Nearly half of occupied homes in Collier County that are billed separately for water and sewer—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 finding matters because it shifts attention from the size of a utility bill to how a household is billed in the first place. In Collier, separately billed homes make up 58.8% of all occupied homes; the remaining 41.2% have water included in rent or condo/HOA fees, or are not charged, and are therefore outside the primary cost distribution. The study’s main ranking deliberately counts only separately billed homes, because including all occupied homes changes the picture: Collier’s share in the $1,000-plus band drops to 28.7% and its rank falls to seventh, while Charlotte rises to third at 32.8%.
Among counties meeting the study’s precision and minimum billing-base requirements, Flagler (54.6%), Collier (48.8%) and Monroe (47.8%) form a leading group, though the adjusted comparison method does not establish a sole statewide leader. Across Southwest Florida—Charlotte, Collier, Lee, Manatee and Sarasota counties—35.2% of separately billed occupied homes fall in the $1,000-plus bracket, 6.6 points above the statewide share. The spread across Florida is wide: 54.6% in Flagler versus 6.4% in Gadsden, a 48.2-point gap.
Joshua Chastain, general manager of Bullseye Home Services in Osprey, said homeowners should first check whether water and sewer are billed separately or included in another housing charge, then review the billing period, charges and usage information, and ask the provider to explain an unexpected change. He noted that county figures can give homeowners and buyers context but cannot explain why an individual bill changed or why counties differ.
The analysis is based on American Community Survey 2020–2024 five-year estimates released January 29, 2026—the newest uniform county data available. The study cautions that these are survey estimates of reported costs, not current bills or utility rates, and that the open-ended $1,000-plus band cannot establish average bills, consumption, utility prices, leaks, waste or savings. The “$1,000 divide” describes how common an annual cost threshold is, not a $1,000 difference in bills between counties.
For Florida homeowners and buyers reviewing recurring household expenses, the implication is practical: a property’s billing arrangements belong alongside its reported costs in any comparison. Bullseye Home Services, a locally owned plumbing company serving Southwest Florida, provides plumbing, drain and sewer, water heater and water treatment services. More information is available at callbullseye.com.
