Special Report
States With the Highest (and Lowest) Property Taxes
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Property taxes, the single largest revenue source for local governments, are ratified, collected, and spent almost entirely at the municipal level. As a result, the United States is a patchwork of property tax codes, and depending on where you live, property taxes can be either a trivial expense or a major financial burden.
Generally, property taxes are collected as a set share of the value of a given home or parcel of land. Depending on local laws, home or property values are assessed periodically based on estimated sale prices, or they are valued using the sale price at the last acquisition of the property.
Though not all parts of the country use tax revenue the same way, property taxes generally fund fire and police departments, schools, and road maintenance, including snow removal, cleaning, and repair.
On average, state and local governments in the United States collected $1,518 in property taxes per person during the 2015 fiscal year. However, in some parts of the country, per capita property tax collections were more than double that amount.
To determine the states with the highest and lowest property taxes, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 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, from tax policy research organization the Tax Foundation. Property tax data is for the 2015 fiscal year, and is published in the Tax Foundation’s report “2018 Facts & Figures: How Does Your State Compare?” States with relatively low effective property tax rates do not necessarily have low tax revenue. If real estate values in an area are high, then even a relatively low property tax rate can generate considerable revenue.
Click here to see the states with the highest and lowest property taxes.
50. Hawaii
> Effective property tax rate: 0.29%
> Median home value: $617,400 (the highest)
> Per capita property taxes: $1,069.62 (18th lowest)
> Median household income: $77,765 (3rd highest)
See all stories featuring: Hawaii
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49. Alabama
> Effective property tax rate: 0.40%
> Median home value: $141,300 (7th lowest)
> Per capita property taxes: $539.76 (the lowest)
> Median household income: $48,123 (6th lowest)
See all stories featuring: Alabama
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48. Louisiana
> Effective property tax rate: 0.51%
> Median home value: $162,500 (15th lowest)
> Per capita property taxes: $868.77 (8th lowest)
> Median household income: $46,145 (4th lowest)
See all stories featuring: Louisiana
47. West Virginia
> Effective property tax rate: 0.53%
> Median home value: $119,800 (the lowest)
> Per capita property taxes: $887.99 (9th lowest)
> Median household income: $43,469 (the lowest)
See all stories featuring: West Virginia
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46. Wyoming
> Effective property tax rate: 0.55%
> Median home value: $214,300 (22nd highest)
> Per capita property taxes: $2,346.84 (6th highest)
> Median household income: $60,434 (19th highest)
See all stories featuring: Wyoming
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)
See all stories featuring: South Carolina
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44. Delaware
> Effective property tax rate: 0.56%
> Median home value: $252,800 (17th highest)
> Per capita property taxes: $855.29 (6th lowest)
> Median household income: $62,852 (17th highest)
See all stories featuring: Delaware
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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)
See all stories featuring: Colorado
42. Arkansas
> Effective property tax rate: 0.63%
> Median home value: $128,500 (3rd lowest)
> Per capita property taxes: $698.60 (3rd lowest)
> Median household income: $45,869 (3rd lowest)
See all stories featuring: Arkansas
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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)
See all stories featuring: Mississippi
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)
See all stories featuring: Utah
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39. New Mexico
> Effective property tax rate: 0.67%
> Median home value: $171,300 (19th lowest)
> Per capita property taxes: $770.45 (4th lowest)
> Median household income: $46,744 (5th lowest)
See all stories featuring: New Mexico
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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)
See all stories featuring: Arizona
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)
See all stories featuring: Tennessee
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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)
See all stories featuring: Idaho
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)
See all stories featuring: Nevada
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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)
See all stories featuring: California
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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)
See all stories featuring: Montana
32. Kentucky
> Effective property tax rate: 0.80%
> Median home value: $141,000 (5th lowest)
> Per capita property taxes: $781.04 (5th lowest)
> Median household income: $48,375 (7th lowest)
See all stories featuring: Kentucky
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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)
See all stories featuring: Virginia
30. North Carolina
> Effective property tax rate: 0.85%
> Median home value: $171,200 (18th lowest)
> Per capita property taxes: $952.46 (10th lowest)
> Median household income: $52,752 (13th lowest)
See all stories featuring: North Carolina
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29. Oklahoma
> Effective property tax rate: 0.86%
> Median home value: $137,400 (4th lowest)
> Per capita property taxes: $678.13 (2nd lowest)
> Median household income: $50,051 (8th lowest)
See all stories featuring: Oklahoma
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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)
See all stories featuring: Indiana
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)
See all stories featuring: Georgia
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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)
See all stories featuring: Washington
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)
See all stories featuring: Florida
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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)
See all stories featuring: North Dakota
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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)
See all stories featuring: Oregon
22. Alaska
> Effective property tax rate: 1.02%
> Median home value: $273,100 (12th highest)
> Per capita property taxes: $2,001.43 (11th highest)
> Median household income: $73,181 (7th highest)
See all stories featuring: Alaska
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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)
See all stories featuring: Missouri
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)
See all stories featuring: Maryland
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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)
See all stories featuring: Minnesota
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)
See all stories featuring: Massachusetts
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)
See all stories featuring: South Dakota
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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)
See all stories featuring: Maine
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)
See all stories featuring: Kansas
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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)
See all stories featuring: New York
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)
See all stories featuring: Iowa
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)
See all stories featuring: Pennsylvania
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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)
See all stories featuring: Michigan
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)
See all stories featuring: Rhode Island
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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)
See all stories featuring: Ohio
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)
See all stories featuring: Connecticut
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)
See all stories featuring: Nebraska
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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)
See all stories featuring: Texas
5. Vermont
> Effective property tax rate: 1.72%
> Median home value: $226,300 (19th highest)
> Per capita property taxes: $2,541.72 (5th highest)
> Median household income: $57,513 (24th lowest)
See all stories featuring: Vermont
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4. Wisconsin
> Effective property tax rate: 1.77%
> Median home value: $178,900 (22nd lowest)
> Per capita property taxes: $1,615.71 (14th highest)
> Median household income: $59,305 (22nd highest)
See all stories featuring: Wisconsin
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3. New Hampshire
> Effective property tax rate: 1.99%
> Median home value: $263,600 (14th highest)
> Per capita property taxes: $3,054.30 (2nd highest)
> Median household income: $73,381 (6th highest)
See all stories featuring: New Hampshire
2. Illinois
> Effective property tax rate: 2.03%
> Median home value: $195,300 (25th highest)
> Per capita property taxes: $2,087.44 (9th highest)
> Median household income: $62,992 (16th highest)
See all stories featuring: Illinois
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1. New Jersey
> Effective property tax rate: 2.16%
> Median home value: $334,900 (6th highest)
> Per capita property taxes: $3,074.43 (the highest)
> Median household income: $80,088 (2nd highest)
See all stories featuring: New Jersey
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