Nearly half of Collier County’s occupied homes that are billed separately for water and sewer services reported annual costs of $1,000 or more, according to a new analysis by Bullseye Home Services of U.S. Census Bureau estimates. The study, which covers 2020–2024 and is expressed in 2024 dollars, found that 48.8% of such homes—an estimated 47,593 out of 97,487—fall into the $1,000-plus annual cost band. That compares with 28.6% of separately billed occupied homes statewide, a gap of 20.2 percentage points.
The billing distinction is central to the findings. In Collier County, 58.8% of all occupied homes are billed separately for water and sewer, while the remaining 41.2% have water included in rent or condo/HOA fees, or are not charged. Those homes are excluded from the study’s primary measure because their costs are not separately reported. The analysis highlights that among counties meeting the study’s precision and minimum billing-base requirements, Flagler, Collier and Monroe form a leading statistical group, with respective shares of 54.6%, 48.8% and 47.8%. The adjusted comparison method does not establish a sole statewide leader.
Southwest Florida as a region—defined as Charlotte, Collier, Lee, Manatee and Sarasota counties—also exceeds the statewide benchmark. Across the region, 35.2% of separately billed occupied homes (239,845 of 681,229) fall in the $1,000-plus annual bracket, which is 6.6 percentage points above the statewide share. The study also notes substantial differences between neighboring counties. For example, Collier’s share is 17.2 percentage points higher than Lee’s, while Charlotte’s is 9.3 points higher than Lee’s. “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 analysis relies on the American Community Survey 2020–2024 five-year estimates, released January 29, 2026, which are 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, inefficiency, hardship or savings. The “$1,000 divide” describes how common an annual cost threshold is, not a $1,000 difference in bills between counties. The findings underscore why a property’s billing arrangements belong alongside its reported costs in any comparison, particularly for homeowners and buyers reviewing recurring household expenses. Bullseye Home Services in Osprey serves homeowners across Southwest Florida and conducted the analysis to provide context on regional water and sewer cost patterns.
