Property tax · 3,152 counties · Census ACS 2024
What does property tax
really cost across America?
The typical U.S. homeowner pays about $1,993 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 0.92% of home value. Rates vary widely by state, from Hawaii's 0.27% to New Jersey's 2.11%, based on 3,152 counties in the latest Census ACS 2024 data.
- Counties
- 3,152
- States + DC
- 51
- Years of data
- 2020–2024
The national picture
Property tax bites hardest in New Jersey and lightest in Hawaii, a 7.8× spread, while the typical U.S. county's effective rate sits at 0.92% on a median annual bill of $1,993.
- 0.92%
- National median effective rate
- $1,993
- National median annual tax
- 64%
- Of counties pay under 1%
- 7.8×
- NJ vs HI rate spread
Effective rate = median property tax ÷ median home value, from Census ACS 5-year estimates.
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.
Lowest property tax bills
Counties with the lowest median annual property tax. Bar length is relative to the $1,993 national average.
Highest property tax bills
Counties with the highest median annual property tax. Bar length is relative to the $1,993 national average.
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
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.
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.
How is the state tax rate spread calculated?
The spread is the highest state effective rate divided by the lowest: New Jersey's 2.11% divided by Hawaii's 0.27%, currently a 7.8× difference. It's a plain ratio of the two state-level effective rates, not a weighted or population-adjusted average.
Where to start
Three ways to turn this data into a decision about your own property tax.
- The typical U.S. homeowner pays about $1,993 a year, an effective rate of 0.92%. Look up any of 3,152 counties to see how yours compares. Compare counties
- Effective rates run from Hawaii's 0.27% to New Jersey's 2.11% - see where every state lands and why. States ranked
- Weighing a move, a purchase, or an appeal? Estimate the annual bill on any home value at your county's effective rate. Tax estimator
National figures are ACS medians across all 3,152 counties; your bill depends on your county's rate, your assessed value, and local exemptions. U.S. Census Bureau ACS · 2024.
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.
About this data
How PlainPropertyTax works, and why you can trust these numbers
What this site is
PlainPropertyTax shows median property taxes, home values, and effective tax rates for 3,152 US counties. Every figure comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey 5-year estimates (table B25103), not modeled or estimated data.
Editorial process
- Source. Pull median real-estate taxes paid and median home values from the Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (table B25103) for every county, refreshed as each new ACS vintage releases.
- Verify. The effective tax rate is calculated directly from median taxes paid divided by median home value as reported by the Census Bureau, with five years of trend data tracked per county.
- Publish. Compile per-county and per-state pages with the source vintage stamped, and log every correction in the next data refresh.
Editorial independence & corrections
PlainPropertyTax is an independent project and is not affiliated with the U.S. Census Bureau, any state or local government, or any tax authority; it does not accept paid placement or sponsored listings. Found an error? Email hello@plainpropertytax.com. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
Frequently asked
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.
How is the state tax rate spread calculated?
The spread is the highest state effective rate divided by the lowest: New Jersey's 2.11% divided by Hawaii's 0.27%, currently a 7.8× difference. It's a plain ratio of the two state-level effective rates, not a weighted or population-adjusted average.