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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.
Here’s the effective property tax rate of each state, alongside the median property taxes paid and median home value.
The counties in Alabama with the highest effective property tax rate are Jefferson County (0.57%), Shelby County (0.49%), and Mobile County (0.46%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates in Alabama are Walker County (0.21%), Cullman County (0.25%), and Elmore County (0.3%).
Anchorage Municipality has the highest effective property tax rate in Alaska (1.22%), followed by Fairbanks North Star Borough (1.06%), and Matanuska-Susitna Borough (1%).
The counties with the highest effective property tax rates in Arizona are Pima County (0.65%), Yuma County (0.58%), and Cochise County (0.53%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Coconino County (0.36%), Mohave County (0.37%), and Yavapai County (0.37%).
The counties in Arkansas with the highest effective property tax rates are Pulaski County (0.76%), Jefferson County (0.69%), and Sebastian County (0.57%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Garland County (0.42%), White County (0.45%), and Faulkner County (0.51%).
The counties in California with the highest effective property tax rates are Yuba County (0.95%), Contra Costa County (0.93%), and Kern County (0.92%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Tehama County (0.63%), Santa Barbara County (0.65%), and Orange County (0.67%).
The counties in Colorado with the highest effective property tax rates are Douglas County (0.62%), Adams County (0.61%), and Broomfield County (59%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Mesa County (0.4%), El Paso County (0.44%), and Denver County (0.49%).
The counties in Connecticut with the highest effective property tax rates are Capitol Planning Region (1.74%), Naugatuck Valley Planning Region (1.74%), and South Central Connecticut Planning Region (1.74%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region (1.23%), Western Connecticut Planning Region (1.35%), and Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region (1.41%).
Delaware’s effective property tax rates by county are as follows: New Castle County (0.68%), Kent County (0.42%), and Sussex County (0.32%).
The counties in Florida with the highest effective property tax rates are St. Lucie County (1.07%), Broward County (1.00%), and Alachua County (0.93%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Walton County (0.53%), Monroe County (0.56%), and Collier County (0.57%).
The counties in Georgia with the highest effective property tax rates are Dougherty County (1.21%), Liberty County (1.12%), and Clayton County (1.02%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Glynn County (0.56%), Catoosa County (0.57%), and Carroll County (0.65%).
Property tax rates in Hawaii are as follows: Honolulu County (0.29%), Hawaii County (0.25%), Kauai County (0.23%), and Maui County (0.14%)
The counties in Idaho with the highest effective property tax rates are Twin Falls County (0.52%), Bannock County (0.51%), and Canyon County (0.48%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Kootenai County (0.36%), Ada County (0.44%), and Bonneville County (0.45%).
The highest effective property tax rates in Illinois are in Lake County (2.50%), DeKalb County (2.30%), and Peoria/Rock Island Counties (2.28%). The lowest effective property tax rates are in St. Clair County (1.73%), Madison County (1.79%), and Williamson County (1.86%).
The counties in Indiana with the highest effective property tax rates are Marion County (0.92%), Lake County (0.92%), and St. Joseph County (0.88%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Morgan County (0.49%), Kosciusko County (0.59%), and Tippecanoe County (0.63%).
The counties in Iowa with the highest effective property tax rates are Linn County (1.57%), Polk County (1.50%), and Johnson County (1.48%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Dubuque County (1.11%), Story County (1.28%), and Scott County (1.32%).
The counties in Kansas with the highest effective property tax rates are Riley County (1.53%), Butler County (1.48%), and Shawnee County (1.41%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Johnson County (1.07%), Sedgwick County (1.12%), and Douglas County (1.24%).
The counties in Kentucky with the highest effective property tax rates are Campbell County (1.00%), Kenton County (0.92%), and Oldham County (0.89%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Christian County (0.55%), Pulaski County (0.57%), and Hardin/Warren Counties (0.62%).
The counties in Louisiana with the highest effective property tax rates are Orleans Parish (0.95%), East Baton Rouge Parish (0.75%), and St. Tammany Parish (0.71%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Tangipahoa Parish (0.32%), St. Landry Parish (0.33%), and Terrebonne/Iberia Parishes (0.40%).
The counties in Maine with the highest effective property tax rates are Aroostook County (1.06%), Kennebec County (1.01%), and Penobscot County (0.98%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are York County (0.85%), Androscoggin County (0.91%), and Cumberland County (0.94%).
The counties in Maryland with the highest effective property tax rates are Baltimore City (1.39%), Prince George's County (1.12%), and Howard County (1.09%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Wicomico County (0.71%), Calvert County (0.75%), and Washington County (0.76%).
The counties in Massachusetts with the highest effective property tax rates are Franklin County (1.37%), Hampshire County (1.36%), and Hampden County (1.34%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Barnstable County (0.62%), Suffolk County (0.65%), and Essex County (0.98%).
The counties in Michigan with the highest effective property tax rates are Ingham County (1.82%), Wayne County (1.55%), and Saginaw County (1.48%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Grand Traverse County (0.74%), Montcalm County (0.91%), and Allegan County (1.00%).
The counties in Minnesota with the highest effective property tax rates are Ramsey County (1.25%), Hennepin County (1.16%), and Clay County (1.16%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Crow Wing County (0.70%), Anoka County (0.94%), and Carver County (0.98%).
The counties in Mississippi with the highest effective property tax rates are Hinds County (0.83%), Lee County (0.82%), and Forrest County (0.78%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Jones County (0.55%), DeSoto County (0.55%), and Rankin County (0.62%).
The counties in Missouri with the highest effective property tax rates are Jackson County (1.10%), St. Louis County (1.09%), and Clay County (1.04%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are St. Francois County (0.62%), Cape Girardeau County (0.62%), and Cole County (0.63%).
The counties in Montana with the highest effective property tax rates are Cascade County (0.87%), Missoula County (0.84%), and Yellowstone County (0.80%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Flathead County (0.53%), Gallatin County (0.65%), and Lewis and Clark County (0.77%).
Effective property tax rates in Nebraska are as follows: Sarpy County (1.67%), Douglas County (1.66%), and Lancaster County (1.43%)
Effective property tax rates in Nevada are as follows: Clark County (0.49%), Washoe County (0.44%).
The counties in New Hampshire with the highest effective property tax rates are Cheshire County (1.74%), Merrimack County (1.59%), and Strafford County (1.57%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Belknap County (1.14%), Rockingham County (1.35%), and Hillsborough County (1.48%).
The counties in New Jersey with the highest effective property tax rates are Salem County (2.40%), Camden County (2.26%), and Gloucester County (2.12%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Cape May County (1.07%), Ocean County (1.40%), and Hudson County (1.60%).
The counties in New Mexico with the highest effective property tax rates are Lea County (0.85%), Bernalillo County (0.83%), and McKinley County (0.74%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Santa Fe County (0.48%), Otero County (0.51%), and Doña Ana/San Juan Counties (0.58%).
The counties in New York with the highest effective property tax rates are Broome County (2.44%), Monroe County (2.36%), and Chemung County (2.35%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Kings County (0.69%), Bronx County (0.87%), and Queens County (0.86%).
The counties in North Carolina with the highest effective property tax rates are Cumberland County (0.83%), Robeson County (0.81%), and Wilson County (0.79%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Carteret County (0.40%), Stanly County (0.46%), and Wilkes County (0.47%).
The counties in North Dakota with the highest effective property tax rates are Cass County (1.19%), Grand Forks County (1.11%), and Ward County (1.09%). Burleigh County (0.89%) has the lowest effective property tax rate.
The counties in Ohio with the highest effective property tax rates are Cuyahoga County (1.80%), Montgomery County (1.56%), and Delaware County (1.55%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Muskingum County (0.82%), Hancock County (0.86%), and Columbiana/Miami Counties (0.87%).
The counties in Oklahoma with the highest effective property tax rates are Cleveland County (0.98%), Oklahoma County (0.95%), and Tulsa County (0.94%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Pottawatomie County (0.67%), Creek County (0.70%), and Muskogee County (0.74%).
The counties in Oregon with the highest effective property tax rates are Multnomah County (0.96%), Benton County (0.86%), and Washington County (0.83%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Josephine County (0.52%), Klamath County (0.56%), and Deschutes/Douglas Counties (0.57%).
The counties in Pennsylvania with the highest effective property tax rates are Delaware County (1.72%), York County (1.49%), and Berks County (1.48%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Philadelphia County (0.83%), Somerset County (0.84%), and Mercer County (0.91%).
The counties in Rhode Island with the highest effective property tax rates are Kent County (1.26%), Providence County (1.11%), and Washington County (0.91%). Newport County (0.78%) has the lowest effective property tax rate.
The counties in South Carolina with the highest effective property tax rates are Orangeburg County (0.67%), Richland County (0.59%), and Sumter County (0.57%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Charleston County (0.32%), Horry County (0.34%), and Oconee County (0.35%).
South Dakota property tax rates by county are as follows: Lincoln County (1.30%), Minnehaha County (1.13%), and Pennington County (0.97%).
The counties in Tennessee with the highest effective property tax rates are Shelby County (0.91%), Davidson County (0.55%), and Hamilton County (0.53%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Sevier County (0.26%), Cumberland County (0.28%), and Williamson County (0.34%).
The counties in Texas with the highest effective property tax rates are El Paso County (1.94%), Brazoria County (1.82%), and San Patricio County (1.82%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Harrison County (0.72%), Nacogdoches County (0.78%), and Angelina County (0.85%).
The counties in Utah with the highest effective property tax rates are Weber County (0.60%), Tooele County (0.57%), and Salt Lake County (0.49%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Washington County (0.38%), Cache County (0.41%), and Iron County (0.42%).
The effective property tax rate in Chittenden County is 1.38%.
The counties in Virginia with the highest effective property tax rates are Portsmouth city (1.09%), Richmond city (1.00%), and Fairfax County (0.98%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Bedford County (0.37%), Frederick County (0.41%), and Augusta County (0.43%).
The counties in Washington with the highest effective property tax rates are Grant County (0.93%), Pierce County (0.86%), and Spokane County (0.84%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Mason County (0.62%), Lewis County (0.63%), and Island County (0.66%).
The counties in West Virginia with the highest effective property tax rates are Kanawha County (0.68%), Wood County (0.64%), and Cabell County (0.60%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Monongalia County (0.47%), Berkeley County (0.49%), and Raleigh County (0.54%).
The counties in Wisconsin with the highest effective property tax rates are Milwaukee County (1.67%), Dane County (1.46%), and Winnebago County (1.46%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Washington County (0.92%), Waukesha County (1.00%), and Ozaukee County (1.02%).
The effective property tax rates in Wyoming by county are as follows: Laramie County (0.57%) and Natrona County (0.52%).
New York, New Jersey, and Illinois are home to the counties with the most expensive property tax rates. No other state has any counties in the top 10.
Interestingly, the counties with the highest property tax rates don't have particularly expensive homes.
For the most part, Hawaii has high property taxes -- its fifth highest in the United States. It's also home to many of the counties with the lowest effective property tax rates.
Counties from Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina make up the rest of the list of counties with the lowest effective property tax rates.
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 they can help you get an idea of what most people pay.
If you're looking at property taxes by state to decide where you'll retire, be sure to check out our retirement planning guide for tips on saving strategies, retirement plans, investing, and more.