Property taxes swing widely across the U.S. and continue to rise, influencing where homebuyers settle down.
Typical property taxes ranged from as low as as $199 in Louisiana's West Carrol Parish to as high as $10,001 in California's Marin County in 2023, according to a study from Tax Foundation, which reviewed the latest data from the U.S. Census.
Property taxes differ by community and follow rates imposed by state and local governments, including school boards, fire departments and utility commissions, but are mostly based on the value of properties.
There were 11 counties, or county equivalents, with median property taxes below $250 in 2023, Tax Foundation said.
- Alabama: Lamar, Choctaw
- Alaska: Northwest Arctic Borough, Kusilvak Census Area, Copper River Census Area
- Louisiana: Allen, Avoyelles, Madison, Tensas, West Carroll
- South Dakota: Oglala Lakota
On the other hand, there were 16 counties where property taxes exceeded $10,000.
- California: Marin County
- New Jersey: Bergen, Essex, Hunterdon, Monmouth, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Union
- New York: Nassau, New York, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, Westchester
- Virginia: Falls Church City
Property taxes also vary considerably by state.
Tax Foundation said New Jersey had the highest effective rate on owner-occupied properties at 2.23%, followed by Illinois (2.07%) and Connecticut (1.92%).
On the other hand, Hawaii had the lowest property-tax rate of 0.27%, followed by Alabama (0.38%), Nevada (0.49%), Colorado (0.49%) and South Carolina (0.51%).
In states with lower property-tax burdens, the variation isn't high among counties, Tax Foundation said.
Effective property taxes have also risen in many parts of the U.S. recently following declining home values and higher tax bills.
In 2023, the average tax on single-family homes rose 4.1% in 2023 to $4,062, following a 3% increase in 2022, according to property-data firm ATTOM.
ATTOM said the increase caused an effective nationwide property-tax rate of 0.87%, up from 0.83% in 2022, and marking the first uptick since 2017.
Below is a table where you can search the property taxes in 3,222 counties in 2023.
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