LAKELAND, Fla. — Property taxes grew faster than home values in Lakeland–Winter Haven by the widest margin among the nation’s 100 largest metro areas, according to a new analysis.
The ConsumerAffairs study found median real estate taxes paid increased 28.1% between 2022 and 2024, while median home values rose 14.2%.
That 13.9-percentage-point gap placed the metro first nationally. Jacksonville ranked second, with taxes rising 21.7% and home values increasing 8.1%.
Nationally, the pattern was reversed: Median home values increased 12.4%, compared with a 10.6% rise in property taxes.
Researchers used U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey one-year estimates. The findings compare metro-wide medians rather than tracking individual homeowners’ bills or changes in local tax rates.
The longer view showed a smaller gap in Lakeland–Winter Haven. From 2019 to 2024, property taxes increased 78.6%, while home values rose 74.1%.
Researchers also noted that changes to Census metro boundaries could affect some comparisons.
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