Step 1 of 4 · Plan · Town guide
Buying your first home in Lakewood Ranch
Special districts bill homeowners here on top of taxes, and the county line changes your tax rate, schools and title costs.
See your real monthly cost in Lakewood RanchWhat changes the math in Lakewood Ranch
Each fact links to the sources we checked it against.
District assessments
$1,481 to $6,034
Yearly per home on the tax bill in CDD 1 ($1,481 to $2,058) and CDD 5 ($3,203 to $6,034). Newer villages are in the Lakewood Ranch Stewardship District, which bills its own. Homestead doesn't reduce them; get the parcel's exact amount.
As of FY2025-26LWR CDD 1 notice ↗LWR CDD 5 notice ↗Wikipedia ↗Checked Oct 15, 2026
Property tax rate
14.16 or 11.47 mills
Lakewood Ranch spans Manatee and Sarasota counties. Manatee side: 14.16, about $5,100 a year on a $400,000 homesteaded home. Sarasota side: 11.47, about $4,150.
As of 2025 tax yearManatee Property Appraiser ↗Sarasota Tax Collector ↗Lakewood Ranch fact sheet ↗Checked Oct 15, 2026
Schools and title
Follow the county line
Manatee side: Manatee schools (B) and the seller usually pays for title. Sarasota side: Sarasota schools (A) and the buyer usually pays and picks the title company.
As of 2025-26 gradesFla. Dept. of Education ↗Fla. Dept. of Financial Services ↗Barnes Walker ↗Checked Oct 15, 2026
Recent median sale
$606,000
The Manatee County side of Lakewood Ranch, 518 recorded sales, all home types: houses $653,250, condos $284,750. The Census puts the typical owner's home value at $678,200 (2020-24). Manatee's records don't mark non-market sales, so sales under $50,000 are left out.
As of Apr-Sep 2026Manatee County parcel records ↗U.S. Census ↗Checked Oct 18, 2026
Down payment help
5 open programs for Lakewood Ranch
Checked against official sources this month. Income and price limits apply, and most can’t all be combined.
- Manatee County HFA Home Ownership ProgramUp to $15,000, plus a yearly tax credit
- Florida Hometown Heroes5% of your loan, $10,000 to $35,000
- FL AssistUp to $10,000
- FL HLP second mortgage$12,500
- HFA Preferred PLUS3%, 4% or 5% of your loan
Found a home? Check the address itself
Flood zone, evacuation level and the exact tax bill change street by street. These official Manatee County tools give the answer for one address.
Your blueprint
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