’s own bill before they go in a listing or an offer.
- City of Bushnell: home page
- City of Bushnell: About Bushnell
- City of Bushnell: City Council
- City of Bushnell: Electric division
- City of Bushnell: Water division
- City of Bushnell: Planning and zoning
- Sumter County Property Appraiser: Tax rates (certified 2026 millage)
- Sumter County Tax Collector
- Sumter County Emergency Management: Protective actions
- Sumter County: Floodplain management
- District Government: Residential districts
- District Government: District 1 (example of a Sumter County district)
- District Government: District 13 (example of a City of Wildwood district)
- Florida State Parks: Dade Battlefield Historic State Park
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center
- Florida Statutes 689.302: flood disclosure in residential sales