If you're concerned about long-term wealth, property tax rates can help you figure out where to move or retire. So which states have the highest and lowest property taxes? What about specific counties within those states?
Property tax rates are complicated, but we've made some calculations to summarize them here. It's important to remember that the rates below may not reflect your actual property taxes, which depend on many factors.
Different types of properties have different tax rates, for example, and cities, counties, and school districts all set tax rates. But the figures below average statewide figures to give you a general idea. Let's start with the average property tax by state.
Map
Map: effective property tax rates by state
A quick note before we dive into the data: we calculated the effective property tax rates by state by dividing the median real estate tax paid by the median home value. Both were reported in the 2021 American Community Survey (ACS), the most recently data available. We used the five-year estimates to maximize accuracy.
As an example, the median real estate tax paid in the United States overall was $2,971, while the median home value was $268,800. That makes the effective property tax rate for the United States 1.11%.
Now let's take a look at the state property tax map (to see the median home value and median real estate tax paid, scroll down to any state below):
Here's the same data, presented in descending order by the effective property tax rate of each state, alongside the median property taxes paid:
| Rank | State | Median real estate tax paid | Effective real estate tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | $8,928 | 2.46% |
| 2 | Illinois | $5,213 | 2.29% |
| 3 | Connecticut | $6,251 | 2.16% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $6,235 | 2.09% |
| 5 | Texas | $4,399 | 1.90% |
| 6 | Vermont | $4,706 | 1.89% |
| 7 | New York | $6,217 | 1.73% |
| 8 | Wisconsin | $3,570 | 1.71% |
| 9 | Nebraska | $3,184 | 1.70% |
| 10 | Iowa | $2,700 | 1.59% |
| 11 | Ohio | $2,658 | 1.57% |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $3,352 | 1.56% |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $4,526 | 1.54% |
| 14 | Michigan | $2,734 | 1.45% |
| 15 | Kansas | $2,556 | 1.40% |
| 16 | Maine | $2,868 | 1.29% |
| 17 | Alaska | $3,716 | 1.24% |
| 18 | South Dakota | $2,528 | 1.22% |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $5,113 | 1.19% |
| 20 | Minnesota | $2,860 | 1.10% |
| 21 | Maryland | $3,709 | 1.07% |
| 22 | North Dakota | $2,378 | 1.02% |
| 23 | Missouri | $1,830 | 1.00% |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $1,623 | 0.99% |
| 25 | Georgia | $2,151 | 0.95% |
| 26 | Washington | $3,841 | 0.93% |
| 27 | Oregon | $3,457 | 0.92% |
| 28 | Florida | $2,372 | 0.89% |
| 28 | Kentucky | $1,508 | 0.89% |
| 30 | New Mexico | $1,721 | 0.84% |
| 31 | Montana | $2,339 | 0.83% |
| 31 | Indiana | $1,373 | 0.83% |
| 31 | Virginia | $2,656 | 0.83% |
| 34 | California | $4,804 | 0.81% |
| 34 | Mississippi | $1,289 | 0.81% |
| 36 | North Carolina | $1,765 | 0.80% |
| 37 | Arkansas | $1,031 | 0.66% |
| 38 | Tennessee | $1,376 | 0.65% |
| 39 | Idaho | $1,741 | 0.63% |
| 40 | Louisiana | $1,223 | 0.62% |
| 40 | Delaware | $1,695 | 0.62% |
| 42 | Wyoming | $1,501 | 0.61% |
| 43 | Arizona | $1,717 | 0.60% |
| 44 | District of Columbia | $3,754 | 0.59% |
| 44 | West Virginia | $916 | 0.59% |
| 46 | South Carolina | $1,213 | 0.58% |
| 47 | Utah | $1,972 | 0.57% |
| 48 | Nevada | $1,793 | 0.55% |
| 49 | Colorado | $2,125 | 0.52% |
| 50 | Alabama | $742 | 0.43% |
| 51 | Hawaii | $1,915 | 0.29% |
Counties with highest property taxes
Counties with highest property taxes
In addition to looking at state-level data, the ACS provides county-level property tax information (some of which you can find below under each state). Unfortunately, the ACS only tracks median real estate tax paid up to $10,000, at which point it lists "$10,000+".
14 counties paid a median property tax of $10,000 or more, making them the counties with the highest absolute property taxes paid in the country (we can only estimate their effective property tax rate, as we don't have actual tax data).
All but two of these counties were in New Jersey or New York:
| County | Median home value | Median real estate tax paid |
|---|---|---|
| Marin County, California | $1,146,900 | $10,000+ |
| Bergen County, New Jersey | $501,400 | $10,000+ |
| Essex County, New Jersey | $416,600 | $10,000+ |
| Hunterdon County, New Jersey | $440,100 | $10,000+ |
| Morris County, New Jersey | $480,200 | $10,000+ |
| Passaic County, New Jersey | $363,300 | $10,000+ |
| Union County, New Jersey | $396,500 | $10,000+ |
| Nassau County, New York | $567,200 | $10,000+ |
| New York County, New York | $1,029,900 | $10,000+ |
| Putnam County, New York | $383,300 | $10,000+ |
| Rockland County, New York | $471,000 | $10,000+ |
| Suffolk County, New York | $435,000 | $10,000+ |
| Westchester County, New York | $583,600 | $10,000+ |
| Falls Church city, Virginia | $895,000 | $10,000+ |
Property taxes by state
Property taxes by state
Now let's take a look at property tax by state.
Alabama property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.43%
- Median home value: $172,300
- Median real estate tax paid: $742
The three counties in Alabama with the highest effective property tax rates are Greene County (0.77%), Jefferson County (0.62%), and Mobile County (0.55%). The Alabama counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Choctaw County (0.21% or less*), Washington County (0.23%), and Bibb and Clarke Counties (0.24%).
Alaska property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.24%
- Median home value: $300,100
- Median real estate tax paid: $3,716
The areas in Alaska with the highest property taxes include the Copper River Census Area (2.56%), Bethel Census Area (1.56%), and Anchorage Municipality (1.37%). Much of Alaska does not have a property tax, with four boroughs (Aleutians East, Denali, Lake and Peninsula, and Northwest Arctic) and two Census Areas (Hoonah-Angoon and Kusilvak) showing no real estate taxes paid on the 2021 American Community Survey.
Arizona property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.60%
- Median home value: $283,900
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,717
The three counties in Arizona with the highest effective property tax rates are Pima County (0.89%), Yuma County (0.79%), and Santa Cruz County (0.76%). The Arizona counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Apache County (0.34%), Greenlee County (0.37%), and Coconino County (0.48%).
Arkansas property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.66%
- Median home value: $157,300
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,031
The three counties in Arkansas with the highest effective property tax rates are Pulaski County (0.85%), Phillips County (0.82%), and Lafayette County (0.75%). The Arkansas counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Stone County (0.34%), Searcy County (0.40%), and Randolph and Montgomery Counties (0.41%).
California property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.81%
- Median home value: $591,300
- Median real estate tax paid: $4,804
The three counties in California with the highest effective property tax rates are Modoc County (1.07%), Kern County (1.06%), and Riverside County (0.97%). The California counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Tehama County (0.70%) and Mono, San Mateo, and Inyo Counties (0.71%).
Note that Marin County's real estate tax paid isn't captured accurately by the American Community Survey (it lists only "$10,000+" for median real estate tax paid) so its effective tax rate of 0.87% on a median home value of $1,146,900 may be significantly lower than the actual effective rate.
Colorado property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.52%
- Median home value: $407,100
- Median real estate tax paid: $2,125
The three counties in Colorado with the highest effective property tax rates are Kiowa County (0.83%) and Cheyenne and Kit Carson Counties (0.68%). The Colorado counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Jackson County (0.20%), Greenlee County (0.28%), and San Miguel County (0.29%).
Connecticut property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 2.16%
- Median home value: $289,600
- Median real estate tax paid: $6,251
The three counties in Connecticut with the highest effective property tax rates are Hartford County (2.37%), New Haven County (2.32%), and Tolland County (2.22%). The Connecticut counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Windham County (1.80%), Fairfield County (1.85%), and New London County (1.90%).
Delaware property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.62%
- Median home value: $274,800
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,694
Delaware's three counties have effective tax rates of 0.81% in New Castle County, 0.54% in Kent County, and 0.38% in Sussex County.
District of Columbia property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.59%
- Median home value: $636,600
- Median real estate tax paid: $3,754
Florida property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.89%
- Median home value: $266,100
- Median real estate tax paid: $2,372
The three counties in Florida with the highest effective property tax rates are Alachua County (1.14%), Broward County (1.05%), and Hendry and St. Lucie Counties (1.04%). The Florida counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Walton County (0.56%); Monroe County (0.62%); and Jackson, Franklin, and Holmes Counties (0.64%).
Georgia property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.95%
- Median home value: $226,600
- Median real estate tax paid: $2,151
The three counties in Georgia with the highest effective property tax rates are Taliaferro County (2.37%), New Haven County (2.32%), and Tolland County (2.22%). The Georgia counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Windham County (1.80%), Fairfield County (1.85%), and New London County (1.90%).
Hawaii property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.29%
- Median home value: $669,200
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,915
The American Community Survey shows four counties with property tax data: Hawaii County (effective property tax rate of 0.32%), Honolulu County (0.30%), Kauai County (0.25%), and Maui County (0.20%). The ACS has no data for Kalawao County.
Idaho property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.63%
- Median home value: $277,400
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,741
The three counties in Idaho with the highest effective property tax rates are Power County (0.88%), Bannock County (0.87%), and Nez Perce County (0.86%). The Idaho counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Idaho County (0.36%), Clark County (0.38%), and Boise County (0.42%).
Illinois property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 2.29%
- Median home value: $227,700
- Median real estate tax paid: $5,213
The three counties in Illinois with the highest effective property tax rates are DeKalb County (2.91%) and Lake and Winnebago Counties (2.90%). The Illinois counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Pope County (1.16%), Pulaski County (1.17%), and Hardin County (1.37%).
Indiana property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.83%
- Median home value: $165,900
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,373
The three counties in Indiana with the highest effective property tax rates are Lake County (1.05%), Marion County (1.01%), and Vigo County (0.98%). The Indiana counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Pulaski and Clay Counties (0.44%) and Martin County (0.48%).
Iowa property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.59%
- Median home value: $169,600
- Median real estate tax paid: $2,700
The three counties in Iowa with the highest effective property tax rates are Polk County (1.93%), Montgomery County (1.90%), and Pottawattamie and Monroe Counties (1.83%). The Iowa counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Dickinson County (0.96%) and Lyon and Osceola Counties (1.00%).
Kansas property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.40%
- Median home value: $182,000
- Median real estate tax paid: $2,556
The three counties in Kansas with the highest effective property tax rates are Stanton County (2.66%), Stevens County (2.53%), and Graham County (2.35%). The Kansas counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Coffey County (1.06%), Wichita County (1.10%), and Mead and Nemaha Counties (1.12%).
Kentucky property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.89%
- Median home value: $169,600
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,508
The three counties in Kentucky with the highest effective property tax rates are Campbell County (1.24%), Greenup County (1.19%), and Kenton County (1.16%). The Kentucky counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Carter and Grayson Counties (0.60%) and Casey County (0.61%).
Louisiana property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.62%
- Median home value: $196,000
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,223
The three parishes in Louisiana with the highest effective property tax rates are Orleans Parish (0.87%), St. Tammany Parish (0.80%), and Caddo Parish (0.79%). The Louisiana parishes with the lowest effective property tax rates are East Feliciana Parish (0.15%), Catahoula Parish (0.22%), and West Carroll Parish (0.25%).
Maine property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.29%
- Median home value: $223,100
- Median real estate tax paid: $2,868
The three counties in Maine with the highest effective property tax rates are Androscoggin County (1.54%), Penobscot County (1.48%), and Knox County (1.42%). The Maine counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Hancock County (1.05%), Lincoln County (1.09%), and Piscataquis County (1.12%).
Maryland property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.07%
- Median home value: $346,500
- Median real estate tax paid: $3,709
The three counties in Maryland with the highest effective property tax rates are Howard County (1.29%), Prince George's County (1.24%), and Baltimore County (1.19%). The effective property tax rate of Baltimore city, which is reported separately, is 1.63%. The Maryland counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Talbot County (0.72%), Worcester County (0.82%), and Queen Anne's County (0.86%).
Massachusetts property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.19%
- Median home value: $431,100
- Median real estate tax paid: $5,113
The three counties in Massachusetts with the highest effective property tax rates are Franklin County (1.66%), Hampden County (1.65%), and Hampshire County (1.59%). The Massachusetts counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Nantucket County (0.32%), Dukes County (0.51%), and Suffolk County (0.68%).
Michigan property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.45%
- Median home value: $188,300
- Median real estate tax paid: $2,734
The three counties in Michigan with the highest effective property tax rates are Ingham County (2.03%), Wayne County (1.82%), and Gogebic County (1.78%). The Michigan counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Leelanau County (0.80%), Benzie County (0.88%), and Alcona County (0.92%).
Minnesota property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.10%
- Median home value: $260,500
- Median real estate tax paid: $2,860
The three counties in Minnesota with the highest effective property tax rates are Steele County (1.29%), Ramsey County (1.28%), and Chisago County (1.26%). The Minnesota counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Aitkin County (0.59%), Cass County (0.63%), and Rock County (0.69%).
Mississippi property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.81%
- Median home value: $159,200
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,289
The three counties in Mississippi with the highest effective property tax rates are Humphreys County (1.78%), Quitman County (1.53%), and Leflore County (1.30%). The Mississippi counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Amite County (0.47%), Choctaw County (0.54%), and Perry County (0.56%).
Missouri property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.00%
- Median home value: $183,900
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,830
The three counties in Missouri with the highest effective property tax rates are Worth County (1.41%), St. Louis County (1.31%), and Putnam County (1.29%). The Missouri counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Douglas County (0.45%) and Reynolds and Dallas Counties (0.48%).
Montana property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.83%
- Median home value: $282,200
- Median real estate tax paid: $2,339
The three counties in Montana with the highest effective property tax rates are Liberty County (1.36%), Dawson County (1.29%), and Blaine County (1.16%). The Montana counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Judith Basin County (0.43%), Madison County (0.49%), and Sanders County (0.53%).
Note that Petroleum and Prairie Counties don't have median home values listed in the 2021 ACS, so their effective tax rate can't be calculated from the data.
Nebraska property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.70%
- Median home value: $187,700
- Median real estate tax paid: $3,184
The three counties in Nebraska with the highest effective property tax rates are Kimball County (2.02%), Sarpy County (1.99%), and Cheyenne County (1.98%). The Nebraska counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Loup County (0.69%), Grant County (0.79%), and Keya Paha County (0.80%).
Nevada property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.55%
- Median home value: $325,300
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,793
The three counties in Nevada with the highest effective property tax rates are Lincoln County (0.79%), Lander County (0.72%), and Mineral County (0.71%). The Nevada counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Esmeralda County (0.33%), Eureka County (0.39%), and Washoe County (0.52%). Carson City has an effective property tax rate of 0.47%.
New Hampshire property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 2.09%
- Median home value: $297,900
- Median real estate tax paid: $6,235
The three counties in New Hampshire with the highest effective property tax rates are Sullivan County (2.84%), Cheshire County (2.68%), and Merrimack County (2.37%). The New Hampshire counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Carroll County (1.28%), Belknap County (1.77%), and Rockingham County (1.86%).
New Jersey property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 2.46%
- Median home value: $363,400
- Median real estate tax paid: $8,928
Six counties in New Jersey (Bergen, Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, and Union Counties) have a median real estate tax paid of "$10,000+" in the American Community Survey, making New Jersey's county-level property taxes difficult to calculate exactly. What's certain is that these counties pay some of the highest total property taxes in the country.
For the following statistics, we've used $10,000 as the median real estate tax paid in these counties (but this likely underestimates the effective rate, possibly by a substantial margin).
The three counties in New Jersey with the highest effective property tax rates are Camden County (3.45%), Salem County (3.25%), and Gloucester County (3.09%). The New Jersey counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Cape May County (1.54%), Hudson County (1.97%), and Bergen County (1.99%).
New Mexico property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.84%
- Median home value: $204,400
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,721
The three counties in New Mexico with the highest effective property tax rates are McKinley County (1.18%), Bernalillo County (1.05%), and Sandoval County (0.87%). The New Mexico counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Harding County (0.42%); De Baca County (0.44%); and Hidalgo, Taos, and Mora Counties (0.46%).
Note that the ACS does not have median home values for Catron and Guadalupe Counties.
New York property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.73%
- Median home value: $359,600
- Median real estate tax paid: $6,217
Like New Jersey, New York has six counties (Nassau, New York, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties) that the ACS reports "$10,000+" for median real estate tax paid. We used $10,000 for the calculations of those counties, though this may significantly underestimate the effective tax rate (especially for New York county, where the median home value is $1,029,900).
The three counties in New York with the highest effective property tax rates are Allegany County (3.48%), Orleans County (3.21%), and Monroe County (3.16%). The New York counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Kings County (0.66%), Queens County (0.86%), and Richmond County (0.83%).
North Carolina property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.80%
- Median home value: $220,000
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,765
The three counties in North Carolina with the highest effective property tax rates are Washington and Edgecombe Counties (1.20%) and Scotland County (1.15%). The North Carolina counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Jackson County (0.38%) and Clay and Swain Counties (0.42%).
Note that the ACS does not have median real estate tax paid for Hyde County.
North Dakota property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.02%
- Median home value: $233,300
- Median real estate tax paid: $2,378
The three counties in North Dakota with the highest effective property tax rates are Stutsman County (1.25%), Cass County (1.22%), and Ransom County (1.21%). The North Dakota counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Slope County (0.23%), McKenzie County (0.44%), and Kidder County (0.47%).
Note that the ACS does not have median real estate tax paid for Sioux County.
Ohio property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.57%
- Median home value: $169,200
- Median real estate tax paid: $2,658
The three counties in Ohio with the highest effective property tax rates are Cuyahoga County (2.31%), Montgomery County (2.07%), and Lucas County (1.98%). The Ohio counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Noble County (0.88%), Wyandot County (0.89%), and Monroe County (0.90%).
Oklahoma property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.99%
- Median home value: $164,500
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,623
The three counties in Oklahoma with the highest effective property tax rates are Cleveland County (1.21%), Tulsa County (1.15%), and Oklahoma County (1.12%). The Oklahoma counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Roger Mills County (0.51%) and Pushmataha and McCurtain Counties (0.53%).
Oregon property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.92%
- Median home value: $373,900
- Median real estate tax paid: $3,457
The three counties in Oregon with the highest effective property tax rates are Harney County (1.18%), Malheur County (1.10%), and Umatilla County (1.08%). The Oregon counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Curry County (0.58%), Josephine County (0.59%), and Tillamook County (0.62%).
Pennsylvania property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.56%
- Median home value: $215,300
- Median real estate tax paid: $3,352
The three counties in Pennsylvania with the highest effective property tax rates are Monroe County (2.32%), Delaware County (2.15%), and Berks County (2.00%). The Pennsylvania counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Bedford County (0.83%), Philadelphia County (0.94%), and Huntingdon County (0.99%).
Rhode Island property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.54%
- Median home value: $293,100
- Median real estate tax paid: $4,526
The five counties in Rhode Island have the following effective property tax rates: 1.72% in Kent County, 1.63% in Bristol County, 1.62% in Providence County, 1.21% in Washington County, and 1.14% in Newport County.
South Carolina property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.58%
- Median home value: $207,400
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,213
The three counties in South Carolina with the highest effective property tax rates are Hampton County (0.96%), Williamsburg County (0.82%), and Richland County (0.81%). The South Carolina counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Horry County (0.37%) and Charleston, Florence, and Darlington Counties (0.46%).
South Dakota property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.22%
- Median home value: $207,700
- Median real estate tax paid: $2,528
The three counties in South Dakota with the highest effective property tax rates are Todd County (2.38%), Mellette County (2.00%), and Bennett County (1.67%). The South Dakota counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Ziebach County (0.56%) and Marshall and Custer Counties (0.82%).
Note that the ACS does not have median real estate tax paid for Buffalo, Jackson, or Ogalala Counties or median home value for Buffalo County.
Tennessee property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.65%
- Median home value: $211,700
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,376
The three counties in Tennessee with the highest effective property tax rates are Shelby County (1.25%), Montgomery County (0.81%), and Gibson County (0.80%). The Tennessee counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Sevier County (0.37%) and Cumberland and DeKalb Counties (0.38%).
Texas property taxes
- Effective property tax rate: 1.90%
- Median home value: $232,000
- Median real estate tax paid: $4,399
The three counties in Texas with the highest effective property tax rates are Mitchell County (2.72%), Sherman County (2.51%), and El Paso County (2.42%). The Texas counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Glasscock County (0.16%), Ward County (0.37%), and Leon County (0.72%).
Note that the ACS does include median real estate tax paid for Crockett, Culberson, Dimmit, Kenedy, King, LaSalle, Loving, McMullen, Sterling, or Zavala Counties. Also not included are median home values for Dimmit, Kenedy, Kent, King, or Loving Counties.
Utah property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.57%
- Median home value: $345,300
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,972
The three counties in Utah with the highest effective property tax rates are Duchesne County (0.73%), Carbon County (0.70%), and Sevier and Weber Counties (0.67%). The Utah counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Summit County (0.38%) and Garfield and Rich Counties (0.40%).
Vermont property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.89%
- Median home value: $248,700
- Median real estate tax paid: $4,706
The three counties in Vermont with the highest effective property tax rates are Rutland County (2.15%), Windham County (2.13%), and Windsor County (2.11%). The Vermont counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Grand Isle County (1.62%), Franklin County (1.69%), and Chittenden County (1.80%).
Virginia property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.83%
- Median home value: $321,200
- Median real estate tax paid: $2,656
Virginia has 38 independent cities that are considered equivalent to counties for census data. We've treated them as counties here. In general, though not in every case, the cities' effective tax rates are higher than the counties'.
The three cities in Virginia with the highest effective property tax rates are Manassas Park city (1.24%), Portsmouth city (1.17%), and Roanoke city (1.15%). The Virginia counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Craig County (0.38%), Buchanan County (0.45%), and Nottoway County (0.46%).
Note that Falls Church city's real estate tax paid isn't captured accurately by the American Community Survey (it lists only "$10,000+" for median real estate tax paid) so its effective tax rate of 1.12% on a median home value of $895,300 may be significantly lower than the actual effective rate.
Washington property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.93%
- Median home value: $414,300
- Median real estate tax paid: $3,841
The three counties in Washington with the highest effective property tax rates are Pierce County (1.04%), Walla Walla County (1.03%), and Grant County (1.02%). The Washington counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Wahkiakum County (0.62%) and Pend Oreille and San Juan Counties (0.63%).
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West Virginia property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 0.59%
- Median home value: $156,000
- Median real estate tax paid: $916
The three counties in West Virginia with the highest effective property tax rates are Wetzel County (0.81%), Hancock County (0.78%), and Cabell County (0.75%). The West Virginia counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Pocahontas County (0.30%), Roane County (0.34%), and Summers County (0.36%).
Wisconsin property tax
- Effective property tax rate: 1.71%
- Median home value: $208,900
- Median real estate tax paid: $3,570
The three counties in Wisconsin with the highest effective property tax rates are Milwaukee County (2.34%), Menominee County (2.32%), and Rock County (1.97%). The Wisconsin counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Vilas County (0.82%), Sawyer County (0.96%), and Oneida County (1.05%).
Wyoming property tax
- Effective tax rate: 0.61%
- Median home value: $247,600
- Median real estate tax paid: $1,501
The three counties in Wyoming with the highest effective property tax rates are Washakie County (0.71%), Platte County (0.70%), and Goshen County (0.69%). The Wyoming counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Sublette County (0.44%), Teton County (0.45%), and Lincoln County (0.50%).
FAQs
FAQs
Highest property taxes by state
When it comes to dollar amounts, New Jersey ($8,928), Connecticut ($6,251), New Hampshire ($6,235), New York ($6,217), and Illinois ($5,213) have the highest median property taxes.
If you're looking at the highest effective tax rates, however, you'll find that New Jersey (2.46%), Illinois (2.29%), Connecticut (2.16%), New Hampshire (2.09%), and Texas (1.90%) top the list.
Lowest property taxes by state
By median real estate taxes paid in absolute dollars, Alabama ($742), West Virginia ($916), Arkansas ($1,031), South Carolina ($1,213), and Louisiana ($1,223) have the lowest property taxes.
When ranking by the lowest effective tax rates, the list looks like this: Hawaii (0.29%), Alabama (0.43%), Colorado (0.52%), Nevada (0.55%), and Utah (0.57%).
States with no property tax
As of early 2023, there are no states without property taxes. There are some small exceptions, though, such as Alaska. Much of the landmass of the state has no property tax, largely because of its sparse population.
Planning for property taxes
Understanding your likely property tax burden can be important if you're looking for the best state to retire to or just considering a move somewhere else in the country. The above figures are generalizations, but can help you get an idea of what most people pay.
And if you're looking at property taxes by state as part of your retirement planning, be sure to check out Rule Your Retirement for tips on taxes, saving strategies, investing, and more.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau (2022). American Community Survey, Table S2506, Financial Characteristics for Housing Units With a Mortgage.
