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Effective Property Tax Rates by State, 2026

Effective property tax rate by state for 2026, computed as median real-estate tax paid divided by median home value, with the dollar cost on a $400,000 home for each state.

Written and maintained by Víctor Gil VázquezData last verified: 07/29/2026

Property tax is the largest housing cost most buyers never compare across locations, and the spread is enormous. The national average effective rate is about 0.99% of home value per year, but state averages run from 0.27% to 2.11% — a spread of roughly 1.8 percentage points.

On a $400,000 home that is the difference between $1,080 and $8,440 a year, or roughly $90 versus $703 a month. It is frequently larger than the difference an interest rate negotiation produces, and unlike the rate it never goes away.

Highest and lowest effective rates

Effective rate means median real-estate tax paid divided by median home value — the share of a home's value paid in tax each year, which is comparable across states in a way that a millage rate or a dollar amount is not.

Five highest

Five states with the highest effective property tax rates
StateEffective rateAnnual tax on a $400,000 homeMonthly
New Jersey2.11%$8,440$703
Illinois2.01%$8,040$670
Connecticut1.81%$7,240$603
New Hampshire1.66%$6,640$553
Vermont1.59%$6,360$530

Five lowest

Five states with the lowest effective property tax rates
StateEffective rateAnnual tax on a $400,000 homeMonthly
Hawaii0.27%$1,080$90
Alabama0.38%$1,520$127
Nevada0.47%$1,880$157
South Carolina0.48%$1,920$160
Colorado0.48%$1,920$160

All states and the District of Columbia

Sorted alphabetically. The dollar columns apply each state's effective rate to a $400,000 home so the percentages are comparable in money rather than in basis points.
2026 effective property tax rates by state
StateEffective rateAnnual tax on a $400,000 homeMonthly
Alabama0.38%$1,520$127
Alaska1.11%$4,440$370
Arizona0.48%$1,920$160
Arkansas0.55%$2,200$183
California0.70%$2,800$233
Colorado0.48%$1,920$160
Connecticut1.81%$7,240$603
Delaware0.50%$2,000$167
District of Columbia0.58%$2,320$193
Florida0.76%$3,040$253
Georgia0.77%$3,080$257
Hawaii0.27%$1,080$90
Idaho0.49%$1,960$163
Illinois2.01%$8,040$670
Indiana0.74%$2,960$247
Iowa1.39%$5,560$463
Kansas1.29%$5,160$430
Kentucky0.75%$3,000$250
Louisiana0.55%$2,200$183
Maine1.02%$4,080$340
Maryland0.97%$3,880$323
Massachusetts1.07%$4,280$357
Michigan1.25%$5,000$417
Minnesota1.02%$4,080$340
Mississippi0.72%$2,880$240
Missouri0.85%$3,400$283
Montana0.72%$2,880$240
Nebraska1.49%$5,960$497
Nevada0.47%$1,880$157
New Hampshire1.66%$6,640$553
New Jersey2.11%$8,440$703
New Mexico0.70%$2,800$233
New York1.55%$6,200$517
North Carolina0.66%$2,640$220
North Dakota0.99%$3,960$330
Ohio1.31%$5,240$437
Oklahoma0.80%$3,200$267
Oregon0.81%$3,240$270
Pennsylvania1.30%$5,200$433
Rhode Island1.21%$4,840$403
South Carolina0.48%$1,920$160
South Dakota1.06%$4,240$353
Tennessee0.50%$2,000$167
Texas1.49%$5,960$497
Utah0.52%$2,080$173
Vermont1.59%$6,360$530
Virginia0.73%$2,920$243
Washington0.81%$3,240$270
West Virginia0.53%$2,120$177
Wisconsin1.42%$5,680$473
Wyoming0.57%$2,280$190

Important limits on this table

These are state averages, not your rate. Property tax is levied by counties, municipalities, and school districts, and rates within a single state can differ by more than a full percentage point between neighboring jurisdictions. Use this to compare states; use your county assessor for a number you plan to act on.

Rates and values move together. A state with a low rate and very high home values can produce a larger tax bill than a high-rate state with cheap housing. Hawaii has the lowest effective rate in the country and does not have the lowest property tax bills.

Exemptions are not reflected here. Most states offer a homestead exemption for primary residences, and many offer additional reductions for people over 65, veterans, or those with disabilities. Some states cap how fast an assessment can rise, which means two identical neighboring homes can carry very different bills depending on when each was last sold.

There is a federal cap on deducting it. State and local taxes, property tax included, are deductible only up to the SALT cap, and only if you itemize — which most filers no longer do.

Found a figure that looks wrong or has been superseded? Tell us on the contact page — corrections are handled the way the editorial standards describe.