September 13, 2015
U.S. property taxes can vary dramatically by county as well as by state. Since property valuation is complex and highly changeable with the market, value is not necessarily equal to cost or price. Depending on state law, property assessments are done anywhere from once per year to every five years. Then the value assessment of a home is multiplied by the local tax rate, or millage rate, to find the property tax amount owed by the homeowner. In states or counties where property taxes are generally higher, the burden can be great enough to persuade homeowners to consider selling so they can pick up and move elsewhere.
The Tax Foundation compiled Census data from 2004 to 2009 on property taxes on owner-occupied housing, ranked by state. States were ranked three ways: median property taxes paid on homes, taxes as percentage of median home value, and taxes as percentage of income. For simplicity’s sake, this list will focus on percentage of home value. This methodology allows for a comparison that shows, all things being equal, which states would generally have the highest property taxes for a home.
Previously, we covered the states with the highest overall state and local taxes, but when we look only at property taxes, you might be surprised at how much the list changes. For homeowners, how their home state ranks in property tax rates could provide a welcome savings or a significant detriment. Here are the 10 states with the highest property taxes based on data compiled by the Tax Foundation.
10. North Dakota
Oil Boom Shifts The Landscape Of Rural North Dakota | Andrew Burton/Getty Images
Taxes as percentage of home value: 1.42%
Median home value: $116,800
Rank based on percentage of income: 27
North Dakota ranks tenth highest in terms of percentage of home value, but based on the percentage of income levels, North Dakotans don’t appear to have particularly high property taxes. North Dakota also boasts the lowest unemployment rate in the country. Often it is the counties with the highest property taxes that tip the scale for the whole state. According to data from 2005 to 2009, based on percentage of home value, the worst counties in North Dakota for property taxes are Cass, home of Fargo, and Grand Forks.
9. Vermont
Source: iStock
Taxes as percentage of home value: 1.59%
Median home value: $216,300
Rank based on percentage of income: 3
Like many states in New England, Vermont fares poorly in terms of state and local taxes overall, and the state’s property taxes certainly aren’t helping. Vermont ranks in the top 10 for all three of the Tax Foundation’s measurements: percentage of home value, median taxes paid, and percentage of income. Windham, Rutland, and Washington counties ranked highest for Vermont.
8. Michigan
Source: iStock
Taxes as percentage of home value: 1.62%
Median home value: $132,200
Rank based on percentage of income: 10
Its median home value of $132,200 isn’t extremely high, but Michigan still ranks eighth in terms of property taxes as percentage of home value. While a number of Midwest states rank fairly high as well, neighboring Indiana comes in at only No. 27 with 0.85%. Detroit’s Wayne county is Michigan’s highest ranking county for property taxes, followed by Ingham county.
7. Connecticut
Source: Thinkstock
Taxes as percentage of home value: 1.63%
Median home value: $291,200
Rank based on percentage of income: 4
Connecticut’s median property taxes paid on homes is the second highest of all the states at $4,738. A recent report from the Department of Revenue Services shows Connecticut taxpayers pay more in local property taxes than any other taxes, including income taxes. Massachusetts, a border state, ranks at a more reasonable No. 21 in terms of percentage of home value. Hartford, New Haven, and Tolland are Connecticut’s highest ranking counties.
6. Illinois
Source: Scott Olson / Getty Images
Taxes as percentage of home value: 1.73%
Median home value: $202,200
Rank based on percentage of income: 5
Illinois ranks in the top 10 for all of the Tax Foundation’s measurements, and according to a recent report from the Urban Institute, Illinois actually has the second highest property taxes as of the end of 2012. Winnebago county, home of the city of Rockford, ranks No. 25 overall for counties with the highest property taxes in the U.S. Stephenson, Livingston, and several other Illinois counties follow close behind.
5. Nebraska
Source: iStock
Taxes as percentage of home value: 1.70%
Median home value: $123,300
Rank based on percentage of income: 14
Despite a comparatively low median home value of $123,300, Nebraska has the fifth highest property taxes in the U.S. Nebraska’s figure for median property taxes paid on homes is a relatively modest $2,164, bringing the state in at only No. 17 for this measurement. Recently, Nebraska farmers have called on the state legislature to lower property taxes because they hold so much of the burden. Clay County and Grant County have the highest property taxes in the state.
4. Wisconsin
Source: iStock
Taxes as percentage of home value: 1.76%
Median home value: $170,800
Rank based on percentage of income: 8
Wisconsin boasts the highest property taxes in the Midwest. However, neighboring states Minnesota and Iowa could potentially offer some mild relief to taxpayers looking to relocate. Their ranks are No. 19 and No. 15 respectively. The worst county in Wisconsin for property taxes is Milwaukee County, which is also No. 32 overall in the U.S.
3. Texas
Source: Thinkstock
Taxes as percentage of home value: 1.81%
Median home value: $125,800
Rank based on percentage of income: 12
With a relatively low median home value of $125,800, Texas actually isn’t in the top 10 according to the Tax Foundation’s other ranking methods, but its taxes as percentage of home value easily bring it up to third. Fort Bend County is the 16th most expensive county overall in the U.S., while spots one through 15 are dominated by New York state. Tarrant and Williamson are also in the top 30 counties overall.
2. New Hampshire
Source: Thinkstock
Taxes as percentage of home value: 1.86%
Median home value: $249,700
Rank based on percentage of income: 2
New Hampshire has the second highest property taxes in the nation. However, as the state of New Hampshire does not have income tax or sales tax, it relies heavily on property taxes. Neighboring Maine ranks only 18th in taxes as percentage of home value, a modest rank particularly for New England. Cheshire, Coos, and Sullivan are the highest ranking counties in New Hampshire.
1. New Jersey
Source: iStock
Taxes as percentage of home value: 1.89%
Median home value: $348,300
Rank based on percentage of income: 1
Ranking first in all three of the Tax Foundation’s categories, New Jersey’s figure for median property taxes paid is a whopping $6,579. According to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Tavistock Borough has the highest average property taxes in the state at $25,346. Camden County, just across the river from Philadelphia, is No. 18 overall in the U.S., and Gloucester and Salem rank high in property taxes as well, at No. 43 and No. 44.
More from Culture Cheat Sheet:
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Top 10 States With the Lowest Taxes
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