10 States With the Largest Property Tax Bills

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When you’re calculating how much home you can afford, don’t forget to factor in property taxes.

This annual bill is one of the most important expenses tied to homeownership, but it might not always be top of mind. Property taxes are one of the primary ways your local government funds itself, and your city or county can even foreclose on your property if you don’t pay on time.

That means property taxes are vitally important to your mortgage lender as well — so much so that you probably have an escrow account set up to make sure your tax bill is covered on your behalf.

Property tax rates vary from state to state, and some places have jaw-dropping tax burdens — including several states in the Northeast region. Keep reading for a breakdown of the states with the largest average property taxes for homeowners.

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35 thoughts on “10 States With the Largest Property Tax Bills”

  1. I think the property taxes are too high! I am a single senior man, who also is a widower. I see that property taxes have been raised again!

    1. The governments are always will raise taxes and with the flood of illegals it is only going to get worse! NY id going to give illegals $15,000.00 and NY is broke so people from the other states are going to gig the bill! I hope all the other states will not allow illegals in there states!

  2. the more they build and do “economic development” (which is b.s.) the higher your taxes. My neighbors and I tried to stop development in our neighborhood and were lied to many many times. the grant money that towns get saying there are Impoverished sections of each town that need upgrade, the developers, architects, tax assessors and town official, realters contracters all make tons of money pushing people out with higher taxes, then saying” because that nice new building is near u, your home is worth more, and now you have to pay more” I live in Hull, ma. they have raised the taxes 6x against us saying “NO”. they promised to protect the tax base, more people paying taxes would mean less we have to pay. big fat lie. and none of the buildings are affordable. that is why your taxes are going up up up. it’s a money making machine for the cronies.

  3. bruce thornton

    my retirement savings is shrinking fast because dubuque keeps raising them for no reason over 5k a year and we live in a small modest home

  4. It’s about time government “tightens it’s belt”, and goes on a diet. Consumers have to live within a budget, but state, and local governments, do nothing to cut the fat/waste/abuse that is inevitable in any government entity.

  5. Samuel Jenkins

    Agreed! It’s their way of keeping property owners behind the eight ball and perpetuating advance poverty. These property taxes are meant to keep us oppressed. Even after we’ve paid our dues we still have to pay just to live in and on our own property. Hence “MORTGAGE”.

  6. Making a house payment every month for 30 years and paying high insurance payments for 30 years and paying a sales tax when the property is purchased is enough…paying a property tax on top of this every year is ridiculous bandits robbery….property tax should be eliminated….American people are taxed to the bone….

    1. I live in California and our property taxes are based at the accessed purchase price when you bought your home. The taxes can never go up more than 1 percent per year and to raise the tax your house has to be reassessed it cannot go up automatically and you can appeal. Also you can get a tax reduction if the value of your property has decreased. If they forget to reassess your property they cannot go back and raise your property taxes. Finally your children can inherit your property and not be reassessed. They keep the tax level at your original purchase price. This is called proposition 13 in California. It was put on the ballot by the voters through petition signatures. It was voted into law in 1978. Additionally it included a property tax rollback to 1972. My parents bought their current home in 1980 for $80,000. The house is now valued at $1,800,000 but their tax rate is based on the purchase price in 1980 not the current market value. It was the greatest tax revolt in California history. They have tried many times to overturn but no luck. It was a grassroots effort by the Howard Jarvis foundation. He was a Republican but this was supported by both Republicans and Democrats alike.

      1. The problem is assessments in the late 70’s the politicians could not raise taxes but put assessments at that time they were paid off in 15 years and I believe they were 15%, making the total taxes and assessments 1.18, they kept raising the assessments where today, some of the assessments are above 1.15% of the value adding to the 1.03 for a total of 2.18% and the assessments never get paid off!

  7. Every State should offer some kind of senior homeowner discount on property taxes so that senior homeowners can stay in their homes. The discount can be on a sliding scale based upon the adjusted income of the senior property owner.

    1. School taxes in NJ account for almost 75% ofthe property tax bill. Seniors citizens over 65 no longer have kids going to the schools and should have the schooltax deducted from the tax bill then they should be affortable just paying for the services portion of the bill. As it stands now, they are paying for a service not used.

      1. I agree I never even had children by choice and have paid property taxes for over 40 years I think I’ve done my service!

  8. James Crawford

    This information is interesting but I believe the sales tax should also be factored into the tax
    collection.

  9. States say they need more money, they need more, they take more, without being held accountable, they vote themselves raises even when the money is not there. This is exactly how politicians work, most have never actually run a business. Definition of a politician —> While there holding your baby, they are stealing its candy at the same time

  10. “Taxation with misrepresentation.” The “developers” who seek to “develop” the area with another super Walmart and other store construction that makes up a strip mall or another cheap housing project often do so without the approval of the taxpaying citizens who live in that immediate area! Yet there is seldom, if ever, any accountability the developers, county commissioners or township government are held to. It is collusion and mutual control/profit for those entities involved. Think what you like, but organized resistance and vigilantism carried out for the majority (citizens) against these green fanged parasites makes as much sense and has as much justification as the Tea Party carried out in Boston Harbor.

  11. Are these guys figuring it out that they are contributing to robbing themselves for the luxurious life their politicians live? Doubt it.

  12. THE appraisal system should be revised. The value of a property should be fixed at the purchase price and remain at that value unless improvements are made and not be raised until it is sold and that price will become the new appraised value. take appraisels out of the hands of appraisel boards and politicans.If you are a senior and own your home and property for over 30 years and paid taxes on it you should be exempt from school taxes and your county taxes should be frozen. every year they raise values and folks on fixed incomes are stressed. if enough people stand against this system and politcians who run it then we might get relief.

    1. I totally agree . We have paid & paid & paid & it’s still paycheck to paycheck after almost 30 years ! The sad thing is they don’t care anymore . They just don’t care . But I do think if enough of us fight back then maybe we can get something done . God bless America !!!

  13. Property Taxes are mostly for schools, along with other things. It costs over $9K per year per student to educate kids. That is ridiculous! You could hire your own tutor for not much more than that. And, what do you get? A kid can graduate from college and still not be able to count change at the Walmart.

  14. Not surprising that these top 10 states are in the Northeast and CA. This is how these states primarily finance their schools. I live in one of these states and 2/3 of my five figure tax bill goes to support schools. Our teachers are well paid and have nice pensions to retire on but what the administrators get is scandalous! Even in small, rural districts they make healthy six figure salaries and up and in the wealthy suburban districts even more. To those of you who resent high property taxes, move to the south where they pay their teachers next to nothing and you will probably have to send your kids to private schools which are not cheap either.

  15. Illinois has fairly low state tax rates but high local property taxes. Local taxes, most of which support schools, are raised by voter referendum. I don’t have any children in schools, but I would always vote in favor of supporting our local schools.

    1. We moved out of Illinois 32 years ago to Las Vegas. Our Illinois home in Bloomington/Normal we built in 81 for just under $150,000 and our property tax was over $3000, our home in Henderson, Nv is in a gated Country Club and appraised for over $850,000 and our taxes are just over $2000. Plus no state income tax. We grew up in Illinois and loved it but very poor financial management.

  16. Every one of these states is run by Democrats. Is that a coincidence or are the people who live in these states ignorant about what they are doing? Vote for Democrats-high taxes, crime, corrupt unions, illegal immigrants, voter fraud, abortion on demand, transgender toilets.

  17. Patricia a Bizich

    Some thoughts
    !. You never truly own your home. Miss a payment and it goes for back taxes
    2. If the average tax bill is 3600. It means you pay 300 a month for PRIVELEDGE to live in a home you bought and paid for but the government can take from you at any time.
    3. In my state the majority of taxes are because of teachers salaries and pensions. These over paid LIBERALS not only indoctrinate our youth. They make more in salary and benefits then the poor suckers trying to pay their taxes for these over paid RATS that live better then the tax payers. SHAMEFUL!!
    4. The taxes paid . They are for education of students. Since when and why do our taxes pay for Stadiums ,Track fields, Busing to and from sports events. Free breakfast and lunches? (STATE SHOULD BE PAYING FOR THAT THROUGH WELFARE)
    Taxes should not be burdened on residents to pay for this .SHOULD BE PARENTS or FUND RAISING NOT RESIDENTS RESPONSIBILITY !!

  18. In California the tax rate is 1.03 but our governor wants to raise it! But that is not all, sssessments can increase that to above 2% and now assessments on new homes have a clause in there that allows an increase of 2% a year, so in ten years your assessments can be 20% higher and you give an open door to the cities there going to take advantage! New homes are going to be a thing of the past in California except for small condos!

  19. Gilbrto Sanchez

    The most indecent abusive, for me is Union City, Nj, after 40 years living there I had to move for other State, Property Tax is the most indecent Taxes in this Country, nobody care about this abusive against the owner of the house with incredible sacrifice, but nobody care , nobody do something to stop this criminal indecency Gilberto Sanchez.

  20. Your taxes at your age should be less. Homestead exemption & over 65,taxes should be frozen. Might be different in each state,but In Texas Taxes are at least half.

  21. We were in Orange County California in 1971 and visited a newly built two level, three br, two bath home with a pool…..to me gorgeous. The price was $39,000. I remember saying ” oh my gosh, we’ll never be able to afford a house at that price”. Just goes to show how things can change.

  22. Catherine Cryer

    I agree sports stadiums and coaches for traveling teams should not be covered by property taxes. School academic classes and the humanities, yes. Form sports clubs for those who want to provide extramural competitive sports for their children.
    I am one of the dedicated teachers who accepted very modest salaries in exchange of the promise of a respectable retirement benefit, a pension. I earned my pension. So did every teacher I ever worked with in 35 years.

  23. Kenneth Kahanic

    This information dues not include local property tax which is considerably higher, but it does give an idea of which States are likely to be tax hells. When you own a house in New York State for instance, you must be within the grasp of a County, School District, and possibly a City or other Municipality. In the suburbs of Buffalo which is nothing like the high income area around New York City, total property tax is more like 3 1/2% or $7000 on a $200,000 home. In Alabama, the rate is less than 1/2% or $1000, and even less if located outside City limits.

  24. I d work so HARD. To have nice home. At 72 of age I m tax Out. I d have talk and Protest that at Township meeting and broad of review on our property taxes to high and adjusted. That’s to bad. They don’t Care. $6000.00 a years. 25 per cent of my income go to taxes. Their never in their office . Out to 3 hours lunch and on their boats playing golf working home running other Job for extra money. They make Me Sick. 😎🇬🇧
    Mr. A

  25. Michael Tomaino

    By show of hands, who’s NOT surprised that the highest taxes are in democrat poorly managed states! Why people vote for democratic leaders simply boggles my mind!

  26. sandra ann hendrickson

    you people are all right the taxes should not be, we all pay taxes on top of taxes and it should be stopped the goverment does not know how to budget any money all they know is how to spend the hard working peoples money, take a look at all of there pay check they get none of them is worth the money they get.i live in new york all this state is tax on top of taxes. its time that the people put a stop to it. why did they have the boston tea party cause of them trying to tax them.

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