Nearly half of separately billed Collier County homes reported $1,000-plus annual water and sewer costs
Osprey, United States - October 27, 2026 / Bullseye Home Services /
Collier joins Flagler and Monroe in the study’s qualifying statistical top tier, while Southwest Florida’s share of separately billed homes in the annual cost bracket exceeds the statewide benchmark.
Nearly half of Collier County’s occupied homes billed separately for water and sewer (48.8%, or an estimated 47,593 of 97,487) reported annual costs in the $1,000-or-more band, 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 points. The estimates cover 2020–2024; costs are 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. It includes owners and renters. The Southwest Florida region is defined as Charlotte, Collier, Lee, Manatee and Sarasota counties.
The billing distinction matters. In Collier, separately billed homes account for 58.8% of all occupied homes. The remaining 41.2% of occupied homes have water included in rent or condo/HOA fees, or are not charged. Those homes are outside the primary cost distribution.
- A qualifying statistical top tier, without a sole statewide leader. Among counties meeting the study’s precision and minimum billing-base requirements, Flagler, Collier and Monroe form the leading group. Their respective shares of separately billed occupied homes reporting $1,000-plus annual water and sewer costs are 54.6%, 48.8% and 47.8%. The adjusted comparison method does not establish a sole statewide leader.
- Southwest Florida exceeds the statewide benchmark. Across the defined region, 35.2% of separately billed occupied homes (239,845 of 681,229) fall in the $1,000-plus annual bracket. That is 6.6 points above the statewide share of separately billed occupied homes.
- Selected neighboring counties show substantial differences. Gaps in the share of separately billed occupied homes in the annual $1,000-plus bracket, in percentage points: Collier over Lee, 17.2; Charlotte over Lee, 9.3; Sarasota over Manatee, 4.4; Pinellas over Hillsborough, 13.8 (all descriptive comparisons).
- The statewide spread is wide. Among counties meeting the headline eligibility requirements, 54.6% of separately billed occupied homes in Flagler fall in the annual $1,000-plus bracket, compared with 6.4% in Gadsden, a 48.2-percentage-point gap.
Share of separately billed occupied homes reporting $1,000 or more in annual water and sewer costs, with each county’s point-estimate rank among Florida’s 67 counties:
- Collier: 48.8% (No. 2 of 67)
- Charlotte: 40.9% (No. 7 of 67)
- Sarasota: 34.1% (No. 13 of 67)
- Lee: 31.6% (No. 20 of 67)
- Manatee: 29.7% (No. 26 of 67)
Ranks describe point estimates across all counties. They do not establish statistically distinct positions.
"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 ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates (released January 29, 2026) are the newest uniform county data available for this analysis. For Florida homeowners and buyers reviewing recurring household expenses, the findings highlight why a property’s billing arrangements belong alongside its reported costs in any comparison.
Changing the denominator changes the county comparison. Among all occupied homes, including those outside the separately billed group, Collier’s share in the $1,000-plus annual water and sewer band is 28.7%, placing it seventh by point estimate. Charlotte’s share of all occupied homes in that bracket is 32.8%, placing it third. That is why the study’s main ranking counts only separately billed homes.
- Methodology: The primary share divides the Census estimate of occupied homes reporting annual water and sewer costs of $1,000 or more by the estimate of occupied homes charged separately for those services: B25134_009E / B25134_003E. Southwest Florida’s figure pools the county numerators and denominators; the benchmark uses Florida’s directly published estimate.
- Approximate 90% margins of error follow U.S. Census Bureau guidance and do not incorporate covariance. Collier’s 48.8% estimate among separately billed occupied homes has an approximate margin of error of ±1.3 percentage points.
- County comparisons use a Bonferroni adjustment for multiple testing. Headline eligibility requires a coefficient of variation no greater than 30% and a separately billed base of at least 10,000. The minimum-base screen was added after the data were reviewed; the qualifying leading group was unchanged at thresholds of 5,000 and 20,000. Membership in that group does not establish that the counties are equal. County and regional comparisons with Florida are descriptive because the geographies overlap.
- Caveat: These are survey estimates of reported 2020–2024 costs in 2024 dollars, not current bills or utility rates. The primary measure excludes occupied homes with water included in rent or condo/HOA fees, or with no charge. 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.
Source: Analysis of U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates (tables B25134, B25004, B25001), accessed through Census Reporter, a public mirror of the official tables. Table B25134, Annual Water and Sewer Costs, is published at data.census.gov.
Bullseye Home Services serves homeowners in Osprey and across Southwest Florida. More information is available from Bullseye Home Services in Osprey or by phone at (941) 200-6424.
About Bullseye Home Services
Bullseye Home Services is a locally owned and operated plumbing company serving Southwest Florida, with offices in Osprey and Fort Myers. A Florida certified plumbing contractor (license CFC1431212), the company provides plumbing, drain and sewer, water heater and water treatment services.
Contact Information:
Bullseye Home Services
440 N Tamiami Trail
Osprey, FL 34229
United States
Joshua Chastain
(941) 200-6424
https://callbullseye.com/