Property Tax Rates Vary Widely by State and Geography

Economics
Published

There is a nearly $8,000 difference between what residents of the state with the highest property taxes pay compared to those who live in the state with the lowest annual tax bill.

NAHB analysis of data from the 2019 American Community Survey shows that in 2019, New Jersey continued its perennial distinction as the state with the highest average annual tax bill per home owner. Garden State home owners paid an average of $8,687 in real estate taxes in 2019.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Alabama ranked 50th among home owners in average real estate tax paid per year. There, the average real estate tax bill totaled just $713.

The top five states with the highest average annual property taxes are all located in the Northeast:

Rank Average Real Estate Taxes Paid Per Year
1. New Jersey $8,687
2. Connecticut $6,593
3. New York $6,410
4. New Hampshire $5,843
5. Massachusetts $5,495

The states with the lowest average annual property taxes are primarily located in the South:

Rank Average Real Estate Taxes Paid Per Year
50. Alabama $713
49. West Virginia $815
48. Mississippi $1,038
47. Arkansas $1,046
46. Louisiana $1,080

NAHB economist David Logan looks at the national picture and provides further analysis in this Eye on Housing blog post.

Find out where your state stands on the list.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Economics

Jul 03, 2025

Consumer Confidence Retreats in June

After a strong rebound in May, consumer confidence resumed its downward trend in June. Consumers remain concerned about the economy and labor market amid ongoing uncertainty, especially around tariffs.

Sponsored Content

Jul 02, 2025

5 Proven Strategies Smart Builders Use to Grow in Any Market

Sound Capital has worked with builders across market cycles for over 20 years. They have seen who thrived when others pulled back, and they've studied the strategies they used to scale while competitors were sidelined. Here are five things they all had in common.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Jul 03, 2025

Solid Job Growth in June

The U.S. labor market continued to show resilience in June, with steady job gains led by state/local government and health care sectors.

Economics

Jul 02, 2025

Two or More Story Home Starts Rebound in 2024

Over half of new single-family homes built in 2024 were two or more stories, according the recent release of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). After declining in 2023, the share of homes started with two or more stories increased again in 2024, continuing the upward trend in place since 2020.

Economics

Jul 01, 2025

May Private Residential Construction Spending Dips

Private residential construction spending fell by 0.5% in May, marking the fifth straight month of decreases. This drop was primarily driven by reduced spending on single-family construction. Compared to a year ago, total spending was down 6.7%, as the housing sector continues to navigate the economic uncertainty stemming from ongoing tariff concerns and elevated mortgage rates.