The Short Version
Here is how the three counties compare at a glance.
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Lake County | Sumter County | Marion County | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Towns covered on this site | Leesburg, Lady Lake, Fruitland Park, Clermont area | Wildwood | Ocala |
| Average total property tax rate, 2025 | 15.6324 mills | 11.2052 mills | 15.8838 mills |
| Total sales tax rate | 7% | 7% | 7.5% |
| State personal income tax | None | None | None |
| Hospitals named in this guide | UF Health Leesburg, AdventHealth Waterman (Tavares), Orlando Health South Lake (Clermont) | No in-county hospital confirmed for this guide | HCA Florida Ocala, HCA Florida West Marion, AdventHealth Ocala |
| National Weather Service office | Melbourne | Tampa Bay | Jacksonville |
| County alerts | AlertLake | Alert Sumter | Alert Marion |
The Villages and the nearby golf cart communities around Lady Lake, Fruitland Park, and Wildwood cross the Lake, Sumter, and Marion county lines, so homes a few miles apart can fall in different counties, with different tax rates and offices. Always confirm the county for a specific address on the property appraiser's site.
Taxes: Income, Property, and Sales
Florida has no state personal income tax, so property and sales taxes do most of the work, and both vary by county. The Florida Department of Revenue says Florida does not impose a personal income tax, so there is no state personal income tax return to file (Florida DOR).
Property tax rates (millage)
Property tax rates are expressed in mills. One mil is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of taxable value. The table below comes from the Department of Revenue's 2025 Millage and Taxes Levied Report. The total is a countywide average that blends every taxing authority, including cities and special districts, so the rate on a specific home can be higher or lower.
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| 2025 millage (Florida DOR) | Lake County | Sumter County | Marion County |
|---|---|---|---|
| County government operating | 5.0254 | 4.8900 | 4.0200 |
| School board (operating plus debt service) | 6.0850 | 4.9120 | 6.3200 |
| Countywide subtotal | 11.4444 | 9.8020 | 10.3400 |
| Average total, including city and district levies | 15.6324 | 11.2052 | 15.8838 |
What that means in practice. As a rough illustration only, at the countywide average rate, $200,000 of taxable value would mean about $2,241 a year in Sumter, $3,126 in Lake, and $3,177 in Marion, before any non-ad valorem assessments. Your real bill depends on the exact location, your exemptions, and any special district charges.
A local example. The Sumter County Property Appraiser lists the certified 2025 rates by taxing authority: Sumter County 4.8900, Public Schools 4.9120, and Water Board 0.1831. A parcel inside the City of Wildwood adds the city's 2.8287 mills, and parcels in a fire district add that district's rate (Sumter County Property Appraiser).
Assessments on the tax bill. Many Florida communities are in a community development district (CDD). Florida law calls these charges non-ad valorem assessments, meaning they are not based on millage, and they can appear on the county tax bill (F.S. 197.3632). On the first sale of a home in a CDD, the contract must disclose that the district may levy taxes or assessments in addition to county taxes (F.S. 190.048). In The Villages, for example, the community development districts list bond and maintenance assessments in the non-ad valorem section of the county tax bill and bill amenity fees monthly (district FAQ). Check the exact charges for a specific home with the district directly. Look up the actual tax bill for any home you're considering.
Homestead exemption. If the home is your permanent residence on January 1 and you apply by March 1, the homestead exemption can reduce its taxable value. See the moving checklist and Golf Cart Homes' guide to Amendment 3 on the November 2026 ballot.
Sales tax
Florida's state sales tax rate is 6% (Florida DOR). Counties may add a discretionary sales surtax. The Department of Revenue's current published surtax list (Form DR-15DSS) shows Lake County at 1%, Sumter County at 1%, and Marion County at 1.5%, for totals of 7%, 7%, and 7.5% (DR-15DSS). The surtax applies only to the first $5,000 of the price of a single item of tangible personal property, such as a car or golf cart (Florida DOR).
Where to look up a specific home
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Property appraiser (values, exemptions) | Tax collector (tax bills, licenses, tags) | |
|---|---|---|
| Lake County | lakecopropappr.com | laketax.com |
| Sumter County | sumterpa.com | sumtertaxcollector.com |
| Marion County | pa.marion.fl.us | mariontax.com |
Hospitals
Each county named here has hospitals in its larger towns, and The Villages area has a hospital and a freestanding emergency room. The list below includes only hospitals confirmed on official hospital or health system pages. It is not a complete list, and it does not rank quality.
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Area | Hospital | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Leesburg (Lake) | UF Health Leesburg Hospital, 600 E. Dixie Ave. | UF Health |
| Tavares (Lake) | AdventHealth Waterman, 1000 Waterman Way | AdventHealth |
| Clermont (Lake) | Orlando Health South Lake Hospital, 1900 Don Wickham Dr. | Orlando Health South Lake Hospital |
| Ocala (Marion) | HCA Florida Ocala Hospital | HCA Florida Healthcare |
| Ocala (Marion) | HCA Florida West Marion Hospital | HCA Florida Healthcare |
| Ocala (Marion) | AdventHealth Ocala | AdventHealth |
| The Villages area | UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital, 1451 El Camino Real | UF Health |
| The Villages area | UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital Freestanding ER at Brownwood (24/7 emergency care) | UF Health Central Florida |
To check a facility's license and details, use the state's FloridaHealthFinder. To compare hospitals and find doctors who take Medicare, use Care Compare. Map the drive from the exact address you're considering.
Airports and Drive Distances
Most people flying in and out use Orlando International, Orlando Sanford International, Tampa International, or Gainesville Regional. Which is closest depends on the town.
Estimated road distance and drive time from each town's center, with no traffic:
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| From | Orlando International (MCO) | Orlando Sanford (SFB) | Tampa International (TPA) | Gainesville Regional (GNV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocala | 90 mi, 1 hr 45 min | 75 mi, 1 hr 55 min | 100 mi, 2 hr | 40 mi, 1 hr |
| Leesburg | 55 mi, 1 hr 15 min | 45 mi, 1 hr 5 min | 85 mi, 1 hr 55 min | 75 mi, 1 hr 40 min |
| Lady Lake | 60 mi, 1 hr 25 min | 50 mi, 1 hr 20 min | 95 mi, 2 hr | 70 mi, 1 hr 35 min |
| Wildwood | 60 mi, 1 hr 15 min | 55 mi, 1 hr 25 min | 80 mi, 1 hr 40 min | 65 mi, 1 hr 25 min |
| Clermont | 35 mi, 50 min | 50 mi, 1 hr 10 min | 80 mi, 1 hr 45 min | 95 mi, 2 hr 5 min |
How these were calculated: road routes from OpenStreetMap data using the OSRM routing engine on October 3, 2026, rounded to the nearest 5 miles and 5 minutes. They assume no traffic, so real trips, especially through Orlando at rush hour, can take longer. Check a live map before you book a flight.
Smaller airports. Despite their names, the two local airports are general aviation airports, used mainly by private and business aircraft. The City of Leesburg describes Leesburg International Airport as a general aviation facility (City of Leesburg), and the City of Ocala operates Ocala International Airport as a city-owned general aviation airport (City of Ocala).
Airport websites: Orlando International, Orlando Sanford International, Tampa International, Gainesville Regional.
Climate
All three counties have hot, wet summers and mild winters, with small differences from north to south. The figures below are NOAA's official 1991 to 2020 climate normals for weather stations in each county (NOAA NCEI).
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| NOAA station (county) | January avg high / low | July avg high / low | Yearly rainfall | Days a year at 90°F or above | Days a year at 32°F or below |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocala (Marion) | 70.6°F / 45.6°F | 92.0°F / 72.2°F | 51.6 in | About 110 | About 8 |
| Leesburg Municipal Airport (Lake) | 69.9°F / 48.9°F | 91.1°F / 74.9°F | 43.8 in | About 108 | About 2 |
| Clermont 9 S (Lake) | 72.4°F / 49.0°F | 93.6°F / 74.0°F | 50.6 in | About 113 | About 3 |
| Bushnell 1 E (Sumter) | 69.3°F / 43.0°F | 90.8°F / 69.7°F | Not published for this station | About 102 | About 8 |
What the numbers mean for daily life. Summer is hot and humid, and it is also the wet season: June, July, and August are the three rainiest months at the Ocala, Leesburg, and Clermont stations, with roughly 6 to 8 inches of rain in each. Winters are mild. The Ocala and Bushnell stations average about 8 nights a year at or below freezing, compared with 2 to 3 at Leesburg and Clermont.
Hurricanes. All three counties are inland, but the Atlantic hurricane season, June 1 to November 30, still matters (National Hurricane Center). Look up a home's evacuation zone on Know Your Zone and its flood zone on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center.
Emergency Management and Weather Offices
Each county runs its own emergency alerts, and a different National Weather Service office covers each one.
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| Emergency management | Alerts | National Weather Service office | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake County | Lake County Emergency Management | AlertLake | Melbourne |
| Sumter County | Sumter County Emergency Management | Alert Sumter | Tampa Bay |
| Marion County | Marion County Sheriff's Office Emergency Management | Alert Marion | Jacksonville |
Golf Cart Rules Differ by Town
State law sets the baseline for golf carts, but cities and counties add their own rules. For example, Ocala allows carts only on mapped streets and only for licensed drivers 16 or older (City of Ocala), and Wildwood adopted a new golf cart and low-speed vehicle ordinance in July 2026 (City of Wildwood). Golf Cart Homes explains the details in Florida Golf Cart Rules Explained and Living by Golf Cart in Central Florida.