Property Tax Rates by State: Lowest and Highest (2026)
Hawaii has the lowest effective property tax rate in the country at 0.29%, and New Jersey and Illinois are tied for the highest at 1.88%. These figures come from the Tax Foundation's March 2026 edition of Property Taxes by State and County, which uses 2024 American Community Survey data: property taxes paid on owner-occupied homes divided by home value (Tax Foundation).
Every state in the ranking has a positive effective rate, so no state is property-tax-free. Property taxes are levied almost exclusively at the local level, not by the state (Tax Foundation). Your actual rate depends on your county, city and school district.
States with the lowest property taxes
The ten lowest effective rates in 2024: Hawaii (0.29%), Alabama (0.37%), Utah (0.48%), Arizona (0.48%), South Carolina (0.49%), Idaho (0.50%), Colorado (0.50%), Nevada (0.50%), West Virginia (0.51%), Tennessee (0.52%).
States with the highest property taxes
The ten highest effective rates in 2024: New Jersey (1.88%), Illinois (1.88%), Connecticut (1.54%), Vermont (1.51%), New Hampshire (1.50%), Nebraska (1.44%), Texas (1.40%), Ohio (1.36%), Iowa (1.33%), Wisconsin (1.32%).
The Tax Foundation notes that some high-property-tax states, like New Hampshire and Texas, rely heavily on property taxes in place of other major taxes, while others, like New Jersey and Illinois, have high property taxes alongside high rates in the other major tax categories (Tax Foundation).
Property tax rates by state, ranked highest to lowest
The "effective rate" is total real estate taxes paid divided by total home value for owner-occupied housing. It excludes taxes paid by businesses, renters and others. D.C. is shown for reference and does not affect the states' ranks. The $300,000 column is simple arithmetic (rate times $300,000), meant to give a sense of scale and not to predict your bill.
| Rank | State | Effective rate (2024) | 2023 | Tax on a $300,000 home at this rate | Estimate your bill |
|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | 1.88% | 1.98% | $5,640 | Calculator |
| 2 | Illinois | 1.88% | 1.91% | $5,640 | Calculator |
| 3 | Connecticut | 1.54% | 1.62% | $4,620 | Calculator |
| 4 | Vermont | 1.51% | 1.58% | $4,530 | Calculator |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1.50% | 1.62% | $4,500 | Calculator |
| 6 | Nebraska | 1.44% | 1.48% | $4,320 | Calculator |
| 7 | Texas | 1.40% | 1.47% | $4,200 | Calculator |
| 8 | Ohio | 1.36% | 1.41% | $4,080 | Calculator |
| 9 | Iowa | 1.33% | 1.36% | $3,990 | Calculator |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 1.32% | 1.39% | $3,960 | Calculator |
| 11 | New York | 1.30% | 1.31% | $3,900 | Calculator |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | 1.26% | 1.31% | $3,780 | Calculator |
| 13 | Kansas | 1.21% | 1.22% | $3,630 | Calculator |
| 14 | Michigan | 1.19% | 1.23% | $3,570 | Calculator |
| 15 | Rhode Island | 1.12% | 1.19% | $3,360 | Calculator |
| 16 | Massachusetts | 1.00% | 1.03% | $3,000 | Calculator |
| 17 | Minnesota | 1.00% | 1.01% | $3,000 | Calculator |
| 18 | South Dakota | 1.00% | 1.03% | $3,000 | Calculator |
| 19 | Maine | 0.98% | 1.04% | $2,940 | Calculator |
| 20 | Alaska | 0.94% | 0.95% | $2,820 | Calculator |
| 21 | Maryland | 0.92% | 0.95% | $2,760 | Calculator |
| 22 | North Dakota | 0.92% | 0.92% | $2,760 | Calculator |
| 23 | Missouri | 0.89% | 0.91% | $2,670 | Calculator |
| 24 | Oregon | 0.81% | 0.83% | $2,430 | Calculator |
| 25 | Georgia | 0.79% | 0.82% | $2,370 | Calculator |
| 26 | Oklahoma | 0.79% | 0.80% | $2,370 | Calculator |
| 27 | Florida | 0.78% | 0.80% | $2,340 | Calculator |
| 28 | Virginia | 0.78% | 0.79% | $2,340 | Calculator |
| 29 | Indiana | 0.76% | 0.77% | $2,280 | Calculator |
| 30 | Washington | 0.75% | 0.77% | $2,250 | Calculator |
| 31 | Kentucky | 0.74% | 0.76% | $2,220 | Calculator |
| 32 | California | 0.70% | 0.70% | $2,100 | Calculator |
| 33 | North Carolina | 0.66% | 0.69% | $1,980 | Calculator |
| 34 | New Mexico | 0.63% | 0.62% | $1,890 | Calculator |
| 35 | Montana | 0.61% | 0.64% | $1,830 | Calculator |
| n/a | District of Columbia | 0.60% | 0.60% | $1,800 | Calculator |
| 36 | Mississippi | 0.58% | 0.60% | $1,740 | Calculator |
| 37 | Arkansas | 0.56% | 0.57% | $1,680 | Calculator |
| 38 | Louisiana | 0.55% | 0.54% | $1,650 | Calculator |
| 39 | Delaware | 0.54% | 0.55% | $1,620 | Calculator |
| 40 | Wyoming | 0.53% | 0.52% | $1,590 | Calculator |
| 41 | Tennessee | 0.52% | 0.56% | $1,560 | Calculator |
| 42 | West Virginia | 0.51% | 0.51% | $1,530 | Calculator |
| 43 | Nevada | 0.50% | 0.51% | $1,500 | Calculator |
| 44 | Colorado | 0.50% | 0.50% | $1,500 | Calculator |
| 45 | Idaho | 0.50% | 0.53% | $1,500 | Calculator |
| 46 | South Carolina | 0.49% | 0.51% | $1,470 | Calculator |
| 47 | Arizona | 0.48% | 0.51% | $1,440 | Calculator |
| 48 | Utah | 0.48% | 0.50% | $1,440 | Calculator |
| 49 | Alabama | 0.37% | 0.37% | $1,110 | Calculator |
| 50 | Hawaii | 0.29% | 0.30% | $870 | Calculator |
Source: Tax Foundation, Property Taxes by State and County, 2026, based on U.S. Census Bureau 2024 American Community Survey datasets B25077, B25103, B25082 and B25090.
What a state rate leaves out
- Your county can differ a lot from the state number. The Tax Foundation publishes county rates too, and our property tax calculator uses them to estimate a bill by county.
- Rate times value is the bill. A low rate on an expensive home can still produce a large bill, and a high rate on a modest home can produce a smaller one.
- Exemptions change what you owe. Homestead, senior and veteran exemptions reduce the value that gets taxed. Our senior property tax freeze guide covers one kind.
- The assessed value matters as much as the rate. Counties apply the rate to an assessed value that is not always the same as market value. See assessed value vs. market value.
If your bill feels high, check the value
You cannot appeal the rate, but you can appeal the value it is applied to. If the county's number is higher than similar homes near you, an appeal can lower the bill. Run the free over-assessment check to compare your assessed value with recent sales, or read how to appeal your property tax assessment. We prepare the research and the documents; you review and file them yourself, and we are not attorneys or a tax firm.
Quick answers
Which state has the lowest property taxes?
Hawaii, at an effective rate of 0.29% in 2024. Alabama (0.37%) is next, followed by Utah and Arizona (both 0.48%) (Tax Foundation).
Which state has the highest property taxes?
New Jersey and Illinois are tied at 1.88%, followed by Connecticut (1.54%), Vermont (1.51%) and New Hampshire (1.50%) (Tax Foundation).
Is there a state with no property tax?
Not in this data. Every state and D.C. in the Tax Foundation's ranking has a positive effective rate on owner-occupied homes. Rates are lowest in Hawaii and Alabama and vary by county within each state.
What is an effective property tax rate?
Total real estate taxes paid divided by total home value, for owner-occupied housing. It is a median-based statewide measure, so it will not match the rate printed on your own bill.
Does a low property tax rate mean a low bill?
Not by itself. Your bill is the rate applied to your home's taxable value after exemptions, so home value and exemptions matter as much as the state rate.
Appeal rules and deadlines by state: California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia, Washington, Arizona.
