Property Taxes by State
Data as of Oct 22 2026
Property tax is the biggest line in a mortgage payment after principal and interest, and the one that moves most from place to place. On a $400,000 home the annual bill runs from about $1,080 in Hawaii to $8,440 in New Jersey. This page ranks all 50 states and DC by effective rate, then explains what that ranking does and does not tell you.
How property tax is calculated
Property tax is not one tax. It is a stack. The county, the city or town, the school district and often a special district — a fire district, a library, a transit authority — each set a levy, and the levies are added together and applied to your property's assessed value.
Assessed value is not market value. Some states assess at full market value and others at a fraction of it, and reassessment runs on its own cycle: every year in some states, every few years in others, and only on sale in a handful. That is why the number that travels is the effective rate — the total tax actually billed divided by the home's market value.
This site uses that definition everywhere. Every state and county figure here is an effective rate built from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (median tax divided by median home value), so a 0.95% reading in one state and the same reading in another mean the same thing.
One caution about the numbers: the state-level rate and the county-level rates come from two separate ACS rows — the state median divided by the state median, and each county's median divided by its county median. They are not weighted averages of each other, so they will not line up exactly, and in states with a few very expensive counties (New York is the clearest case) the county average can sit well above the state figure. Open a state page for its county table, where the spread is visible.
These are median-based rates, which answer “what does the typical homeowner pay?” Some analyses report aggregate rates (total taxes ÷ total value), which answer “what is the overall burden?” The two are not interchangeable, and both appear in public data.
Effective property tax rates, highest to lowest
| State | Effective rate | Median home value | Tax on median home |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 2.11% | $623,000 | $13,145 |
| Connecticut | 2.04% | $429,000 | $8,752 |
| Illinois | 2.01% | $325,000 | $6,532 |
| New Hampshire | 1.66% | $421,000 | $6,989 |
| Vermont | 1.59% | $439,000 | $6,980 |
| New York | 1.55% | $685,000 | $10,618 |
| Nebraska | 1.49% | $266,000 | $3,963 |
| Texas | 1.49% | $523,000 | $7,793 |
| Wisconsin | 1.42% | $231,000 | $3,280 |
| Iowa | 1.39% | $262,000 | $3,642 |
| Ohio | 1.31% | $288,000 | $3,773 |
| Pennsylvania | 1.3% | $243,000 | $3,159 |
| Kansas | 1.29% | $391,000 | $5,044 |
| Michigan | 1.25% | $179,000 | $2,238 |
| Rhode Island | 1.21% | $374,000 | $4,525 |
| Alaska | 1.11% | $396,000 | $4,396 |
| Massachusetts | 1.07% | $728,000 | $7,790 |
| South Dakota | 1.06% | $288,000 | $3,053 |
| Maine | 1.02% | $451,000 | $4,600 |
| Minnesota | 1.02% | $393,000 | $4,009 |
| North Dakota | 0.99% | $298,000 | $2,950 |
| Maryland | 0.97% | $640,000 | $6,208 |
| Missouri | 0.85% | $277,000 | $2,355 |
| Oregon | 0.81% | $553,000 | $4,479 |
| Washington | 0.81% | $860,000 | $6,966 |
| Oklahoma | 0.8% | $223,000 | $1,784 |
| Georgia | 0.77% | $459,000 | $3,534 |
| Florida | 0.76% | $463,000 | $3,519 |
| Kentucky | 0.75% | $248,000 | $1,860 |
| Indiana | 0.74% | $224,000 | $1,658 |
| Virginia | 0.73% | $733,000 | $5,351 |
| Mississippi | 0.72% | $160,000 | $1,152 |
| Montana | 0.72% | $350,000 | $2,520 |
| California | 0.7% | $834,000 | $5,838 |
| New Mexico | 0.7% | $293,000 | $2,051 |
| North Carolina | 0.66% | $407,000 | $2,686 |
| Washington DC | 0.58% | $737,000 | $4,275 |
| Wyoming | 0.57% | $349,000 | $1,989 |
| Arkansas | 0.55% | $215,000 | $1,183 |
| Louisiana | 0.55% | $249,000 | $1,370 |
| West Virginia | 0.53% | $147,000 | $779 |
| Utah | 0.52% | $526,000 | $2,735 |
| Delaware | 0.5% | $352,000 | $1,760 |
| Tennessee | 0.5% | $417,000 | $2,085 |
| Idaho | 0.49% | $512,000 | $2,509 |
| Arizona | 0.48% | $453,000 | $2,174 |
| Colorado | 0.48% | $616,000 | $2,957 |
| South Carolina | 0.48% | $243,000 | $1,166 |
| Nevada | 0.47% | $431,000 | $2,026 |
| Alabama | 0.38% | $240,000 | $912 |
| Hawaii | 0.27% | $898,000 | $2,425 |
Effective rates and median home values are U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-year estimates (2020–2024). A county's own rate can sit well above or below its state average — open any state page for the county-level table, or use the mortgage calculator to price a specific county. Connecticut is the one exception: Census retired its counties in the 2022 vintage, so those eight counties carry the 2021 estimates.
What the ranking does not tell you
- A state average hides the county spread. New York averages 1.55%, but its counties in our data range from 0.87% to 1.73% — a difference of $3,440 on the same house.
- A low rate on an expensive house can cost more than a high rate on a cheap one. Compare the annual dollar column as well as the percentage.
- Exemptions, caps and freezes can put your bill well below the headline rate. California's Prop 13 limits assessment growth, Florida's Save Our Homes caps it for residents, and Texas, Florida and others offer homestead exemptions that must be claimed.
- Special assessments for schools, roads or utilities can be added to a bill after you close, and they are not in any state average.
How property tax lands in your monthly payment
Most lenders collect property tax monthly into escrow: one twelfth of the annual bill goes into an account along with your principal and interest, and the county is paid from it. That is why this site quotes a PITI figure rather than a principal-and-interest figure. In high-rate states the tax alone can add several hundred dollars a month to the same loan.
The mortgage calculator pre-loads the effective rate for the county you select and reprices the payment when you switch counties, and it uses the same ACS numbers as the table above, so the figure on the page and the figure in the calculator are the same figure.
Estimate your own bill
Open your state page, find your county in the table, and read its effective rate and median annual tax. Multiply the rate by your own purchase price for a first estimate. Then check the county assessor's website: the assessment cycle and the exemptions you qualify for are the two things that move the final number most, and neither is in a statewide average.
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the highest property taxes?
By effective rate, New Jersey, at 2.11% of market value, followed by Connecticut at 2.04%. The table above is sorted on the same measure. Dollar bills tell a different story in high-price states, so read both columns together.
Which state has the lowest property taxes?
Hawaii has the lowest effective rate in our data at 0.27%, with Alabama next. A low rate does not guarantee a low bill: in states with expensive housing the dollars can still be substantial.
Are property taxes deductible on my federal return?
State and local property taxes can be itemised, but they share the federal SALT cap with state income tax and sales tax, so a large bill may not be fully deductible. The cap and its rules have been changed and renewed repeatedly — check current IRS guidance for the year you are filing rather than relying on an older rule of thumb.
Will my property tax change after I buy?
Usually yes. Many states reassess on sale or on a fixed cycle, and some reset the assessed value to your purchase price. Homestead exemptions generally have to be applied for after closing and are not automatic, and a seller who held a long-standing exemption can leave your first escrow short — budget for a higher second-year payment.
Related guides
Average homeowners insurance by state for all 50 states and DC, from the highest premiums in Oklahoma, Nebraska and Florida to the lowest in Hawaii.
When private mortgage insurance can come off a conventional loan: the 78% automatic rule, the 80% request, appraisals, and what PMI costs each month.
FHA and conventional mortgages compared on down payment, credit score and mortgage insurance — including when the insurance stops, which is what decides it.
Freddie MacU.S. Census BureauFannie MaeU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)U.S. Department of Veterans AffairsPrivate mortgage insurersNAICState statutes and departments of revenue