State Property Tax Comparisons Hub 2026: All US State vs State Pages

Property tax is often the largest annual tax bill for homeowners — larger than state income tax for many middle-class families. Yet it varies enormously by state. New Jersey's average effective rate (2.23%) is more than 8× higher than Hawaii's (0.27%). For a homeowner with a $500,000 home, that's a $9,800 difference in annual tax. This hub compiles all our state-vs-state property tax comparison pages, plus quick reference data for every state.

All State Property Tax Comparison Pages

Our detailed property tax comparison pages show exact annual costs for a sample home, homestead exemption values, senior exemptions, and the net saving from moving between states:

High-Tax State Escapes

• California vs Florida Property Tax — CA 0.71% vs FL 0.86%; CA income tax makes FL the clear winner overall
• New Jersey vs New York Property Tax — NJ 2.23% (highest US) vs NY 1.54%; NJ ANCHOR program detail
• Illinois vs Texas Property Tax — IL 2.07% (2nd highest US) vs TX 1.60%; IL also has income tax; TX wins overall
• Michigan vs Florida Property Tax — MI 1.32% vs FL 0.86%; FL saves ~$1,840/year on a $400K home

Sunbelt Comparisons

• Georgia vs Florida Property Tax — GA 0.92% vs FL 0.86%; very close; FL wins on income tax
• Colorado vs Texas Property Tax — CO 0.51% vs TX 1.60%; CO has income tax but much lower property tax
• Ohio vs Texas Property Tax — OH 1.53% vs TX 1.60%; both high; TX wins on income tax

Mid-Atlantic and Southeast

• Virginia vs Maryland Property Tax — VA 0.90% vs MD 1.06%; both competitive; MD county income tax detail

Quick Reference: Property Tax Rate by State 2026

Understanding Effective Rate vs Nominal Rate

There is often confusion between a state's statutory tax rate (levied rate) and the effective rate (actual tax paid as % of market value). Key reasons they differ:

Assessment Ratio

Many states assess property at a fraction of market value. Arizona assesses residential property at 10% of market value — so a $400,000 home is assessed at $40,000, and a nominal rate of 5% produces an effective rate of 0.5% ($2,000). The effective rate is always the most useful figure for comparing states.

Homestead Exemptions

Exemptions reduce taxable assessed value. Texas's $100,000 homestead exemption (as of 2023) removes $100,000 from the assessed value before the tax rate applies. For a $300,000 assessed home, the effective rate is applied to $200,000 — significantly reducing the effective burden.

Assessment Caps

Florida's 'Save Our Homes' cap limits assessed value increases to 3% per year for primary residences. Over time, long-term residents' effective rates fall well below the nominal rate as market values rise faster than assessments. California's Proposition 13 works similarly, capping assessed value increases at 2% per year.

Local vs State Rate

Property tax is almost entirely a local government function. The state rate is often a small component — most property tax is levied by counties, municipalities, school districts, and special districts. Illinois has 7,000+ taxing districts. Texas's effective property tax rate is the sum of city + county + school district + hospital district + junior college district rates.