State Property Tax Rates: All 50 States + DC Ranked
Property taxes are the largest recurring tax burden for homeowners and vary significantly by state based on both effective tax rates and home values. An effective rate is the actual taxes paid divided by median home value, which gives a true apples-to-apples comparison. New Jersey has the highest effective rate at 2.23 percent, while Hawaii has the lowest at 0.28 percent. However, effective rates tell only part of the story: a median annual property tax bill might be higher in a high-value state with a lower rate than in a lower-value state with a higher rate. This tool ranks all 50 states plus DC by effective property tax rate and includes a property tax estimator. Enter your state and estimated home value to project your annual property tax bill. The table shows median annual taxes and median home values for each state, and reference FAQs explain how property taxes are assessed, why they vary, and which states offer taxpayer protections like assessment value caps.
New Jersey has the highest effective property tax rate at 2.23%. Hawaii has the lowest at 0.28%. The national average effective rate is approximately 1.00%.
Property Tax Estimator
This estimate uses the statewide effective rate and your home value. Actual property taxes depend on your county, city, school district assessments, and any exemptions you qualify for (homestead, senior, veteran, etc.). Contact your county assessor for an accurate figure.
All States Ranked by Effective Property Tax Rate
Sorted highest to lowest effective rate. Effective rate is the ratio of median annual property taxes paid to median home value, both from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2022 5-year estimates. Data compiled by the Tax Foundation.
| Rank | State | Effective Rate | Median Annual Tax | Median Home Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey (NJ) | 2.23% | $8,797 | $394,700 |
| 2 | Illinois (IL) | 1.97% | $4,529 | $229,800 |
| 3 | Connecticut (CT) | 1.92% | $6,153 | $320,400 |
| 4 | New Hampshire (NH) | 1.89% | $6,097 | $322,900 |
| 5 | Vermont (VT) | 1.82% | $4,352 | $239,400 |
| 6 | Nebraska (NE) | 1.68% | $2,686 | $160,000 |
| 7 | Wisconsin (WI) | 1.61% | $3,472 | $215,600 |
| 8 | Texas (TX) | 1.53% | $3,797 | $247,600 |
| 9 | New York (NY) | 1.46% | $5,884 | $403,700 |
| 10 | Ohio (OH) | 1.41% | $2,074 | $147,200 |
| 11 | Iowa (IA) | 1.39% | $2,090 | $150,600 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania (PA) | 1.39% | $2,887 | $207,700 |
| 13 | Kansas (KS) | 1.31% | $1,986 | $151,900 |
| 14 | Michigan (MI) | 1.31% | $2,145 | $163,800 |
| 15 | Rhode Island (RI) | 1.27% | $4,224 | $331,500 |
| 16 | Oregon (OR) | 1.11% | $3,524 | $318,200 |
| 17 | Maine (ME) | 1.09% | $2,424 | $222,400 |
| 18 | Maryland (MD) | 1.07% | $3,633 | $338,500 |
| 19 | Massachusetts (MA) | 1.07% | $4,952 | $462,800 |
| 20 | Alaska (AK) | 1.04% | $3,650 | $351,100 |
| 21 | South Dakota (SD) | 1.03% | $2,028 | $197,000 |
| 22 | Minnesota (MN) | 1.02% | $2,560 | $250,200 |
| 23 | North Dakota (ND) | 0.98% | $1,613 | $164,500 |
| 24 | Washington (WA) | 0.89% | $4,160 | $466,800 |
| 25 | Missouri (MO) | 0.88% | $1,418 | $161,500 |
| 26 | Florida (FL) | 0.87% | $2,143 | $248,700 |
| 27 | Georgia (GA) | 0.87% | $1,815 | $208,600 |
| 28 | Oklahoma (OK) | 0.85% | $1,154 | $136,000 |
| 29 | Kentucky (KY) | 0.83% | $1,257 | $151,700 |
| 30 | Virginia (VA) | 0.82% | $2,970 | $362,300 |
| 31 | Indiana (IN) | 0.80% | $1,240 | $155,100 |
| 32 | Montana (MT) | 0.76% | $1,942 | $256,900 |
| 33 | North Carolina (NC) | 0.74% | $1,493 | $202,100 |
| 34 | California (CA) | 0.71% | $4,683 | $659,400 |
| 35 | Idaho (ID) | 0.69% | $1,817 | $263,600 |
| 36 | Mississippi (MS) | 0.66% | $938 | $142,000 |
| 37 | Tennessee (TN) | 0.65% | $1,220 | $187,900 |
| 38 | Arkansas (AR) | 0.61% | $896 | $147,100 |
| 39 | Delaware (DE) | 0.61% | $1,398 | $298,400 |
| 40 | West Virginia (WV) | 0.59% | $698 | $118,800 |
| 41 | District of Columbia (DC) | 0.57% | $4,026 | $706,900 |
| 42 | Utah (UT) | 0.57% | $1,807 | $320,300 |
| 43 | Wyoming (WY) | 0.57% | $1,380 | $241,300 |
| 44 | Louisiana (LA) | 0.55% | $932 | $170,000 |
| 45 | New Mexico (NM) | 0.55% | $1,206 | $219,700 |
| 46 | South Carolina (SC) | 0.55% | $1,105 | $201,100 |
| 47 | Colorado (CO) | 0.48% | $2,017 | $420,500 |
| 48 | Nevada (NV) | 0.48% | $1,614 | $337,700 |
| 49 | Arizona (AZ) | 0.47% | $1,648 | $350,600 |
| 50 | Alabama (AL) | 0.40% | $694 | $172,500 |
| 51 | Hawaii (HI) | 0.28% | $1,971 | $704,500 |
Understanding property tax rates
Property taxes are the primary funding mechanism for local government services in the United States, including public schools, fire departments, roads, and emergency services. They are set and collected at the local level (county, city, school district) with each state providing a framework of rules around assessment, exemptions, and appeals.
The effective rate shown in this table is the single most useful cross-state comparison metric. It tells you what fraction of a home's market value is paid in property taxes each year, regardless of how each state structures its assessment ratios or nominal mill rates. A state with a high nominal rate but a low assessment ratio may have a lower effective rate than a state with a moderate nominal rate and full-value assessments.
Why Hawaii looks deceptively low: Hawaii's 0.28% effective rate is the nation's lowest, but this does not mean Hawaii homeowners pay little in taxes. With a median home value of $704,500, the median annual tax bill is $1,971 even at that low rate. Effective rates reward high home values.
Why the Northeast dominates the top of the rankings: States like New Jersey, Connecticut, Illinois, Vermont, and New Hampshire rely heavily on local property taxes to fund robust public schools and local services, often with less state-level fiscal support than states with broad income or sales tax bases.
Reading the ranking without being misled
Effective rate is the honest way to compare property taxes across state lines, but it hides two things worth knowing before you draw conclusions from this ranking. First, the bill and the rate can point in opposite directions. Hawaii posts the lowest effective rate in the country at 0.28 percent, yet its median annual tax of $1,971 sits above what homeowners pay in several higher-rate states, because a 0.28 percent slice of a $704,500 median home is still real money. New Jersey tops the table at 2.23 percent and a median bill of $8,797, more than twelve times Alabama's $694.
Second, a statewide figure smooths over enormous local variation. Property tax is set by counties, cities, and school districts, so two homes of equal value in the same state can carry very different bills depending on the district lines they fall inside. The state number is an average of averages: useful for ranking, poor for budgeting a specific address.
One more caution: these figures come from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, which reports what current owners actually paid. In states with assessment caps such as California's Proposition 13, long-time owners pay far less than a new buyer would on the same house, which pulls the survey median below the rate a purchaser should expect today. Treat the ranking as a starting map, then check your county assessor for the number that applies to your parcel.
Frequently asked questions: state property taxes
Which state has the highest property tax rate?
New Jersey has the highest effective property tax rate at 2.23%, with a median annual property tax of $8,797. Other high-rate states include Illinois (1.97%), Connecticut (1.92%), Vermont (1.82%), and Wisconsin (1.61%). These figures are effective rates based on the ratio of median taxes paid to median home value, from the US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2022.
Which state has the lowest property tax rate?
Hawaii has the lowest effective property tax rate at 0.28%, though its median annual tax of $1,971 appears moderate because median home values in Hawaii are very high ($704,500). Alabama has the lowest median annual tax bill at $694. Other low-rate states include Alabama (0.40%), Louisiana and South Carolina (both 0.55%), and Arizona (0.47%).
What is the difference between an effective property tax rate and a nominal rate?
A nominal (or statutory) rate is the legal rate set by a jurisdiction on the assessed value of a property. An effective rate is the actual taxes paid divided by the market value of the property. These differ because many states assess property at a fraction of market value (called the assessment ratio) before applying the nominal rate. The effective rate lets you compare the true tax burden across states regardless of how each state structures its assessment rules.
Why does Texas have high property taxes despite having no state income tax?
Texas relies heavily on property taxes because it has no state income tax and a relatively limited state sales tax compared to the total tax burden. Local governments (cities, counties, school districts) use property taxes as their primary revenue source. Texas school districts in particular depend on property taxes to fund public education. The state's large geographic area and locally funded school systems contribute to higher effective rates than similarly income-tax-free states.
How are property taxes assessed?
Property taxes are administered at the state and local level, not federally. The general process: (1) a county assessor determines the assessed value of your property, which may be a percentage of market value; (2) the assessed value is multiplied by the mill rate (tax rate per $1,000 of assessed value) set by local taxing jurisdictions; (3) exemptions (homestead, senior, veteran, etc.) are subtracted; (4) the final bill is sent, typically annually or semi-annually. Assessment practices, exemptions, and appeal procedures vary significantly by state.
Can property taxes change from year to year?
Yes. Property taxes can change due to reassessments (when the assessor updates the value of your property), changes in local mill rates (when school districts or municipalities set new budgets), and loss of exemptions (if you no longer qualify for a homestead or other exemption). Some states cap annual increases in assessed value to protect long-term homeowners; California's Proposition 13 is the best-known example, limiting increases to 2% per year until a property is sold.
Official sources
- Underlying data: US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2022 5-year estimates, data.census.gov.
- Compilation and ranking methodology: Tax Foundation, Property Taxes by State, 2023.
- Assessment and appeal guidance: contact your state's department of revenue or county assessor office.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 12 June 2026. See our methodology. General information only, not tax advice.