How can I find out if a property is in a municipality? This is an easy one if you know where to look.
First let me explain though for those who are not familiar with Florida. Everything in Palm Beach County is in the County and everyone pays County taxes. If you live in a municipality then you also pay taxes to that municipality but you get the benefit of those taxes as well.
Some of the land in the county has been incorporated into a local municipality such as the Town of Jupiter but the boundary of the incorporated area is irregular. Jonathan’s Landing as a for instance is NOT incorporated in the Town of Jupiter even though it’s right in the middle of the town. Odd, yes but that’s the way it is. If you dial 911 from inside the gate at Jonathans Landing then Palm Beach County Fire or Police will respond.
The tax millage rate (the percentage of your assessed value) that is paid in real estate taxes each year is slightly less in the county. For instance, properties in Jonathans Landing pay a 2014 tax millage rate of 18.9291, where right next door in Admiral’s Cove they pay 20.4385. The difference between the two being 1.5094 or $150.94 per 100,000 of assessed value. So, in a home valued at 500k this is about $750 per year less a home in Jonathans landing will pay than a home in Admiral’s Cove.
Palm Beach County 2014 FINAL tax millage rate
So, to return to the question, how does one tell if the property is in an incorporated area? The first two digits of the parcel ID are the city code. If it’s ’00’ then it’s in the unincorporated Palm Beach County area. The parcel ID # is on the listing details page and it’s on the tax information linked to on the listing details page.
