Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Tavares, Florida
A $226,000 home here costs
$1,862per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,162. The real number is $700 higher every month — 60% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Tavares against Lake County and Florida
| Measure | Tavares | Lake County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $225,500 | $287,900 |
| Median property tax | $2,042 | $2,284 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.906% | 0.793% |
| Median gross rent | $1,409 | $1,468 |
| Population | 19,738 | 398,696 |
The weather behind that power bill
Tavares sits in Lake County, which averages a high of 91.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 48.9°F in its coldest, with 43.78" of precipitation a year and 45% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,481 cooling and 630 heating degree days, which is what sets the $136 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Lake County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Lake County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Tavares?
A $226,000 home in Tavares, Florida costs approximately $1,862 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,162 principal and interest, $171 property tax, $137 homeowners insurance, $204 utilities and $188 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Tavares?
Tavares has an effective property tax rate of 0.906%, based on a median home value of $225,500 and median real estate taxes of $2,042. That is higher than the Lake County average of 0.793%.
What is the average home price in Tavares?
The median owner-occupied home value in Tavares, Florida is $225,500, against $287,900 across Lake County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Tavares?
Median gross rent in Tavares is $1,409 a month, against $1,862 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Tavares — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Florida.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.