The short answer: monthly cost = mortgage (if any) + property taxes + bond (if any) + CDD maintenance + amenity fee + insurance + utilities. Every line except the mortgage depends on the specific parcel, so any single “average” is wrong for most homes. Get the lines for one address, then add your loan.
The lines, in order
| Mortgage | From your lender, on the price you pay. Cash buyers skip it. |
|---|---|
| Property taxes | Taxable value times the millage for that address, divided by 12. Taxable value is usually reset near the price after a sale. |
| Bond | Annual assessment on the tax bill, if the parcel has a balance. CDD vs bond |
| CDD maintenance | Annual assessment on the tax bill, set by the district budget. |
| Amenity fee | Monthly, set by the home’s deed covenant. How it works |
| Insurance | Quoted on that home: roof age, wind mitigation and 4-point matter most. |
| Utilities | Water and sewer, electric, internet. Ask for the seller’s recent bills. |
Public millage rates I can source
| Sumter County (countywide) | 4.8900 millsFY 2025-26; Sumter Sun Times |
|---|---|
| Sumter County schools | 4.9120 millsFY 2025-26; Florida DOE |
| City of Wildwood | 2.8287 millsFY 2025-26; City of Wildwood |
| Lake County (countywide) | 5.0254 millsFY 2026 budget; Lake County |
| Town of Lady Lake | 3.6510 millsFY 2025-26; Town of Lady Lake |
| City of Leesburg | 3.4752 mills2025 tax year; Lake County Property Appraiser |
| Marion County (countywide) | 4.02 millsFY 2025-26; Ocala Gazette |
| Marion County schools | 6.32 millsFY 2025-26; Florida DOE |
Main county, school and city levies only. Your bill also carries other levies, so the total rate is higher. 2026-27 rates are being set now; Sumter County approved a large Fire and EMS tax increase in its 2026-27 budget on Sept. 29, 2026 (Villages-News). Check the TRIM notice for the exact address.
How taxes work after you buy
One mill is $1 per $1,000 of taxable value. Florida’s Save Our Homes cap protects a homestead owner’s assessed value while they own it (s. 193.155), and the home is generally reassessed after a sale. That’s why the seller’s tax bill isn’t a reliable guide to yours. If it’s your permanent home, file for homestead by March 1; the second $25,000 exemption is indexed for inflation ($26,411 for 2026, per Florida DOR). Run it on the property-tax estimator.
Insurance
Insurance varies a lot from one Villages home to the next, mostly on roof age and wind mitigation. Get a quote on the actual home before you count on a number. I don’t print averages here because the published figures I found didn’t agree.
Want the monthly lines for one address?
Send the address and I’ll fill in every line I can source: taxes at your price, bond, maintenance, amenity fee. You add the loan. Prefer a call? 352-298-8602.
Questions people ask
What is the average monthly cost in The Villages?
There isn’t an honest single average. Bond, maintenance, amenity fee, taxes and insurance all change by parcel. Get the lines for one address instead.
Why can’t I use the seller’s tax bill?
A long-time homestead owner’s assessed value is capped by Save Our Homes. After a sale the home is generally reassessed, so your bill is usually higher.
What is a mill?
One mill is $1 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value. Add up every levy on the bill for the total rate.
Is the amenity fee the same for every home?
No. It follows each home’s deed covenant and adjusts by CPI on its own date.
Sources
Checked October 8, 2026. Rules, fees and numbers change, so I confirm anything that matters on the specific address.
- Sumter Sun Times: commissioners approve new budget (FY 2025-26)
- Florida DOE: Sumter School District FY 2025-26 budget
- City of Wildwood: FY 26 ad valorem tax information
- Lake County: FY 2026 final budget hearing book
- Town of Lady Lake: understanding your tax bill
- Lake County Property Appraiser: 2025 final millage rates
- Ocala Gazette: Marion County adopts FY 2025-26 budget
- Florida DOE: Marion School District FY 2025-26 budget
- Villages-News, Sept. 30, 2026: Sumter County Fire and EMS funding decision
- Florida Statutes 193.155: Save Our Homes
- Florida Department of Revenue: additional homestead exemption inflation adjustment
- District Government: utility bill and amenity fee adjustments