Texas vs. Florida: the two big no-income-tax states, side by side.

Side by side

Where we could, we used the same source for both states. The home insurance averages are the two state regulators’ own figures, which are measured a little differently (see the note under the table). Rent is Apartment List for every city, from the same November 2026 report.

Florida’s insurance average covers the admitted (licensed) market only, so it leaves out Citizens and surplus-lines policies. TDI’s Texas figure is a preliminary 2025 statewide average. The Texas property tax bill comes from a different source than the Florida county bills, because the Tax Foundation county table we opened did not show Texas counties. BEA publishes 2025 price parities on Dec 10, 2026, and we will update these rows then.

Homestead rules: very different designs

Both states cut property tax for the home you live in, but they do it in opposite ways. Texas takes a large bite out of one tax: the $140,000 exemption applies only to school district taxes, and your city, county and special districts still tax the full value unless they offer their own optional exemptions. Florida’s exemption is smaller but touches every bill: the first $25,000 comes off all taxes, including school taxes, and a second slice, which rises with inflation and is $26,411 for 2026, comes off non-school taxes.

The bigger Florida advantage is the assessment cap. Under Save Our Homes, a homestead’s assessed value can rise by no more than 3% or the change in CPI, whichever is less, each year. Texas caps homestead appraisal growth at 10% a year. Over a decade of rising prices, that gap matters as much as the exemption amount. Florida also lets you carry part of your capped savings to a new Florida homestead (portability).

Worked example: a $400,000 homestead

This shows only how much value each exemption removes. Actual tax depends on the local rates, which differ by city, county and school district.

The last line is our rough arithmetic on statewide averages, not a real bill. It shows the scale of the difference: on the same house, Texas property tax tends to run well above Florida’s. For local Texas rates and how a bill is built, see Texas property taxes.

Florida votes on Amendment 3 on Nov 3, 2026

Florida’s ballot carries a property tax amendment that needs 60% of the vote to pass. If it passes, the non-school homestead exemption would rise to up to $150,000 on Jan 1, 2027, and up to $250,000 on Jan 1, 2028, with yearly CPI increases after that. School taxes would still get only the first $25,000 off, and Save Our Homes would stay. One detail matters for anyone moving from Texas: people who become Florida residents on or after Jan 1, 2027 would start with a $50,000 non-school exemption and would get the larger amount only from the fifth year of their homestead. We will update this page after the vote.

Insurance: closer than you think

Home insurance

Florida’s regulator puts the average admitted-market homeowners premium at $3,736 with wind coverage (data as of October 2026). TDI’s preliminary 2025 average for Texas is $3,489. The two are not measured identically, but the gap is far smaller than the old reputation suggests. In both states, recent rate requests have been decreases: Florida’s 30-day average request was −2.3%, and Texas filings in September 2026 averaged −6.6%. Location still matters most. On the Texas coast, 14 counties and part of Harris County may need windstorm coverage from TWIA; see Texas insurance.

Flood insurance

Standard home policies in both states leave out flood. FEMA’s average NFIP premium for a Florida single-family home is about $1,363 a year, as reported by Insurify. If you insure with Florida’s state-backed insurer, Citizens, flood coverage becomes required on all policies with wind coverage from Jan 1, 2027, whatever the home’s value. The NFIP itself is currently authorized only until Dec 11, 2026, so watch for another extension from Congress. That deadline affects Texas buyers too.

Car insurance

Statewide, Experian’s September 2026 data has Florida $2,043 against Texas $2,329, so the average Texas driver pays about $286 more. Miami is the exception: its $3,287 average is about $590 above Houston’s $2,696. Registration and the new-resident fees are on our vehicle costs page.

What surprises people coming from Florida

Rent and home prices are lower, especially against Miami

A median Miami 1-bedroom, $1,599, costs about $480 a month more than Houston’s $1,116. From Tampa or Orlando the savings are smaller: about $77 a month moving to Dallas and $123 moving to Austin, at the 1-bedroom median. Statewide, the median single-family sale price is $415,000 in Florida against $333,628 in Texas. Texas prices are drifting down while Florida’s rose slightly. More on Texas rent and Texas home prices.

Lower prices, higher property tax

The cheaper Texas house comes with a higher tax rate. That is how Texas pays for schools and local government without an income tax, and it is why the Texas homestead exemption is so large. If you are buying, compare the full yearly cost (mortgage, tax and insurance), not just the price.

Sales tax is higher in Texas

Combined Texas sales tax can reach 8.25%, and the state average is 8.20%. Miami-Dade charges 7% and Orange County 6.5%. On $20,000 a year of taxable spending, 8.25% against 7% is about $250 more. See Texas sales tax.

Cheaper gas, similar power prices

Gas was about 39 cents a gallon cheaper in Texas in late October (EIA). Electricity rates are close: 15.0¢/kWh in Florida and 15.9¢ in Texas in August 2026. Florida’s rate fell over the year while Texas’s rose. Both states run air conditioning most of the year. In most of Texas you choose your own electricity provider, which takes some getting used to; see Texas electricity.

Out-of-date numbers you’ll still find online

Dates that will change these numbers

• Nov 3, 2026: Florida votes on Amendment 3 (homestead exemption). Dallas County holds a tax rate election the same day; see Dallas.
• Dec 10, 2026: BEA releases 2025 regional price parities.
• Dec 11, 2026: current NFIP authorization ends unless Congress extends it.
• Jan 1, 2027: Citizens requires flood coverage on all wind policies; Florida’s Amendment 3 would take effect if passed.

How we check

Every figure links to its source and shows the date it applies to. We prefer the agency that produces the number, such as the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, TDI, Florida’s Department of Revenue, EIA and BEA, and we label anything from a marketplace or aggregator, such as the Experian, Insurify, Zillow and ElectricRates.org figures here. Read the full methodology. Moving soon? Start with the moving checklist and the Texas city comparison.