Property Taxes by State in 2026: Rates and Yearly Bills Compared
Average effective property tax rates for all 50 states and DC, with the yearly and monthly bill on a $400,000 home.
Property tax is one of the biggest costs of owning a home, and it varies more from state to state than almost any other tax. On a $400,000 home, the yearly bill ranges from about $1,080 in Hawaii to about $8,320 in New Jersey, a difference of $7,240 a year, or $603 added to every monthly mortgage payment.
What an “effective” rate means
Local governments set property tax as a rate applied to the assessed value of a home, and assessed value is often lower than market value. Homestead exemptions, assessment caps and senior discounts then reduce the bill further. The effective rate cuts through all of that: it is the tax actually paid divided by the home’s market value. It is the most useful number for comparing places, because it is what you can multiply by a purchase price to estimate your bill.
Lowest and highest property tax states
The five states with the lowest average effective rates are Hawaii, Alabama, Idaho, Nevada and Colorado. The five highest are New Jersey, Illinois, Connecticut, Vermont and New Hampshire. Low-rate states are not always cheap places to own a home: Hawaii’s low rate applies to some of the highest home prices in the country, while several high-rate Midwestern states have modest prices, so the dollar bill can be similar.
Property tax rates for every state
Ranked from lowest to highest rate. Yearly and monthly figures are for a home worth $400,000 at the statewide average rate. Follow a state’s link for payments at other prices.
| Rank | State | Effective rate | Tax per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 0.27% | $1,080 | $90 |
| 2 | Alabama | 0.40% | $1,600 | $133 |
| 3 | Idaho | 0.47% | $1,880 | $157 |
| 4 | Nevada | 0.48% | $1,920 | $160 |
| 5 | Colorado | 0.49% | $1,960 | $163 |
| 6 | South Carolina | 0.51% | $2,040 | $170 |
| 7 | Arizona | 0.52% | $2,080 | $173 |
| 8 | Utah | 0.52% | $2,080 | $173 |
| 9 | Delaware | 0.55% | $2,200 | $183 |
| 10 | Louisiana | 0.55% | $2,200 | $183 |
| 11 | West Virginia | 0.55% | $2,200 | $183 |
| 12 | Tennessee | 0.56% | $2,240 | $187 |
| 13 | Wyoming | 0.56% | $2,240 | $187 |
| 14 | Arkansas | 0.57% | $2,280 | $190 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | 0.57% | $2,280 | $190 |
| 16 | Mississippi | 0.67% | $2,680 | $223 |
| 17 | New Mexico | 0.67% | $2,680 | $223 |
| 18 | Montana | 0.68% | $2,720 | $227 |
| 19 | North Carolina | 0.70% | $2,800 | $233 |
| 20 | California | 0.71% | $2,840 | $237 |
| 21 | Kentucky | 0.75% | $3,000 | $250 |
| 22 | Indiana | 0.77% | $3,080 | $257 |
| 23 | Oklahoma | 0.80% | $3,200 | $267 |
| 24 | Virginia | 0.80% | $3,200 | $267 |
| 25 | Florida | 0.82% | $3,280 | $273 |
| 26 | Georgia | 0.83% | $3,320 | $277 |
| 27 | Washington | 0.84% | $3,360 | $280 |
| 28 | Oregon | 0.86% | $3,440 | $287 |
| 29 | Missouri | 0.88% | $3,520 | $293 |
| 30 | North Dakota | 0.92% | $3,680 | $307 |
| 31 | Maryland | 0.99% | $3,960 | $330 |
| 32 | Minnesota | 1.02% | $4,080 | $340 |
| 33 | Alaska | 1.04% | $4,160 | $347 |
| 34 | Massachusetts | 1.04% | $4,160 | $347 |
| 35 | South Dakota | 1.08% | $4,320 | $360 |
| 36 | Maine | 1.09% | $4,360 | $363 |
| 37 | Rhode Island | 1.23% | $4,920 | $410 |
| 38 | Michigan | 1.28% | $5,120 | $427 |
| 39 | Kansas | 1.34% | $5,360 | $447 |
| 40 | Pennsylvania | 1.35% | $5,400 | $450 |
| 41 | Ohio | 1.36% | $5,440 | $453 |
| 42 | New York | 1.40% | $5,600 | $467 |
| 43 | Iowa | 1.43% | $5,720 | $477 |
| 44 | Texas | 1.47% | $5,880 | $490 |
| 45 | Nebraska | 1.50% | $6,000 | $500 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | 1.51% | $6,040 | $503 |
| 47 | New Hampshire | 1.61% | $6,440 | $537 |
| 48 | Vermont | 1.71% | $6,840 | $570 |
| 49 | Connecticut | 1.79% | $7,160 | $597 |
| 50 | Illinois | 1.95% | $7,800 | $650 |
| 51 | New Jersey | 2.08% | $8,320 | $693 |
Statewide averages, rounded. Rates inside a state can differ by a factor of two or more between counties and school districts.
How property tax affects your mortgage payment
Most lenders collect property tax monthly through an escrow account and pay the bill for you, so it is part of the payment you budget for. Lenders count it when they apply the 28% housing-cost rule, which means a high-tax area reduces how much house you can qualify for. As an example, at a 6.5% rate with 20% down, the principal and interest on a $400,000 home is about $2,023 a month. A 0.5% effective rate adds $167 to that; a 2% rate adds $667, which at the 28% rule requires roughly $21,400 more in yearly income to qualify.
Ways to lower your property tax bill
- Claim the homestead exemption. Most states reduce the taxable value of a primary residence, but many require you to apply once after buying. It is easy to miss in the first year.
- Check your assessment. Compare your assessed value with recent sales of similar homes. If it is too high, the appeal process is usually free and has a short deadline after the notice is mailed.
- Look for age, veteran and disability programs. Many states freeze or cut taxes for seniors and disabled veterans.
- Compare neighboring towns. School district and city lines can change the rate noticeably within a few miles.
Property tax vs income tax
Several states with no income tax, such as Texas and New Hampshire, have above-average property taxes, because they rely on them to fund schools and local services. When comparing places to live, add the two together: our state pages show both the take-home pay on a salary and the property tax on a home in the same state.