Oct 18, 2023
Homeowners usually celebrate when property values increase. That joy may be curbed, however, when it comes time to pay taxes.
In many states, property tax rates are tied to home value. So when that value jumps — based on regularly scheduled estimates or the sale price of the property — your tax bill can shoot up, too.
But not every homeowner faces the same tax burden. According to an analysis of Census Bureau data by Construction Coverage, effective property tax rates for owner-occupied homes range from 0.2% (in Hawaii's Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina area) to 2.4% in several U.S. metro areas. At those rates, property taxes can range from $600 to $7,200 for a home valued at $300,000.
Here's where the analysis shows property taxes run highest.
More: Tips to lower your property taxes
5. Kankakee, Ill.
- Effective property tax rate: 2.2%
- Median home value: $165,700
- Median property taxes paid: $4,117
Illinois comes second to New Jersey for the highest effective property tax rates in the nation at 1.9%. But residents of Kankanee pay a higher premium for homeownership than other Illinoisans, at 2.2%, and homeowners in this small agricultural and manufacturing center have seen home values skyrocket in recent years.
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4. Rockford, Ill.
- Effective property tax rate: 2.3%
- Median home value: $149,800
- Median property taxes paid: $3,581
Rockford, Ill. is situated about 90 miles east of Chicago. The median household income in this small city, which has a population of around 150,000, is $56,746. Unemployment rates are high in Rockford, and yet as in Kankakee, residents have seen property values explode.
3. Syracuse, N.Y.
- Effective property tax rate: 2.3%
- Median home value: $164,000
- Median property taxes paid: $4,188
According to the Census Bureau, the median value of owner-occupied housing units in this snowy, midsize city was $99,200 between 2017 and 2021. Despite rapidly rising home prices, Homebuyer.com named Syracuse the sixth most affordable city to buy a house in the U.S.
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2. Rochester, N.Y.
- Effective property tax rate: 2.4%
- Median home value: $171,000
- Median property taxes paid: $4,586
Rochester, N.Y., is among those cities boasting the nation’s highest effective property tax rate of 2.4%. In 2023, U.S. News named this location the 26th best place to live in the U.S., stating the cost of living as well below the national average.
1. Trenton-Princeton, N.J.
- Effective property tax rate: 2.4%
- Median home value: $311,900
- Median property taxes paid: $8,070
The municipality of Princeton and city of Trenton are located in New Jersey's Mercer County, in the center of the Garden State. While homeowners pay the same effective property tax rate as in Rochester, the median property value is much higher, according to Construction Coverage.
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Sarah Brady is a (self-)certified money nerd. She's a personal finance writer and speaker who's been helping individuals and entrepreneurs improve their financial wellness since 2013. Sarah has written for Forbes Advisor, USA Today's Blueprint, FORTUNE, Experian, Investopedia and more,
