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Property tax · 3,152 counties · Census ACS 2024

What does property tax really cost across America?

Median property taxes, home values, and effective rates for 3,152 U.S. counties, drawn straight from Census ACS 2024 data, so you can see who pays the most, and the least.

Highest rates Lowest rates Estimate my tax →
Counties
3,152
States + DC
51
Years of data
2020–2024

What the data reveals

7.8×
spread between the highest-tax state (NJ, 2.11%) and the lowest (HI, 0.27%)
0.92%
average county effective rate nationwide (2024)
64%
of 3,135 counties pay an effective rate under 1%
3.56%
highest county rate: Menominee County, WI

The national picture, 2024

Averaged across 3,135 counties from Census ACS 5-year estimates. Effective rate is median tax divided by median home value.

Median annual property tax
$1,993
per owner-occupied home
Median home value
$227,791
Census ACS 5-year estimate
Average effective rate
0.92%
median tax ÷ median home value

States with the highest property tax burden

Top 12 states by effective rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024

effective rate

What this shows New Jersey leads the nation at 2.11%, roughly 7.8× the effective rate paid in Hawaii. High-rate states cluster in the Northeast and Midwest, where home values are moderate but local levies are steep.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (B25103) As of 2024

Lowest property tax bills

Counties with the lowest median annual property tax

1. West Carroll ParishLA
$199 0.21%
2. Oglala Lakota CountySD
$199 0.38%
3. Kusilvak Census AreaAK
$199 0.24%
4. Northwest Arctic BoroughAK
$199 0.10%
5. Aleutians East BoroughAK
$199 0.15%
6. Bethel Census AreaAK
$199 0.12%
7. Copper River Census AreaAK
$199 0.07%
8. Choctaw CountyAL
$207 0.17%
9. Tensas ParishLA
$221 0.26%
10. Avoyelles ParishLA
$249 0.20%
View full rankings →

Highest property tax bills

Counties with the highest median annual property tax

1. Marin CountyCA
$10,001 0.66%
2. Santa Clara CountyCA
$10,001 0.67%
3. New York CountyNY
$10,001 0.92%
4. Falls Church cityVA
$10,001 0.95%
5. Nassau CountyNY
$10,001 1.46%
6. Westchester CountyNY
$10,001 1.51%
7. Bergen CountyNJ
$10,001 1.61%
8. Monmouth CountyNJ
$10,001 1.65%
9. Rockland CountyNY
$10,001 1.68%
10. Morris CountyNJ
$10,001 1.72%
View full rankings →

Note: Census ACS top-codes the highest median property taxes at $10,001, so several high-cost counties share that ceiling. Effective-rate rankings separate them more meaningfully.

Browse by state

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View all states →

Guides & explainers

Go beyond the numbers with our guides on how property taxes work, how to appeal an assessment, and how homeownership costs stack up.

How Property Taxes Work

Learn how local governments assess property values and calculate your annual tax bill.

States with the Lowest Property Taxes

All states ranked by effective rate, from Hawaii's 0.27% to New Jersey's 2.11%. Census ACS data.

How to Appeal Your Property Tax Assessment

Step-by-step guide to challenging your assessed value and potentially lowering your tax bill.

How Property Tax Assessments Work

Market value vs assessed value, mill rates, exemptions, and the assessment cycle, explained with a key-terms table.

Property Tax by State

A data-driven look at how tax burden varies across the country and why effective rates beat headline numbers.

Original research

Data-driven studies built on the Census ACS B25103 series — who pays the most, where rates run highest, and how homeownership tracks tax burden.

States States ranked by property tax burden Counties The highest-taxed counties in America Homeownership Where homeownership runs highest
Visit the research hub →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does PlainPropertyTax get its data?

All figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (table B25103), which report median real-estate taxes paid, median home values, and the resulting effective tax rate for every county in the United States.

How many counties does PlainPropertyTax cover?

PlainPropertyTax includes property tax data for 3,152 counties across all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, with five years of trend data from 2020 to 2024.

Is PlainPropertyTax free?

Yes. You can look up property taxes for any county, compare states, use the estimator, and read our rent-vs-own analysis without an account or payment.

How is the effective property tax rate calculated?

The effective tax rate divides median property taxes paid by median home value for each area, as reported in Census ACS data. It reflects true tax burden better than nominal mill rates, which vary by local assessment methodology.

PlainPropertyTax displays Census Bureau survey estimates and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Contact your county assessor or a licensed tax professional for figures specific to your property.