Property Taxes by State: Median Bill, Home Value and Monthly Set-Aside (2024 Census Data)

By Jordan Avery · Updated 2026-09-28

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The median property tax paid on an owner-occupied home in the United States was $3,211 a year in the Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey (ACS), with a margin of error of ±$7. New Jersey had the highest state median at $9,358, and West Virginia had the lowest at $881. Divided by 12, those medians come to $267.58 a month for the U.S., $779.83 for New Jersey and $73.42 for West Virginia.

Median property tax by state, 2024

The table lists all 50 states and the District of Columbia from the highest median property tax to the lowest. The U.S. row is in bold at its place in the order. Every figure covers owner-occupied homes. The monthly set-aside is the annual median divided by 12. The last column divides the median tax by the median home value; it is a ratio of two medians, not a tax rate. Iowa and Ohio have the same median, $2,937, so they are listed alphabetically.

State	Median property tax paid (per year)	Monthly set-aside	Median home value	Tax as % of home value
New Jersey	$9,358	$779.83	$496,000	1.89%
New Hampshire	$6,707	$558.92	$458,800	1.46%
Connecticut	$6,573	$547.75	$396,900	1.66%
New York	$6,542	$545.17	$449,800	1.45%
Massachusetts	$6,080	$506.67	$607,400	1.00%
Illinois	$5,399	$449.92	$280,700	1.92%
California	$5,369	$447.42	$759,500	0.71%
Vermont	$5,026	$418.83	$352,800	1.42%
Rhode Island	$4,886	$407.17	$455,700	1.07%
Washington	$4,729	$394.08	$602,200	0.79%
District of Columbia	$4,594	$382.83	$733,400	0.63%
Maryland	$4,144	$345.33	$436,300	0.95%
Texas	$4,108	$342.33	$313,200	1.31%
Alaska	$3,976	$331.33	$376,500	1.06%
Oregon	$3,895	$324.58	$497,500	0.78%
Nebraska	$3,739	$311.58	$263,100	1.42%
Wisconsin	$3,680	$306.67	$294,700	1.25%
Minnesota	$3,501	$291.75	$344,600	1.02%
Pennsylvania	$3,214	$267.83	$277,600	1.16%
United States	$3,211	$267.58	$360,600	0.89%
Maine	$3,103	$258.58	$341,900	0.91%
Florida	$2,993	$249.42	$396,900	0.75%
Michigan	$2,988	$249.00	$254,200	1.18%
Kansas	$2,983	$248.58	$238,700	1.25%
South Dakota	$2,940	$245.00	$289,600	1.02%
Montana	$2,939	$244.92	$425,400	0.69%
Iowa	$2,937	$244.75	$227,300	1.29%
Ohio	$2,937	$244.75	$239,800	1.22%
Virginia	$2,872	$239.33	$403,500	0.71%
Colorado	$2,828	$235.67	$574,600	0.49%
Utah	$2,648	$220.67	$545,200	0.49%
Georgia	$2,554	$212.83	$343,300	0.74%
North Dakota	$2,550	$212.50	$266,100	0.96%
Hawaii	$2,385	$198.75	$875,900	0.27%
Nevada	$2,143	$178.58	$455,500	0.47%
North Carolina	$2,044	$170.33	$333,000	0.61%
Missouri	$2,021	$168.42	$254,400	0.79%
Wyoming	$1,947	$162.25	$339,500	0.57%
Idaho	$1,912	$159.33	$446,400	0.43%
Arizona	$1,828	$152.33	$426,000	0.43%
Indiana	$1,798	$149.83	$243,500	0.74%
New Mexico	$1,776	$148.00	$279,900	0.63%
Delaware	$1,750	$145.83	$371,600	0.47%
Oklahoma	$1,672	$139.33	$222,100	0.75%
Kentucky	$1,611	$134.25	$226,000	0.71%
Tennessee	$1,488	$124.00	$332,600	0.45%
South Carolina	$1,337	$111.42	$299,500	0.45%
Mississippi	$1,221	$101.75	$186,500	0.65%
Louisiana	$1,187	$98.92	$223,200	0.53%
Arkansas	$1,113	$92.75	$215,600	0.52%
Alabama	$890	$74.17	$233,300	0.38%
West Virginia	$881	$73.42	$170,800	0.52%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 ACS 1-year estimates, tables B25103 and B25077. Puerto Rico is part of the Census release but is not included in this table.

Where property taxes run highest and lowest

New Jersey stands apart. Its median of $9,358 is $2,651 higher than the next state, New Hampshire, at $6,707. Connecticut ($6,573) and New York ($6,542) come next. They are $31 apart, which is less than either state’s margin of error (±$47 each), so the two are effectively tied. Massachusetts ($6,080), Illinois ($5,399) and California ($5,369) round out the top seven.

Eighteen states and the District of Columbia have medians above the U.S. figure of $3,211. The other 32 states are below it. Pennsylvania, at $3,214, is essentially level with the national median.

At the bottom, West Virginia ($881) and Alabama ($890) are $9 apart. Each state’s margin of error (±$19 for West Virginia and ±$17 for Alabama) is larger than that gap, so the two are effectively tied for the lowest median. Arkansas is third lowest at $1,113, followed by Louisiana ($1,187) and Mississippi ($1,221).

Home values change the picture. Hawaii has the highest median home value, $875,900, so its $2,385 median tax equals 0.27% of value, the lowest ratio in the table. California’s median tax is the seventh highest, but it equals 0.71% of a $759,500 median value. Illinois has the highest ratio, 1.92%, from a $5,399 median tax and a $280,700 median value. New Jersey is second at 1.89%.

Margins of error for the state and District of Columbia medians range from ±$15 in South Carolina to ±$245 in the District of Columbia. When two places differ by less than their margins of error, treat them as roughly the same.

Property tax with a mortgage vs. without a mortgage

The ACS also splits the median by mortgage status. The Census Bureau counts debt that uses the property as security, such as a first mortgage, a deed of trust or a contract to purchase, as a mortgage. It describes homes without a mortgage as owned free and clear of debt. The table shows the U.S. and selected states, with margins of error in parentheses.

Area	With a mortgage	Without a mortgage	Difference (with minus without)
United States	$3,580 (±$8)	$2,663 (±$8)	$917
Texas	$5,273 (±$55)	$2,771 (±$42)	$2,502
California	$6,071 (±$38)	$3,956 (±$38)	$2,115
West Virginia	$1,134 (±$34)	$699 (±$21)	$435
New Jersey	$9,435 (±$70)	$9,222 (±$93)	$213
Massachusetts	$6,089 (±$55)	$6,062 (±$66)	$27
Utah	$2,638 (±$25)	$2,671 (±$41)	-$33
Hawaii	$2,358 (±$84)	$2,429 (±$102)	-$71

Nationally, the median with a mortgage is $917 higher than the median without one. The gap is widest in Texas ($2,502) and California ($2,115). In Massachusetts the two medians are $27 apart, well within their margins of error. Utah and Hawaii are the only places where the median without a mortgage is higher. In both, the gap is smaller than the larger of the two margins of error, so the data do not show a meaningful difference.

These medians describe two different groups of homes. They do not mean that paying off a mortgage lowers a tax bill. Property tax is owed on the property, and the ACS asks every owner the same tax question whether or not there is a loan. A separate question records whether the tax is included in the mortgage payment.

Escrow vs. paying the tax office directly

Many borrowers do not pay the tax bill as a lump sum. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) explains that an escrow account, called an impound account in some places, is set up by the mortgage lender to pay certain property-related expenses. Part of each monthly mortgage payment goes into the account, and the servicer pays the bills on the borrower’s behalf. The CFPB adds that many lenders require escrow for taxes and insurance. When property taxes or insurance premiums change, the escrow payment and the total monthly payment change too.

Owners without a mortgage have no lender escrow. They pay the tax collector directly, on the local schedule. The CFPB describes the alternative to escrow as paying a big bill once or twice a year. Borrowers whose loan has no escrow account are in the same position, and the CFPB advises them to plan and budget for these large expenses themselves. Exact due dates are set locally.

What the Census figures measure

The figures come from two ACS tables. Both cover the universe the Census Bureau calls “owner-occupied housing units,” so renter-occupied homes are not included.

Table B25103, “Mortgage Status by Median Real Estate Taxes Paid (Dollars).” Variable B25103_001E is the “Median real estate taxes paid” for all owner-occupied units. B25103_002E is the “Median real estate taxes paid for units with a mortgage,” and B25103_003E is the “Median real estate taxes paid for units without a mortgage.”
Table B25077, “Median Value (Dollars).” Variable B25077_001E is the “Median value (dollars).”

The tax figure is self-reported. The 2024 ACS questionnaire asks owners, “What are the annual real estate taxes on THIS property?” According to the Census Bureau’s subject definitions, the figure refers to all real estate taxes on the entire property (land and buildings) payable to all taxing jurisdictions. That includes special assessments, school taxes and county taxes. It also counts taxes that are delinquent, unpaid or paid by someone outside the household. Taxes owed from earlier years are left out, and payments made on a schedule other than yearly are converted to an annual amount.

Home value is self-reported too. It is the owner’s estimate of what the property would sell for if it were for sale. The Census Bureau rounds median values to the nearest $100.

Each figure is a median. Half of homes are above it and half are below. The median tax and the median value can come from different homes, so the “tax as % of home value” column is a ratio of two medians. It is not an official effective tax rate, and it is not the rate printed on any tax bill.

Medians are calculated from grouped ranges. The highest range for real estate taxes is “$10,000 or more,” and a median that falls in it is shown as “10,000+” on data.census.gov. When an estimate cannot be produced, the Census Bureau uses placeholder values such as -666666666 or -999999999, along with annotation codes. This page checked every figure it uses. None of the U.S., state or District of Columbia values is top-coded, bottom-coded or replaced by a placeholder, and none carries an annotation.

The ACS is a sample survey, so each estimate has a margin of error. The Census Bureau publishes margins of error at the 90 percent confidence level. The U.S. median of $3,211 has a margin of error of ±$7, which puts the true value between $3,204 and $3,218 with 90 percent confidence. The U.S. median home value of $360,600 has a margin of error of ±$618.

These are 1-year estimates, based on responses collected from January 1 through December 31, 2024. The Census Bureau describes 1-year estimates as its most current ACS data. They are published for areas with 65,000 or more people. They have the smallest sample and are less reliable than 5-year estimates.

The 2024 release is the most recent. In an August 4, 2026, media advisory, the Census Bureau said the release date for the 2025 ACS 1-year estimates was being determined. When the data for this page were pulled on September 28, 2026, the Census API listed no 2025 ACS datasets.

Turning an annual property tax bill into a monthly set-aside

A state median is a benchmark, not your bill. Plan from your own tax bill or assessment notice, or from your escrow statement if the lender pays the tax.

The long-run monthly set-aside is the annual bill divided by 12. At the U.S. median, $3,211 ÷ 12 = $267.58 a month. That rate is enough on its own only when there is a full year of saving before the payment is due.

If the next bill is due sooner, divide by the months remaining instead. With nothing saved and a $3,211 bill due in six months, the catch-up rate is $3,211 ÷ 6 = $535.17 a month. If some money is already set aside, subtract it first: (bill minus amount saved) ÷ months remaining. Once the bill is paid, the ÷ 12 rate can take over for the next cycle, as long as the amount and schedule stay the same.

If the tax is billed in installments, plan for each due date and amount on its own. If the tax is paid through escrow, do not also set it aside in a separate fund, or it will be counted twice. Check the escrow statement instead, since the escrow payment changes when the tax does.

The annual bill calendar takes each bill’s amount, frequency and due date. It reports the long-run monthly contribution, models the opening balance needed from a chosen start month and exports calendar reminders. Due dates and installment schedules are set by each county or city, so take the dates from your own tax bill or your local tax collector’s website. For the wider method, including how to keep known bills separate from emergency savings, see how to budget for irregular expenses.

This page is general information, not tax advice. Your local tax office and your mortgage servicer are the sources for your actual amounts and dates.

Sources

Data were retrieved on September 28, 2026. Estimates were downloaded through the data.census.gov table service, and variable definitions came from the Census Data API.

Figures on this page are general-information estimates, not professional advice. Check the stated assumptions and any linked sources, and use a qualified professional where the decision requires one.