Release comparison · county level
Where county property-tax estimates changed fastest
Across 3,121 counties with paired ACS estimates, the published median annual property-tax figure changed +23.6% on average between the 2020 and 2024 five-year releases. This report keeps the two values visible so a change can be checked rather than inferred from a current ranking.
What this comparison measures
Each row compares the same county-level median annual property-tax measure in two Census ACS five-year estimate vintages. It shows the difference between published estimates, not the cause of a household's bill: local assessment practice, exemptions, policy, and home-value changes can all matter.
The highlighted percentage charts exclude counties whose 2020 published median was below $500, because a small starting value can make a percentage ranking unstable. County profiles retain their complete five-year history.
Data coverage: 3,121 counties with a reported value in both vintages. Data as of .
Need the complete paired records? Download the county release-comparison dataset as CSV or JSON.
Browse the full rankings for fastest published increases and largest published declines.
Largest published median-tax increases, 2020–2024
Percentage change among counties with a 2020 published median of at least $500; all entries use the same paired ACS measure.
- Sterling County, TX
Sterling County, TX
+132%
- Lincoln County, CO
Lincoln County, CO
+115%
- Duval County, TX
Duval County, TX
+103%
- San Miguel County, CO
San Miguel County, CO
+96%
- Dimmit County, TX
Dimmit County, TX
+82%
- Teton County, WY
Teton County, WY
+81%
- Pitkin County, CO
Pitkin County, CO
+76%
- Jasper County, SC
Jasper County, SC
+74%
- Pecos County, TX
Pecos County, TX
+73%
- Garfield County, NE
Garfield County, NE
+72%
- Montgomery County, MS
Montgomery County, MS
+72%
- Mora County, NM
Mora County, NM
+71%
Change in the published county median between the 2020 and 2024 ACS releases, among counties whose 2020 median was at least $500. Sterling County, TX leads at +132.1%. This is movement in an estimate between two releases, not a measured change in any household's bill.
Largest published median-tax declines, 2020–2024
Percentage decline among counties with a 2020 published median of at least $500. A decline is a change in the ACS estimate, not a finding about local tax policy.
- McMullen County, TX
McMullen County, TX
-68%
- Borden County, TX
Borden County, TX
-41%
- Castro County, TX
Castro County, TX
-34%
- Kent County, TX
Kent County, TX
-28%
- Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK -26%
Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, AK
-26%
- Garfield County, MT -23%
Garfield County, MT
-23%
- Wibaux County, MT -23%
Wibaux County, MT
-23%
- Wichita County, KS -21%
Wichita County, KS
-21%
- Smith County, MS -20%
Smith County, MS
-20%
- Edwards County, TX -16%
Edwards County, TX
-16%
- Carroll County, MS -15%
Carroll County, MS
-15%
- Hooker County, NE -15%
Hooker County, NE
-15%
Bars show the size of each decline, largest first: McMullen County, TX at -67.7%, Borden County, TX -41.2% and Castro County, TX -34.0%. Only counties whose estimate actually fell appear here.
County release-comparison rankings
Open a county profile for its five-year series, current rate, and state context. These tables rank the change in the published median annual figure, not an official tax-rate increase or a recommendation.
Largest increases
| # | County | 2020 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sterling CountyTexas | $816 | $1,894 | +132.1% |
| 2 | Lincoln CountyColorado | $509 | $1,092 | +114.5% |
| 3 | Duval CountyTexas | $567 | $1,148 | +102.5% |
| 4 | San Miguel CountyColorado | $971 | $1,900 | +95.7% |
| 5 | Dimmit CountyTexas | $674 | $1,223 | +81.5% |
| 6 | Teton CountyWyoming | $4,015 | $7,267 | +81.0% |
| 7 | Pitkin CountyColorado | $2,316 | $4,074 | +75.9% |
| 8 | Jasper CountySouth Carolina | $1,065 | $1,852 | +73.9% |
| 9 | Pecos CountyTexas | $985 | $1,707 | +73.3% |
| 10 | Garfield CountyNebraska | $1,383 | $2,383 | +72.3% |
| 11 | Montgomery CountyMississippi | $737 | $1,269 | +72.2% |
| 12 | Mora CountyNew Mexico | $517 | $885 | +71.2% |
Largest declines
| # | County | 2020 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McMullen CountyTexas | $1,240 | $400 | -67.7% |
| 2 | Borden CountyTexas | $782 | $460 | -41.2% |
| 3 | Castro CountyTexas | $1,328 | $876 | -34.0% |
| 4 | Kent CountyTexas | $1,154 | $835 | -27.6% |
| 5 | Hoonah-Angoon Census AreaAlaska | $1,531 | $1,136 | -25.8% |
| 6 | Garfield CountyMontana | $1,367 | $1,052 | -23.0% |
| 7 | Wibaux CountyMontana | $777 | $598 | -23.0% |
| 8 | Wichita CountyKansas | $2,175 | $1,728 | -20.6% |
| 9 | Smith CountyMississippi | $585 | $469 | -19.8% |
| 10 | Edwards CountyTexas | $883 | $742 | -16.0% |
| 11 | Carroll CountyMississippi | $682 | $577 | -15.4% |
| 12 | Hooker CountyNebraska | $1,149 | $979 | -14.8% |
How to use the release comparison
A county can show a large change in its published median estimate while still having a lower current effective rate than another county. Use this report to inspect the paired releases, then use the county profile for the current rate, home-value context, and the complete historical series.
ACS five-year estimates smooth several survey years and arrive with a publication lag. They are a comparable public-data benchmark, not a substitute for a current assessment notice, tax bill, or county assessor record.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, county median property-tax data (2020 and 2024 vintages).
Read the methodology for source fields, limitations, and update cadence.