The counties with the lowest property tax rates are in Texas, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Alabama.
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.
Effective property tax rates are calculated by dividing the median real estate tax paid by the median home value reported in the 2022 American Community Survey (ACS), the most recent data available. Five-year estimates are used to maximize accuracy.
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 rates are Greene County (0.74%), Jefferson County (0.59%), and Macon and Mobile Counties (0.51%). The counties in Alabama with the lowest effective property tax rates are Washington County (0.23%), Choctaw County (0.23%), and Bibb County (0.22%).
The areas in Alaska with the highest effective property tax rates are Anchorage Municipality (1.34%), Fairbanks North Star Borough (1.29%), and Bethel Census Area (1.27%). The areas in Alaska with the lowest effective property tax rates are Sitka City and Borough (0.53%), Skagway Municipality (0.39%), and North Slope Borough (0.31%).
The counties in Arizona with the highest effective property tax rates are Pima County (0.82%), Yuma County (0.71%), and Cochise and La Paz Counties (0.67%). The counties in Arizona with the lowest effective property tax rates are Coconino County (0.45%), Greenlee County (0.30%), and Apache County (0.30%).
The counties in Arkansas with the highest effective property tax rates are Pulaski County (0.82%), Phillips County (0.77%), and Lafayette County (0.73%). The counties in Arkansas with the lowest effective property tax rates are Polk and Stone Counties (0.40%), Randolph County (0.39%), and Montgomery County (0.37%).
The counties in California with the highest effective property tax rates are Modoc County (1.00%), Sierra County (0.99%), and Kern County (0.98%). The counties in California with the lowest effective property tax rates are San Mateo County (0.67%), Del Norte County (0.66%), and Tehama County (0.64%).
Note that real estate taxes paid in Marin and San Francisco Counties aren't captured accurately by the American Community Survey (it lists only "$10,000+" for median real estate tax paid).
The counties in Colorado with the highest effective property tax rates are Kiowa County (0.85%), Broomfield County (0.62%), and Adams County (0.62%). The counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Ouray County (0.26%), San Miguel County (0.25%), and Jackson County (0.18%).
In Connecticut, the highest effective property tax rates are in the Capitol Planning Region, Greater Bridgeport Planning Region, and South Central Connecticut Planning Region, all of which have rates over 2%. The lowest rates are found in the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region (1.59%) and Western Connecticut Planning Region (1.53%).
In Delaware, the counties with the highest effective property tax rates are New Castle County (0.76%), Kent County (0.49%), and Sussex County (0.35%).
Since Delaware has only three counties, all counties are listed in order of their effective property tax rates.
The three counties in Florida with the highest effective property tax rates are Alachua County (1.07%), Broward County (1.01%), and St. Lucie County (0.98%). The Florida counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Franklin and Holmes Counties (0.55%) and Walton County (0.53%).
The counties in Georgia with the highest effective property tax rates are Taliaferro County (1.51%), Dooly County (1.43%), and Dougherty and Seminole Counties (1.40%). The Georgia counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Gilmer County (0.43%), Fannin County (0.40%), and Towns County (0.36%).
The American Community Survey shows four counties with property tax data: Hawaii County (effective property tax rate of 0.30%), Honolulu County (0.28%), Kauai County (0.23%), and Maui County (0.18%). The ACS has no data for Kalawao County.
The counties in Idaho with the highest effective property tax rates are Nez Perce County (0.82%), Bannock County (0.79%), and Power and Lewis Counties (0.74%). The Idaho counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Boise and Valley Counties (0.37%) and Custer and Idaho Counties (0.35%).
The three counties in Illinois with the highest effective property tax rates are Lake County (2.76%), DeKalb County (2.70%), and McHenry County (2.65%). The Illinois counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Hardin County (1.22%), Pulaski County (1.17%), and Pope County (0.98%).
The three counties in Indiana with the highest effective property tax rates are Lake County (0.98%), Marion County (0.95%), and Vigo County (0.90%). The Indiana counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Fulton and Putnam Counties (0.48%) and Clay and Pulaski Counties (0.44%).
The three counties in Iowa with the highest effective property tax rates are Montgomery County (1.92%), Polk County (1.81%), and Linn County (1.73%). The Iowa counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Cherokee County (0.96%), Osceola County (0.95%), and Lyon County (0.92%).
The three counties in Kansas with the highest effective property tax rates are Morton County (2.13%), Stanton County (2.09%), and Rooks County (2.03%). The Kansas counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Kearny County (0.94%), Crawford County (1.04%), and Coffey County (1.07%).
The three counties in Kentucky with the highest effective property tax rates are Campbell County (1.17%), Greenup County (1.12%), and Lee County (1.09%). The Kentucky counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Wolfe County (0.39%), Robertson County (0.54%), and Cumberland County (0.55%).
The three parishes in Louisiana with the highest effective property tax rates are East Carroll Parish (0.92%), Orleans Parish (0.85%), and St. Tammany Parish (0.78%). The Louisiana parishes with the lowest effective property tax rates are West Carroll Parish (0.18%), East Feliciana Parish (0.19%), and Avoyelles Parish (0.23%).
The three counties in Maine with the highest effective property tax rates are Androscoggin County (1.33%), Penobscot County (1.33%), and Knox County (1.31%). The Maine counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Hancock County (0.98%), Lincoln County (1.01%), and Piscataquis County (1.06%).
The three counties in Maryland with the highest effective property tax rates are Howard County (1.20%), Prince George's County (1.18%), and Baltimore County (1.13%). The effective property tax rate of Baltimore City, which is reported separately, is 1.50%. The Maryland counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Talbot County (0.66%), Worcester County (0.78%), and Queen Anne's County (0.82%).
The three counties in Massachusetts with the highest effective property tax rates are Hampden County (1.60%), Franklin County (1.54%), and Hampshire County (1.42%). The Massachusetts counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Nantucket County (0.28%), Dukes County (0.45%), and Suffolk County (0.65%).
The three counties in Michigan with the highest effective property tax rates are Ingham County (1.90%), Wayne County (1.70%), and Bay County (1.63%). The Michigan counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Leelanau County (0.70%), Benzie County (0.81%), and Alcona County (0.84%).
The counties in Minnesota with the highest effective property tax rates are Watonwan County (1.24%), Pennington County (1.23%), and Ramsey and Steele Counties (1.22%). The Minnesota counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Aitkin County (0.58%), Cass County (0.58%), and Rock and Lake of the Woods Counties (0.68%).
The three counties in Mississippi with the highest effective property tax rates are Humphreys County (1.57%), Sharkey County (1.41%), and Noxubee County (1.40%). The Mississippi counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Amite County (0.50%), Stone County (0.52%), and Choctaw County (0.53%).
The three counties in Missouri with the highest effective property tax rates are St. Louis County (1.23%), Worth County (1.17%), and Atchison County (1.16%). The Missouri counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Douglas County (0.42%), Reynolds County (0.43%), and Maries County (0.44%).
The three counties in Montana with the highest effective property tax rates are Dawson County (1.12%), Blaine County (1.11%), and Custer County (1.09%). The Montana counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Madison County (0.41%), Judith Basin County (0.43%), and Sweet Grass County (0.53%).
Note that Carter, Petroleum, and Prairie Counties don't have median home values listed in the 2022 ACS, so their effective tax rate can't be calculated from the data.
The three counties in Nebraska with the highest effective property tax rates are Sarpy County (1.84%), Cheyenne County (1.76%), and Douglas County (1.75%). The Nebraska counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Loup County (0.70%), Sioux County (0.78%), and Dundy County (0.79%).
The three counties in Nevada with the highest effective property tax rates are Lincoln County (0.65%), Pershing County (0.62%), and Mineral County (0.60%). The Nevada counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Eureka County (0.26%), Esmeralda County (0.35%), and Lyon County (0.47%). Carson City has an effective property tax rate of 0.44%.
The three counties in New Hampshire with the highest effective property tax rates are Sullivan County (2.61%), Cheshire County (2.39%), and Coos County (2.23%). The New Hampshire counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Carroll County (1.17%), Belknap County (1.63%), and Rockingham County (1.71%).
Seven counties in New Jersey (Bergen, Essex, Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, and Union Counties) have a median real estate tax paid of "$10,000+" in the American Community Survey, making New Jersey's county-level property taxes difficult to calculate exactly. What's certain is that these counties pay some of the highest total property taxes in the country.
For the following statistics, we've used $10,000 as the median real estate tax paid in these counties (but this likely underestimates the effective rate, possibly by a substantial margin).
The three counties in New Jersey with the highest effective property tax rates are Camden County (3.24%), Salem County (3.13%), and Gloucester County (2.91%). The New Jersey counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Cape May County (1.40%), Bergen (1.72%), and Hudson County (1.81%).
The three counties in New Mexico with the highest effective property tax rates are McKinley County (1.16%), Bernalillo County (1.00%), and Quay County (0.85%). The New Mexico counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Mora County (0.39%), Hidalgo County (0.42%), and Taos and Harding Counties (0.43%).
Note that the ACS does not have median home values for Catron and Guadalupe Counties.
New York has six counties (Nassau, New York, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties) where the ACS reports "$10,000+" for median real estate tax paid. We used $10,000 for the calculations of those counties, though this may significantly underestimate the effective tax rate (especially for New York County, where the median home value is $1,157,900).
The three counties in New York with the highest effective property tax rates are Allegany County (3.23%), Monroe County (2.99%), and Orleans County (2.94%). The New York counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Kings County (0.64%), Queens County (0.84%), and Richmond and Bronx Counties (0.92%).
The three counties in North Carolina with the highest effective property tax rates are Martin County (1.15%), Edgecombe County (1.14%), and Tyrrell County (1.13%). The North Carolina counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Jackson County (0.36%), Swain County (0.40%), and Watauga County (0.42%).
The three counties in North Dakota with the highest effective property tax rates are Ransom County (1.26%), Logan County (1.25%), and Cass County (1.22%). The North Dakota counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are McKenzie County (0.41%), Billings County (0.47%), and Kidder County (0.51%).
The three counties in Ohio with the highest effective property tax rates are Cuyahoga County (2.17%), Montgomery County (1.86%), and Lucas County (1.82%). The Ohio counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Wyandot County (0.83%), and Pike, Brown, Noble, and Jackson Counties (0.88%).
The three counties in Oklahoma with the highest effective property tax rates are Beckham County (1.12%), Cleveland County (1.11%), and Tulsa County (1.06%). The Oklahoma counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Roger Mills County (0.47%), McCurtain County (0.48%), and Pushmataha County (0.49%).
The three counties in Oregon with the highest effective property tax rates are Benton County, Harney County, and Umatilla County (all with rates of 1.01%). The Oregon counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Josephine County (0.55%), Curry County (0.57%), and Tillamook County (0.59%).
The three counties in Pennsylvania with the highest effective property tax rates are Delaware County (2.05%), Monroe County (2.02%), and Berks County (1.89%). The Pennsylvania counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Bedford County (0.80%), Philadelphia County (0.85%), and Huntingdon County (0.95%).
The five counties in Rhode Island have the following effective property tax rates: 1.56% in Kent County, 1.48% in Providence County, 1.45% in Bristol County, 1.11% in Washington County, and 1.04% in Newport County.
The three counties in South Carolina with the highest effective property tax rates are Hampton County (0.87%), Barnwell County (0.84%), and Williamsburg County (0.79%). The South Carolina counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Horry County (0.36%), Darlington County (0.41%), and Charleston County (0.43%).
The three counties in South Dakota with the highest effective property tax rates are Todd County (2.23%), Bennett County (1.75%), and Hyde County (1.69%). The South Dakota counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Ziebach County (0.56%), Faulk County (0.63%), and Sully County (0.71%).
Note that the ACS does not have median real estate tax paid for Buffalo, Jackson, or Oglala Lakota Counties or median home value for Buffalo County.
The counties in Tennessee with the highest effective property tax rates are Shelby County (1.10%), Hamilton County (0.71%), and Cocke, Hardeman, and Lauderdale Counties (0.70%). The Tennessee counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Sevier County (0.34%), DeKalb County (0.34%) and Cumberland County (0.35%).
The three counties in Texas with the highest effective property tax rates are Hardeman County (2.68%), Knox County (2.61%), and Mitchell County (2.43%). The Texas counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Glasscock County (0.16%), Kent County (0.60%), and Sabine County (0.75%).
Note that the ACS does include median real estate tax paid for Borden, Crockett, Culberson, Garza, Hudspeth, Kenedy, King, La Salle, Loving, or Ward Counties. Also not included are median home values for Borden, Crockett, Edwards, Kenedy, King, Loving, or McMullen Counties.
The three counties in Utah with the highest effective property tax rates are Carbon County (0.70%), Duchesne County (0.68%), and Weber County (0.62%). The Utah counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Rich County (0.28%), Summit County (0.33%) and Garfield County (0.35%).
The counties in Vermont with the highest effective property tax rates are Windsor County (2.01%), Rutland County (1.99%), and Windham and Washington Counties (1.95%). The Vermont counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Grand Isle County (1.43%), Franklin County (1.62%), and Chittenden County (1.68%).
Virginia has 38 independent cities that are considered equivalent to counties for census data. We've treated them as counties here. In general, though not in every case, the cities' effective tax rates are higher than the counties'.
The three cities in Virginia with the highest effective property tax rates are Manassas Park City (1.22%), Manassas City (1.12%), and Portsmouth City (1.08%). The Virginia counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Buchanan County, Craig County, and Nottoway County (all with rates of 0.43%).
Note that Falls Church city's real estate tax paid isn't captured accurately by the American Community Survey (it lists only "$10,000+" for median real estate tax paid) so its effective tax rate of 0.98% on a median home value of $1,024,600 may be significantly lower than the actual effective rate.
The counties in Washington with the highest effective property tax rates are Pierce County (0.96%), Grant County (0.92%), and Adams, Thurston, and Walla Walla Counties (0.91%) . The Washington counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are San Juan County (0.58%), Wahkiakum County (0.59%), and Pend Oreille County (0.61%).
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The counties in West Virginia with the highest effective property tax rates are Wetzel County (0.80%), Hancock County (0.74%), and Fayette and Logan Counties (0.70%). The West Virginia counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Pocahontas County (0.29%), Summers County (0.32%), and Webster and Clay Counties (0.33%).
The counties in Wisconsin with the highest effective property tax rates are Menominee County (2.25%), Milwaukee County (2.14%), and Winnebago and Rock Counties (1.80%). The Wisconsin counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Vilas County (0.76%), Sawyer County (0.88%), and Oneida County (0.98%).
The three counties in Wyoming with the highest effective property tax rates are Washakie County (0.74%), Weston County (0.66%), and Platte County (0.65%). The Wyoming counties with the lowest effective property tax rates are Sublette County (0.43%), Teton County (0.45%), and Lincoln County (0.48%).
New Jersey and New York are home to the counties with the most expensive property tax rates. No other state has any counties in the top 10. New Jersey is also the state with the highest average property tax rate, while New York ranks seventh.
Interestingly, the counties with the highest property tax rates don't have particularly expensive homes. The median home value ranges from $99,900 to $277,900, well below the national average.
| County | State | Median property tax | Median home value | Effective property tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camden County | New Jersey | $7,960 | $245,500 | 3.24% |
| Allegany County | New York | $3,226 | $99,900 | 3.23% |
| Salem County | New Jersey | $6,818 | $217,500 | 3.13% |
| Monroe County | New York | $5,493 | $183,800 | 2.99% |
| Orleans County | New York | $4,104 | $139,600 | 2.94% |
| Gloucester County | New Jersey | $8,081 | $277,900 | 2.91% |
| Cortland County | New York | $4,427 | $156,300 | 2.83% |
| Oswego County | New York | $3,987 | $142,500 | 2.80% |
| Cattaraugus County | New York | $3,335 | $119,400 | 2.79% |
| Onondaga County | New York | $4,958 | $178,000 | 2.79% |
For the most part, Texas has high property taxes -- it's fifth highest in the United States. It's also home to the county with the lowest property tax rate: Glasscock County, Texas has an effective property tax rate of 0.16%.
Counties from Colorado, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Alabama make up the rest of the top 10. That's no surprise, as Hawaii, Alabama, and Louisiana have the lowest property tax rates (Louisiana is 14th).
| County | State | Median property tax | Median home value | Effective property tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glasscock County | Texas | $270 | $166,900 | 0.16% |
| Jackson County | Colorado | $464 | $262,500 | 0.18% |
| Maui County | Hawaii | $1,419 | $802,300 | 0.18% |
| West Carroll Parish | Louisiana | $267 | $150,700 | 0.18% |
| East Feliciana Parish | Louisiana | $403 | $212,300 | 0.19% |
| Bibb County | Alabama | $344 | $154,200 | 0.22% |
| Choctaw County | Alabama | $290 | $128,800 | 0.23% |
| Kauai County | Hawaii | $1,737 | $741,100 | 0.23% |
| Avoyelles Parish | Louisiana | $320 | $136,500 | 0.23% |
| Washington County | Alabama | $426 | $181,300 | 0.23% |