Is it cheaper to live in Jacksonville or Tampa for monthly utilities?

Jacksonville, FL is approximately 5% cheaper than Tampa, FL in average monthly utilities ($345/mo vs $362/mo), saving approximately $17 per month or $204 annually.

How do residential electric rates compare between Jacksonville and Tampa?

Residential electricity in Jacksonville is $0.142 per kWh served by JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority), compared to $0.156 per kWh in Tampa served by Tampa Electric (TECO).

What is the average water and sewer bill in Jacksonville compared to Tampa?

In Jacksonville, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $45.50/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $2.90 per 1,000 gallons. In Tampa, baseline fixed meter fees are $27.30/month with Tier 1 water at $2.85 per 1,000 gallons.

How do weather and climate affect seasonal utility bills in Jacksonville vs Tampa?

Jacksonville experiences 2850 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 62%, whereas Tampa records 3650 CDD with a summer spike of 54%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 1350 in Jacksonville versus 580 in Tampa.

Jacksonville, FL vs Tampa, FL Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

Select your home type to adjust estimated monthly consumption for Jacksonville and Tampa.

Jacksonville Est.

$345/mo

Power:$140

Water & Sewer:$107

Gas & Trash:$100

Projected Variance

-$17/mo

Jacksonville saves your household roughly $204 per year at this consumption tier.

Tampa Est.

$362/mo

Power:$155

Water & Sewer:$77

Gas & Trash:$114

Head-to-Head Utility Tariff Breakdown

Direct comparison of published rates, electric tariffs, and municipal meter charges.

EIA-861 Calibrated

Utility Component	Jacksonville, FL	Tampa, FL
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.142 / kWh	$0.156 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$12.50/mo	$15.00/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority) Regulated Monopoly Utility	Tampa Electric (TECO) Regulated Monopoly Utility
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.32 / Therm	$1.45 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$15.00/mo	$16.00/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$18.00/mo	$12.80/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$2.90	$2.85
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$5.20	$4.90
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $27.50/mo Volumetric: $7.40/1k gal	Base: $14.50/mo Volumetric: $5.40/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$25.50/mo	$33.10/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$6.00/mo	$8.90/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $150 – $275 Turn-on: $25.00	Deposit: $175 – $290 Turn-on: $25.00

Climate & Seasonal HVAC Load Drivers

NOAA degree-day data dictating peak air conditioning and heating power spikes.

NOAA 1991–2020 Normals

Climate Indicator	Jacksonville, FL	Tampa, FL
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	2,850 CDD	3,650 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	1,350 HDD	580 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+62% Summer Spike	+54% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Northeast Florida subtropical climate with mild winters and humid summers with tropical storm exposure.	Tropical humid climate where cooling runs 10 months out of the year with intense afternoon thunderstorm humidity.

Clean Energy & Solar Economics

Rooftop solar irradiance and net metering rules to mitigate high utility bills.

NREL Solar Data

Solar Component	Jacksonville, FL	Tampa, FL
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	5.1 hrs/day	5.3 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	JEA Distributed Generation Policy with fuel-rate export compensation.	Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065 full 1:1 net metering with TECO bill credits and 100% state property tax exemption.
City Solar Calculator	Jacksonville Solar Estimator →	Tampa Solar Estimator →

🏙️ Jacksonville Official Estimator

Jacksonville, FL Utility Calculator

Access the interactive multi-utility calculator, municipal moving checklists, and verified billing schedules for Jacksonville.

ZIP: jacksonville Open Jacksonville Hub →

🏙️ Tampa Official Estimator

Tampa, FL Utility Calculator

Access the interactive multi-utility calculator, municipal moving checklists, and verified billing schedules for Tampa.

ZIP: tampa Open Tampa Hub →

Common Inquiries

Frequently Asked Questions: Jacksonville vs Tampa

Direct answers to key cost of living and utility comparison questions.

Is it cheaper to live in Jacksonville or Tampa for utilities? ▼

Jacksonville, FL is approximately 5% cheaper than Tampa, FL in overall monthly utility bills ($345/mo vs $362/mo). A typical household saves around $17 per month or $204 annually.

How do residential electric rates compare per kilowatt-hour? ▼

Residential electricity in Jacksonville costs $0.142 per kWh supplied by JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority), compared to $0.156 per kWh in Tampa served by Tampa Electric (TECO). For a home consuming 1,000 kWh per month, this rate difference accounts for $14.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

What is the water and sewer rate difference between Jacksonville and Tampa? ▼

In Jacksonville, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $18.00/mo plus $27.50/mo sewer baseline. In Tampa, the base water fee is $12.80/mo with $14.50/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $2.90/1k gal in Jacksonville versus $2.85/1k gal in Tampa.

How does weather and climate impact summer and winter power bills? ▼

Jacksonville logs 2,850 Cooling Degree Days with a 62% summer AC bill surge. Conversely, Tampa records 3,650 CDD with a 54% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 1,350 in Jacksonville versus 580 in Tampa.

Related Metro Comparisons

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Compare Jacksonville or Tampa against neighboring cities and prominent US metro destinations.

📍 Popular Comparisons for Jacksonville

Jacksonville vs Miami, FL $345 vs $385 → Jacksonville vs New York City, NY $345 vs $440 → Jacksonville vs Los Angeles, CA $345 vs $395 → Jacksonville vs Chicago, IL $345 vs $365 →

📍 Popular Comparisons for Tampa

Tampa vs Miami, FL $362 vs $385 → Tampa vs New York City, NY $362 vs $440 → Tampa vs Los Angeles, CA $362 vs $395 → Tampa vs Chicago, IL $362 vs $365 →

Jacksonville, FL vs Tampa, FL

Jacksonville

Tampa

Executive Summary & Citability Passage