The Tax Foundation

October 3, 2006

New Census Data Show New York, New Jersey Homeowners Hit Hardest by Property Taxes

by Gerald Prante

New data released by the Census Bureau on owner-occupied housing shows what most people in the Northeast already know: New York and New Jersey residents pay the most in property taxes.

Using this latest Census data, the Tax Foundation has compiled a table that ranks high-population counties across the country according to various property tax measures.

The table sorts all high-population counties (all 775 of them in the U.S.) by the dollar value paid for property taxes on owner-occupied housing units. Here is a look at the top 15, but you can also check out the complete rankings here, which also includes more information for each county.

Top 15 Counties for Median Property Taxes Paid by Homeowners (2005 ACS)

Note: Median Property Taxes Paid on Homes is the “Median Real Estate Taxes Paid” on owner-occupied housing units for that county, as defined by Census.
Source: 2005 American Community Survey, Census Bureau

Also in the Excel spreadsheet which is available for download on the page as well, one can view the statistics sorted either alphabetically or by taxes as a percentage of home value. Here is a preview of that data as we put the property taxes paid statistic in perspective by looking at it as a percentage of the median home value in that county in order to give us a look at the rate paid by the median homeowner in that county. As is shown, New York dominates this list as well, but different counties enter the mix.

Top 15 Counties for Homeowners’ Property Taxes as a Percentage of Home Value, (2005 ACS)

Note: The percentage is calculated by dividing the median real estate tax paid by the median home value in that county. Median Property Taxes Paid on Homes is the “Median Real Estate Taxes Paid” on owner-occupied housing units for that county, as defined by Census. Median home value is the “Median Value of Owner-Occupied Housing Units.”
Source: 2005 American Community Survey, Census Bureau

Finally, in the table, we have also added an extra column which shows the taxes paid statistic as a percentage of median household income for homeowners in that county. And be sure to stay tuned for our property tax special report, which will highlight how property taxes have grown over the past five years in addition to providing further geographic data. That report is scheduled to be released later this month.

Tip: If you want to find a county on the page, use the search tool inside the Flash table.

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