States with the highest & lowest property taxes

by Dr. Eowyn

Property taxes are the single largest revenue source for local governments, used to fund fire and police departments, schools, and road maintenance, including snow removal, cleaning, and repair.

In 2015, the average U.S. property taxes per person was $1,518. Since property taxes are ratified, collected, and spent almost entirely at the municipal level, depending on where you live, property taxes can be either relatively low or a major financial burden.

Generally, property taxes are collected as a set share of the value of a home or parcel of land. Depending on local laws, home or property values are assessed periodically based on estimated sale prices, or by using the sale price when the property was last sold.

Using data from the Tax Foundation’s report, 2018 Facts & Figures: How Does Your State Compare?24/7 Wall St reviewed the 2015 effective property tax rate — the total amount of property taxes paid annually as a percentage of the total value of all occupied homes — for all 50 states, to derive the states with the highest and lowest property taxes. However, states with relatively low effective property tax rates do not necessarily have low tax revenue if real estate values in an area are high. That means that a state with a low effective property tax rate may actually have high per capita property taxes in dollar amount. The worst, of course, is a state with a high effective property tax rate and high per capita property taxes. And the worst of the worst is New Jersey,which has the highest effective property tax rate and the highest per capita property taxes.

The top 5 states in effective property tax rates are:

  1. New Jersey
  2. Illinois
  3. New Hampshire
  4. Wisconsin
  5. Vermont

The top 5 states in per capita property taxes are:

  1. New Jersey
  2. New Hampshire
  3. Connecticut
  4. New York
  5. Vermont

The 5 states with the lowest effective property tax rates are:

  1. Hawaii
  2. Alabama
  3. Louisiana
  4. West Virginia
  5. Wyoming

The 5 states with the lowest per capita property taxes are:

  1. Alabama
  2. Arkansas
  3. New Mexico
  4. Kentucky
  5. Delaware

Below is a list of all 50 states from the lowest to highest effective property tax rates:

(50) Hawaii:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.29% (the lowest)
  • Median home value: $617,400 (the highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,069.62 (18th lowest)
  • Median household income: $77,765 (3rd highest)

(49) Alabama:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.40% (2nd lowest)
  • Median home value: $141,300 (7th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $539.76 (the lowest)
  • Median household income: $48,123 (6th lowest)

(48) Louisiana:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.51% (3rd lowest)
  • Median home value: $162,500 (15th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $868.77 (8th lowest)
  • Median household income: $46,145 (4th lowest)

(47) West Virginia:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.53% (4th lowest)
  • Median home value: $119,800 (the lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $887.99 (9th lowest)
  • Median household income: $43,469 (the lowest)

(46) Wyoming:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.55% (5th lowest)
  • Median home value: $214,300 (22nd highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $2,346.84 (6th highest)
  • Median household income: $60,434 (19th highest)

(45) South Carolina:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.56%
  • Median home value: $161,800 (14th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,129.61 (20th lowest)
  • Median household income: $50,570 (9th lowest)

(44) Delaware:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.56%
  • Median home value: $252,800 (17th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $855.29 (5th lowest)
  • Median household income: $62,852 (17th highest

(43) Colorado:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.59%
  • Median home value: $348,900 (4th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,381.92 (25th lowest)
  • Median household income: $69,117 (11th highest)

(42) Arkansas:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.63%
  • Median home value: $128,500 (3rd lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $698.60 (2nd lowest)
  • Median household income: $45,869 (3rd lowest)

(41) Mississippi:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.64%
  • Median home value: $120,200 (2nd lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $971.63 (13th lowest)
  • Median household income: $43,529 (2nd lowest)

(40) Utah:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.65%
  • Median home value: $275,100 (10th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $975.96 (15th lowest)
  • Median household income: $68,358 (13th highest)

(39) New Mexico:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.67%
  • Median home value: $171,300 (19th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $770.45 (3rd lowest)
  • Median household income: $46,744 (5th lowest)

(38) Arizona:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.70%
  • Median home value: $223,400 (21st highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,036.43 (17th lowest)
  • Median household income: $56,581 (23rd lowest)

(37) Tennessee:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.75%
  • Median home value: $167,500 (16th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $862.63 (7th lowest)
  • Median household income: $51,340 (10th lowest)

(36) Idaho:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.75%
  • Median home value: $207,100 (24th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $963.84 (12th lowest)
  • Median household income: $52,225 (11th lowest)

(35) Nevada:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.75%
  • Median home value: $258,200 (15th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $959.26 (11th lowest)
  • Median household income: $58,003 (25th lowest)

(34) California:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.76%
  • Median home value: $509,400 (2nd highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,450.91 (21st highest)
  • Median household income: $71,805 (8th highest)

(33) Montana:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.76%
  • Median home value: $231,300 (18th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,508.57 (19th highest)
  • Median household income: $53,386 (14th lowest)

(32) Kentucky:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.80%
  • Median home value: $141,000 (5th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $781.04 (4th lowest)
  • Median household income: $48,375 (7th lowest)

(31) Virginia:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.84%
  • Median home value: $273,400 (11th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,520.01 (18th highest)
  • Median household income: $71,535 (9th highest)

(30) North Carolina:

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  • Effective property tax rate: 0.84%
  • Median home value: $273,400 (11th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,520.01 (18th highest)
  • Median household income: $71,535 (9th highest)

(29) Oklahoma:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.84%
  • Median home value: $273,400 (11th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,520.01 (18th highest)
  • Median household income: $71,535 (9th highest)

(28) Indiana:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.87%
  • Median home value: $141,100 (6th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $974.87 (14th lowest)
  • Median household income: $54,181 (17th lowest)

(27) Georgia:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.94%
  • Median home value: $173,700 (21st lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,124.80 (19th lowest)
  • Median household income: $56,183 (19th lowest)

(26) Washington:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.96%
  • Median home value: $339,000 (5th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,408.64 (23rd highest)
  • Median household income: $70,979 (10th highest)

(25) Florida:

  • Effective property tax rate: 0.99%
  • Median home value: $214,000 (23rd highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,232.26 (22nd lowest)
  • Median household income: $52,594 (12th lowest)

(24) North Dakota:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.00%
  • Median home value: $194,700 (25th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,221.51 (21st lowest)
  • Median household income: $61,843 (18th highest)

(23) Oregon:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.01%
  • Median home value: $319,200 (7th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,404.16 (24th highest)
  • Median household income: $60,212 (20th highest)

(22) Alaska:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.01%
  • Median home value: $319,200 (7th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,404.16 (24th highest)
  • Median household income: $60,212 (20th highest)

(21) Missouri:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.02%
  • Median home value: $156,700 (13th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $990.44 (16th lowest)
    Median household income: $53,578 (15th lowest)

(20) Maryland:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.03%
  • Median home value: $312,500 (9th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,555.37 (16th highest)
  • Median household income: $80,776 (the highest)

(19) Minnesota:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.12%
  • Median home value: $224,000 (20th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,533.52 (17th highest)
  • Median household income: $68,388 (12th highest)

(18) Massachusetts:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.15%
  • Median home value: $385,400 (3rd highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $2,258.22 (8th highest)
  • Median household income: $77,385 (4th highest)

(17) South Dakota:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.21%
  • Median home value: $167,600 (17th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,380.91 (24th lowest)
  • Median household income: $56,521 (22nd lowest)

(16) Maine:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.23%
  • Median home value: $191,200 (24th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $2,055.00 (10th highest)
  • Median household income: $56,277 (20th lowest)

(15) Kansas:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.32%
  • Median home value: $150,600 (10th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,440.25 (22nd highest)
    Median household income: $56,422 (21st lowest)

(14) New York:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.40%
  • Median home value: $314,500 (8th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $2,696.90 (4th highest)
  • Median household income: $64,894 (14th highest)

(13) Iowa:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.44%
  • Median home value: $149,100 (9th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,569.22 (15th highest)
  • Median household income: $58,570 (25th highest)

(12) Pennsylvania:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.48%
  • Median home value: $181,200 (23rd lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,480.87 (20th highest)
  • Median household income: $59,195 (24th highest)

(11) Michigan:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.50%
  • Median home value: $155,700 (11th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,382.10 (25th highest)
  • Median household income: $54,909 (18th lowest)

(10) Rhode Island:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.53%
  • Median home value: $257,800 (16th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $2,339.34 (7th highest)
  • Median household income: $63,870 (15th highest)

(9) Ohio:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.60%
  • Median home value: $144,200 (8th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,271.45 (23rd lowest)
  • Median household income: $54,021 (16th lowest)

(8) Connecticut:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.62%
  • Median home value: $273,100 (12th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $2,846.51 (3rd highest)
  • Median household income: $74,168 (5th highest)

(7) Nebraska:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.67%
  • Median home value: $155,800 (12th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,895.19 (12th highest)
  • Median household income: $59,970 (21st highest)

(6) Texas:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.70%
  • Median home value: $172,200 (20th lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,731.37 (13th highest)
  • Median household income: $59,206 (23rd highest)

(5) Vermont:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.72% (5th highest)
  • Median home value: $226,300 (19th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $2,541.72 (5th highest)
  • Median household income: $57,513 (24th lowest)

(4) Wisconsin:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.77% (4th highest)
  • Median home value: $178,900 (22nd lowest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $1,615.71 (14th highest)
  • Median household income: $59,305 (22nd highest)

(3) New Hampshire:

  • Effective property tax rate: 1.99% (3rd highest)
  • Median home value: $263,600 (14th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $3,054.30 (2nd highest)
  • Median household income: $73,381 (6th highest)

(2) Illinois:

  • Effective property tax rate: 2.03% (2nd highest)
  • Median home value: $195,300 (25th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $2,087.44 (9th highest)
  • Median household income: $62,992 (16th highest)

(1) New Jersey:

  • Effective property tax rate: 2.16% (the highest)
  • Median home value: $334,900 (6th highest)
  • Per capita property taxes: $3,074.43 (the highest)
  • Median household income: $80,088 (2nd highest)

~Eowyn

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