Here’s how Pinellas rates in 2025 Florida TaxWatch report

Florida’s local governments raise and spend more money than those in any other state, and a new Florida TaxWatch report offers a detailed look at how each county fits into that picture. For Pinellas County, the data reveals a government that is neither an extreme outlier nor a low-tax anomaly, but a consistently high-performing county that ranks above average on most revenue measures while remaining close to statewide norms.

Florida TaxWatch released its 2025 How Florida Counties Compare report this week, examining fiscal data across all 67 counties. The analysis draws from more than 60 tables and charts covering taxes, fees, revenues, expenditures, population and income.

Property taxes remain the most visible issue for residents, and Pinellas County ranks firmly in the upper tier. In 2024, Pinellas recorded $2,607 in per-capita total property tax levies. That places the county 12th highest statewide and well above the Florida average of $2,397. Monroe County topped the list at $4,873 per capita, while Union County ranked last at $416.

Looking at property tax burden relative to income, Pinellas again lands above average but not at the extremes. In 2023, total property tax levies equaled $33.86 per $1,000 of personal income, compared with a statewide average of $32.74. That ranked Pinellas 22nd among Florida counties. By comparison, Franklin County led the state at $63 per $1,000, while Holmes County ranked lowest at $11.51.

Sales taxes tell a similar story. Pinellas levies a one-percent local option sales tax, consistent with most urban counties. In fiscal year 2023-24, per-capita local option sales tax revenue totaled $198.68, slightly below the statewide average of $209.69. That ranked Pinellas 20th statewide. Monroe County again led the state at $888 per capita, reflecting its tourism-heavy economy, while Citrus County collected none.

Pinellas also levies just under one-third of the local option sales tax capacity allowed under state law. In fiscal year 2022-23, the county levied 28.6 percent of available sales tax authority, matching Hillsborough, Broward, Pasco and several other large counties, and aligning closely with the statewide average of 30.3 percent.

Fuel taxes represent a smaller revenue stream. Pinellas collected $28.58 per capita in local option motor fuel tax revenue in 2023-24, well below the statewide average of $47.49. That placed the county near the lower third statewide, reflecting limited roadway mileage compared with rural counties that depend more heavily on fuel taxes.

On the broader revenue side, Pinellas remains a high-capacity county. In fiscal year 2022-23, per-capita county and municipal tax revenue totaled $1,635, ranking 11th statewide and exceeding the Florida average of $1,480. Only Monroe, Walton, Miami-Dade, Broward and Collier collected more on a per-capita basis.

Property tax growth over the past decade has been significant statewide, and Pinellas tracked closely with the state trend. From 2014 to 2024, total property tax levies in Pinellas increased at a rate near the statewide average of 108 percent, well below high-growth counties such as Walton and Pasco, but above the slowest-growing rural counties.

The report arrives as state leaders debate potential property tax reforms and expanded local government audits. Florida TaxWatch notes that more than half of all government revenue in Florida is raised at the local level – the highest share in the nation – with counties, cities and special districts collectively spending more than $120 billion annually.

For Pinellas County, the data paints a picture of a mature, urban county that consistently ranks above average in taxes and revenues, without approaching the highest or lowest extremes seen elsewhere in Florida. As lawmakers consider changes that could reshape local funding, Pinellas’ position near the center-top of nearly every category underscores both its fiscal capacity and its exposure to statewide tax policy shifts.