Boca Raton and its three nearest cities side by side: 2025 city tax rates, 2026 high school grades, August 2026 Zillow values, Census income and commute.
Last checked Oct. 8, 2026. Sources: the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser and Broward County Property Appraiser millage charts; the school districts’ attendance boundary layers; the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades; Zillow Research; the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey; and each city’s website.
Boca Raton’s three nearest cities are Deerfield Beach, about 4 miles from its center, Delray Beach, about 6 miles, and Lighthouse Point, about 7 miles. The four sit side by side on the coast, but they are split by a county line: Boca Raton and Delray Beach are in Palm Beach County, while Deerfield Beach and Lighthouse Point are in Broward County. That changes the county tax rate, the school district and who you call for a school zone.
This page puts official figures side by side, one table per topic. It does not say which city is better for anyone.
What this means for you
- City tax rates in 2025 ranged from 3.6476 mills in Boca Raton to 6.1611 in Delray Beach, before county, school and district rates.
- School districts differ: Palm Beach County schools for Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Broward County Public Schools for Deerfield Beach and Lighthouse Point.
- Zillow’s typical home value in August 2026 ranged from $272,563 in Deerfield Beach to $774,429 in Lighthouse Point.
Property tax rates
From the property appraisers’ millage charts, in mills (one mill is $1 per $1,000 of taxable value). The 2025 final rates are the ones adopted for last year’s bills; the 2026 proposed rates were on this year’s TRIM notices and are final only once each body adopts them. Boca Raton’s council kept its 3.6476 operating rate for 2026, according to the city’s Sept. 22 council recap.
| Rate | Boca Raton | Deerfield Beach | Delray Beach | Lighthouse Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City operating, 2025 final | 3.6476 | 6.0018 | 6.1611 | 4.4207 |
| City operating, 2026 proposed | 3.6476 | 6.0018 | 6.4371 | 4.4207 |
| County operating, 2025 final | 4.5000 (Palm Beach) | 5.6658 (Broward) | 4.5000 (Palm Beach) | 5.6658 (Broward) |
| School Board, state and local, 2025 final | 6.3210 | 6.3200 | 6.3210 | 6.3200 |
| City, county and school operating, 2025 final | 14.4686 | 17.9876 | 16.9821 | 16.4065 |
Special districts come on top and differ by address: Boca Raton bills carry the beach and park district, Health Care District and Children’s Services Council rates, plus small city debt rates in Boca Raton and Delray Beach; Broward bills carry the Children’s Council and water management rates, among others. Your TRIM notice lists every rate on your parcel.
Homestead exemption. Florida’s homestead exemption is set by state law and works the same way in all four cities. The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser says it takes $25,000 off the assessed value of a permanent residence for all taxes, and a second exemption, up to $25,722 for 2025, off non-school taxes. File with the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser or the Broward County Property Appraiser by March 1.
City tax rate chart
High schools
How each city’s land area falls in its school district’s high school attendance zones (Palm Beach County for 2025-26; Broward County for 2025-26), with each school’s 2026 grade from the Florida Department of Education. The percentage after each grade is the share of possible points the school earned.
| City | Zoned high school | Share of city land | 2026 grade | 2025 grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boca Raton | Boca Raton Community High (report card) | 59% | A (73%) | A |
| Boca Raton | Spanish River Community High (report card) | 41% | A (81%) | A |
| Deerfield Beach | Deerfield Beach High (report card) | 74% | C (58%) | A |
| Deerfield Beach | Blanche Ely High (report card) | 8% | C (57%) | A |
| Delray Beach | Atlantic High (report card) | 75% | C (56%) | B |
| Delray Beach | Boca Raton Community High | 14% | A (73%) | A |
| Delray Beach | Spanish River Community High | 11% | A (81%) | A |
| Lighthouse Point | Deerfield Beach High | 100% | C (58%) | A |
Counted by address instead of land, 74% of Boca Raton’s addresses are zoned for Boca Raton Community High and 26% for Spanish River. The rest of Deerfield Beach’s land is outside the high school zones in Broward’s layer. Zones change; check an address with Palm Beach County’s Find My School map or Broward’s Find My School.
Home values
The Zillow Home Value Index for each city in August 2026. The index is a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, single-family homes and condos together, not a sale price.
| City | Typical home value, August 2026 | Change from August 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Boca Raton | $576,824 | up 3.7% |
| Deerfield Beach | $272,563 | down 3% |
| Delray Beach | $343,049 | up 0.2% |
| Lighthouse Point | $774,429 | up 2.1% |
Home value chart
People, income and commute
From the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey, the same five-year survey for all four cities. Each city’s QuickFacts page has the full profile.
| City | Population | Median household income | Median value, owner-occupied homes | Mean travel time to work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boca Raton | 100,234 | $106,273 | $722,700 | 21.2 minutes |
| Deerfield Beach | 88,093 | $59,730 | $309,600 | 28.2 minutes |
| Delray Beach | 67,979 | $82,041 | $420,300 | 23 minutes |
| Lighthouse Point | 10,600 | $92,135 | $688,400 | 28.7 minutes |
The Census median home value is what owners estimate their home is worth, a different measure from Zillow’s index, so the two do not match.
Who provides city services
| Service | Boca Raton | Deerfield Beach | Delray Beach | Lighthouse Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Police | City Police Services Department | Broward Sheriff’s Office, Deerfield Beach District | City Police Department | City Police Department |
| Fire and rescue | City Fire Rescue | Broward Sheriff’s Office Fire Rescue | City Fire Rescue | City Fire Rescue |
| Trash pickup | City Sanitation Division | City solid waste service | Waste Management, under the city’s garbage program | WM, under the city’s garbage program |
Delray Beach lists Police and Fire Rescue among its city departments on its website. Our trash guide has Boca Raton’s pickup days.
How to check an address
- Which city a parcel is in: search the parcel on the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser site or the Broward County Property Appraiser site. A Boca Raton or Deerfield Beach mailing address does not always mean the parcel is in that city.
- Which schools it is zoned for: Palm Beach County’s Find My School map or Broward’s Find My School.
- What the taxes would be: the Palm Beach County tax calculator or the Broward County tax estimator.
More in our Boca Raton neighborhoods guide, property tax guide and schools guide.
Frequently asked questions
Which has a lower city tax rate, Boca Raton or Delray Beach?
Boca Raton’s 2025 final city operating rate was 3.6476 mills and Delray Beach’s was 6.1611 mills, according to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser. Both cities are in Palm Beach County, so they share the same county and school rates.
Are Deerfield Beach and Lighthouse Point in Palm Beach County?
No. Both are in Broward County, so they pay Broward County and Broward school taxes and are served by Broward County Public Schools. Boca Raton and Delray Beach are in Palm Beach County.
What is the typical home value in Boca Raton compared with nearby cities?
Zillow put Boca Raton at $576,824 in August 2026, Lighthouse Point at $774,429, Delray Beach at $343,049 and Deerfield Beach at $272,563. The index is a modeled typical value, not a sale price.
Who provides police in Deerfield Beach?
The Broward Sheriff’s Office, through its Deerfield Beach District, according to the city. Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Lighthouse Point have their own police departments.
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