Retirement Budget in The Villages, Florida: What’s Going Up in 2025?
Hey everyone! Michael and Tiffany here, checking in from The Villages, Florida. It’s been a busy week around here with some important updates that affect just about everyone living in or considering a move to Florida’s most popular retirement community.
From rising maintenance fees and property taxes to small bumps in homeowners insurance, we’re breaking down what’s changing in 2025 and how it might impact your budget. Spoiler alert: it’s not as bad as you might think!
Seasonal Life in The Villages
Fall is right around the corner in Central Florida, and that means “season” is almost here. The weather is cooling a bit, the community calendar is filling up, and it’s one of our favorite times of the year. Between arts and crafts festivals, farmers markets, and live music in the town squares, there’s always something happening.
If you’re trying to keep up, your best bets are The Villages Entertainment website, The Daily Sun, and of course, Tiffany’s newsletter and Facebook page where she posts upcoming events and meetups.
Maintenance Fees: What’s Changing in 2025
Every homeowner in The Villages pays an annual maintenance fee that covers neighborhood upkeep, landscaping, lighting, and community projects. The amount varies depending on where you live and the type of home you own.
For us, living in a patio villa in the Village of Lake Denham, our 2024 maintenance fee was $343.21. The proposed 2025 rate increases it to $370.67 — about a $27.46 bump for the year.
That’s roughly $2 to $3 more per month, which we can live with. According to the letter from the District 14 finance department, the increase will support things like lighting projects, reserves for future improvements, and maintenance of shared infrastructure.
If you want to attend the public hearing about this change, it’s scheduled for September 11, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. at the Everglades Recreation Center. Arrive early because last year’s hearing was standing-room only!
Property Taxes: A Small Bump for 2025
We also received our proposed tax bill for 2025, which includes both ad valorem (based on property value) and non-ad valorem (flat assessments like bonds and maintenance).
Here’s what it looks like for us:
Ad valorem taxes (Lake County + City of Leesburg)
2024: $3,168.43
2025: $3,170.79
Increase: $2.36 for the yearNon-ad valorem assessments (maintenance, bond, fire)
2024: $1,921.15
2025: $2,118.95
Increase: $197.80 for the year
That totals about $241.96 more per year, or roughly $20 a month. In today’s economy, we’re calling that a win!
Fire Assessment and Bonds
Lake County homeowners started seeing a separate fire assessment last year. This new fee helps fund fire services in areas like ours that didn’t previously have it built into the bond structure.
Our bond payment stayed exactly the same at $1,578.28, while the fire assessment is $170 this year. It’s never fun to see extra charges, but it’s good to know these services are covered when we need them.
Homeowners Insurance in Central Florida
Homeowners across Florida have seen premiums double or even triple, especially along the coasts. Fortunately, here in Central Florida, we’re a bit more insulated from those major storm-related hikes.
We’ve kept the same insurer since we bought our home, now known as Baldwin Insurance (formerly The Villages Insurance). Our coverage includes hurricane and sinkhole protection, and our premium only went up $41.73 this year — from $1,453.12 to $1,494.85. That’s about $3.50 per month for identical coverage.
If you’re on the coast, your experience might look very different, and we’d love to hear how your insurance rates have changed. Share your experience in the comments or email us through our website.
What It All Adds Up To
When you combine our taxes, maintenance, fire assessment, and insurance, we’re paying $241.96 more for the year, which works out to about $20 a month.
Given inflation and what’s happening around the state, we’ll gladly take that small increase. It’s another reminder that while Florida’s cost of living is rising, The Villages remains a relatively stable and affordable place to retire.
Final Thoughts
If you’re thinking about moving to The Villages or just trying to plan your retirement budget, these small changes are important to keep in mind. Our next budget update video will include a full breakdown of our monthly expenses, so be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and sign up for our free Budget Tracker Spreadsheet via our newsletter. Go to www.MichaelandTiffany.com to sign up for our newsletter.
Until next time, have an awesome, awesome week, and we’ll see you around The Villages.