Nearly half of Collier County's occupied homes that are billed separately for water and sewer services—48.8%, or an estimated 47,593 of 97,487—reported annual costs of $1,000 or more, according to a Bullseye Home Services analysis of U.S. Census Bureau estimates. That compares with 28.6% of separately billed occupied homes statewide, a gap of 20.2 percentage points. The estimates cover 2020–2024 and are expressed in 2024 dollars.
The study compares the share of separately billed occupied homes in the Census Bureau's $1,000-or-more annual water and sewer cost band across Florida's 67 counties, including both owners and renters. The billing distinction is critical: in Collier, separately billed homes account for 58.8% of all occupied homes, while the remaining 41.2% have water included in rent or condo/HOA fees, or are not charged. Those homes fall outside the primary cost distribution.
Among counties meeting the study's precision and minimum billing-base requirements, Flagler, Collier, and Monroe form the leading group, with respective shares of 54.6%, 48.8%, and 47.8%. The adjusted comparison method does not establish a sole statewide leader. Across the defined Southwest Florida region—Charlotte, Collier, Lee, Manatee, and Sarasota counties—35.2% of separately billed occupied homes fall in the $1,000-plus annual bracket, 6.6 points above the statewide share.
Neighboring counties show substantial differences. Collier exceeds Lee by 17.2 percentage points, Charlotte exceeds Lee by 9.3 points, Sarasota exceeds Manatee by 4.4 points, and Pinellas exceeds Hillsborough by 13.8 points. The statewide spread is even wider: 54.6% in Flagler versus 6.4% in Gadsden, a 48.2-point gap. Collier ranks No. 2 of 67 counties by point estimate, followed by Charlotte at No. 7, Sarasota at No. 13, Lee at No. 20, and Manatee at No. 26.
"Start by checking whether water and sewer are billed separately or included in another housing charge," said Joshua Chastain, general manager of Bullseye Home Services. "Then review the billing period, the charges and any usage information, and ask your provider to explain an unexpected change. These county figures can give homeowners and buyers context, but they cannot tell you why an individual bill changed or why counties differ."
The findings have implications for household budgeting and real estate decisions. For Florida homeowners and buyers reviewing recurring expenses, a property's billing arrangements belong alongside its reported costs in any comparison. The study's main ranking counts only separately billed homes because changing the denominator changes the comparison: among all occupied homes, Collier's share in the $1,000-plus band is 28.7%, placing it seventh, while Charlotte's share is 32.8%, placing it third.
Bullseye Home Services serves homeowners in Osprey and across Southwest Florida through Bullseye Home Services in Osprey. The company is a Florida certified plumbing contractor (license CFC1431212) providing plumbing, drain and sewer, water heater, and water treatment services, with offices in Osprey and Fort Myers. More information is available at https://callbullseye.com/.
The analysis is based on survey estimates of reported 2020–2024 costs in 2024 dollars, not current bills or utility rates. The open-ended $1,000-plus band cannot establish average bills, consumption, utility prices, leaks, waste, inefficiency, hardship or savings, or explain county differences. The "$1,000 divide" describes how common an annual cost threshold is, not a $1,000 difference in bills between counties. Still, the findings underscore that for many Collier County households, water and sewer costs represent a significant recurring expense—one that warrants attention when evaluating housing affordability.
