Property taxes fund schools, the police, and all the municipal services your community provides. When a pothole is filled on your street, your property taxes are paying for it. Trash pickup is paid for (in most cases) by your property taxes.
According to the Urban Institute, state and local governments received a total of $577 billion in property taxes in 2019, representing 17% of general revenue collected. The Institute notes, however, local governments are more reliant on property taxes than state governments. In 2019, states collected $18 billion, or 1%, from property taxes. Local governments took in $559 billion, or 30%, for local general revenue from property taxes. (How does the U.S. fare in collecting taxes? See the countries collecting the most taxes.)
Each state levies property taxes differently, which is why tax rates vary widely by state. To determine the states with the highest and lowest property taxes, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on property tax collections and home value from the Tax Foundation’s Facts & Figures 2022 report. States were ranked based on real property taxes paid as a percentage of the total value of all owner-occupied housing in 2020. Data on state and local property tax collections per capita is for fiscal 2019 and is from the Tax Foundation. Supplemental data on median home value and median household income are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey and are five-year estimates.
Click here to see the states with the highest and lowest property taxes
The Tax Foundation estimates that the per capita property tax collected across the U.S. for 2019 came to $1,758. To give you an idea of how state property taxes diverge state by state, look at the highest property taxes versus the lowest in the top and bottom states. In New Jersey, the per capita property tax reached $3,513. Alabama residents paid $620. (As with property taxes, state income tax rates vary widely, too. These are the states collecting the most income tax per person.)
50. Hawaii
> Effective property tax rate: 0.31%
> Median home value: $636,400 (the highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,455 (22nd lowest)
> Median household income: $83,173 (4th highest)
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49. Alabama
> Effective property tax rate: 0.39%
> Median home value: $149,600 (7th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $620 (the lowest)
> Median household income: $52,035 (6th lowest)
48. Louisiana
> Effective property tax rate: 0.54%
> Median home value: $168,100 (14th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $925 (7th lowest)
> Median household income: $50,800 (4th lowest)
47. Colorado
> Effective property tax rate: 0.54%
> Median home value: $369,900 (4th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,816 (15th highest)
> Median household income: $75,231 (11th highest)
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46. West Virginia
> Effective property tax rate: 0.55%
> Median home value: $123,200 (the lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $963 (8th lowest)
> Median household income: $48,037 (2nd lowest)
45. South Carolina
> Effective property tax rate: 0.56%
> Median home value: $170,100 (15th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,272 (18th lowest)
> Median household income: $54,864 (10th lowest)
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44. Wyoming
> Effective property tax rate: 0.56%
> Median home value: $228,000 (24th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $2,062 (12th highest)
> Median household income: $65,304 (20th highest)
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43. Utah
> Effective property tax rate: 0.59%
> Median home value: $305,400 (10th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,153 (17th lowest)
> Median household income: $74,197 (12th highest)
42. Delaware
> Effective property tax rate: 0.59%
> Median home value: $258,300 (17th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $967 (9th lowest)
> Median household income: $69,110 (16th highest)
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41. Nevada
> Effective property tax rate: 0.60%
> Median home value: $290,200 (11th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,041 (10th lowest)
> Median household income: $62,043 (25th lowest)
40. Arkansas
> Effective property tax rate: 0.64%
> Median home value: $133,600 (3rd lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $788 (2nd lowest)
> Median household income: $49,475 (3rd lowest)
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39. Arizona
> Effective property tax rate: 0.65%
> Median home value: $242,000 (19th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,150 (16th lowest)
> Median household income: $61,529 (23rd lowest)
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38. Mississippi
> Effective property tax rate: 0.65%
> Median home value: $125,500 (2nd lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,105 (13th lowest)
> Median household income: $46,511 (the lowest)
37. New Mexico
> Effective property tax rate: 0.66%
> Median home value: $175,700 (17th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $884 (6th lowest)
> Median household income: $51,243 (5th lowest)
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36. Tennessee
> Effective property tax rate: 0.68%
> Median home value: $177,600 (18th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $834 (4th lowest)
> Median household income: $54,833 (9th lowest)
35. Idaho
> Effective property tax rate: 0.70%
> Median home value: $235,600 (21st highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,101 (12th lowest)
> Median household income: $58,915 (17th lowest)
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34. California
> Effective property tax rate: 0.73%
> Median home value: $538,500 (2nd highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,840 (14th highest)
> Median household income: $78,672 (6th highest)
33. Montana
> Effective property tax rate: 0.75%
> Median home value: $244,900 (18th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,717 (19th highest)
> Median household income: $56,539 (11th lowest)
32. Kentucky
> Effective property tax rate: 0.82%
> Median home value: $147,100 (5th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $873 (5th lowest)
> Median household income: $52,238 (7th lowest)
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31. North Carolina
> Effective property tax rate: 0.82%
> Median home value: $182,100 (19th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,047 (11th lowest)
> Median household income: $56,642 (12th lowest)
30. Indiana
> Effective property tax rate: 0.84%
> Median home value: $148,900 (6th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,139 (15th lowest)
> Median household income: $58,235 (16th lowest)
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29. Virginia
> Effective property tax rate: 0.87%
> Median home value: $282,800 (12th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,770 (17th highest)
> Median household income: $76,398 (10th highest)
28. Washington
> Effective property tax rate: 0.88%
> Median home value: $366,800 (5th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,703 (20th highest)
> Median household income: $77,006 (9th highest)
27. Oklahoma
> Effective property tax rate: 0.88%
> Median home value: $142,400 (4th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $826 (3rd lowest)
> Median household income: $53,840 (8th lowest)
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26. Florida
> Effective property tax rate: 0.91%
> Median home value: $232,000 (22nd highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,454 (21st lowest)
> Median household income: $57,703 (14th lowest)
25. Georgia
> Effective property tax rate: 0.91%
> Median home value: $190,200 (23rd lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,290 (19th lowest)
> Median household income: $61,224 (22nd lowest)
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24. Oregon
> Effective property tax rate: 0.94%
> Median home value: $336,700 (7th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,670 (23rd highest)
> Median household income: $65,667 (18th highest)
23. North Dakota
> Effective property tax rate: 0.95%
> Median home value: $199,900 (25th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,586 (25th lowest)
> Median household income: $65,315 (19th highest)
22. Missouri
> Effective property tax rate: 0.99%
> Median home value: $163,600 (12th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,118 (14th lowest)
> Median household income: $57,290 (13th lowest)
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21. Alaska
> Effective property tax rate: 1.02%
> Median home value: $275,600 (15th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $2,222 (10th highest)
> Median household income: $77,790 (8th highest)
20. Maryland
> Effective property tax rate: 1.04%
> Median home value: $325,400 (8th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,689 (21st highest)
> Median household income: $87,063 (the highest)
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19. Minnesota
> Effective property tax rate: 1.10%
> Median home value: $235,700 (20th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,727 (18th highest)
> Median household income: $73,382 (13th highest)
18. Massachusetts
> Effective property tax rate: 1.14%
> Median home value: $398,800 (3rd highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $2,590 (7th highest)
> Median household income: $84,385 (3rd highest)
17. South Dakota
> Effective property tax rate: 1.18%
> Median home value: $174,600 (16th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,532 (24th lowest)
> Median household income: $59,896 (20th lowest)
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16. Maine
> Effective property tax rate: 1.25%
> Median home value: $198,000 (24th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $2,772 (6th highest)
> Median household income: $59,489 (19th lowest)
15. Kansas
> Effective property tax rate: 1.32%
> Median home value: $157,600 (10th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,661 (24th highest)
> Median household income: $61,091 (21st lowest)
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14. Michigan
> Effective property tax rate: 1.38%
> Median home value: $162,600 (11th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,524 (23rd lowest)
> Median household income: $59,234 (18th lowest)
13. New York
> Effective property tax rate: 1.38%
> Median home value: $325,000 (9th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $3,180 (4th highest)
> Median household income: $71,117 (14th highest)
12. Rhode Island
> Effective property tax rate: 1.43%
> Median home value: $276,600 (14th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $2,526 (8th highest)
> Median household income: $70,305 (15th highest)
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11. Pennsylvania
> Effective property tax rate: 1.49%
> Median home value: $187,500 (21st lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,631 (25th highest)
> Median household income: $63,627 (22nd highest)
10. Iowa
> Effective property tax rate: 1.50%
> Median home value: $153,900 (9th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,775 (16th highest)
> Median household income: $61,836 (24th lowest)
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9. Ohio
> Effective property tax rate: 1.58%
> Median home value: $151,400 (8th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,397 (20th lowest)
> Median household income: $58,116 (15th lowest)
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8. Nebraska
> Effective property tax rate: 1.61%
> Median home value: $164,000 (13th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $2,013 (13th highest)
> Median household income: $63,015 (25th highest)
7. Wisconsin
> Effective property tax rate: 1.63%
> Median home value: $189,200 (22nd lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $1,685 (22nd highest)
> Median household income: $63,293 (24th highest)
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6. Texas
> Effective property tax rate: 1.66%
> Median home value: $187,200 (20th lowest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $2,098 (11th highest)
> Median household income: $63,826 (21st highest)
5. Connecticut
> Effective property tax rate: 1.76%
> Median home value: $279,700 (13th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $3,215 (3rd highest)
> Median household income: $79,855 (5th highest)
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4. Vermont
> Effective property tax rate: 1.82%
> Median home value: $230,900 (23rd highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $2,938 (5th highest)
> Median household income: $63,477 (23rd highest)
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3. New Hampshire
> Effective property tax rate: 1.96%
> Median home value: $272,300 (16th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $3,246 (2nd highest)
> Median household income: $77,923 (7th highest)
2. Illinois
> Effective property tax rate: 2.05%
> Median home value: $202,100 (25th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $2,338 (9th highest)
> Median household income: $68,428 (17th highest)
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1. New Jersey
> Effective property tax rate: 2.21%
> Median home value: $343,500 (6th highest)
> Property tax collections per capita: $3,513 (the highest)
> Median household income: $85,245 (2nd highest)
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