September 22, 2009
Census Survey: Northeast and Parts of Midwest Continue to Rank Highest in Property Taxes on Homeowners
New York, New Jersey Counties See Highest Taxes Paid By Dollar Amount, Percentage of Home Value
Washington, DC, September 22, 2009 - New data released today by the Census Bureau on owner-occupied housing shows Northeast homeowners and select states in the Midwest tend to pay the most in property taxes with the highest counties being in New York and New Jersey. Louisiana and much of the South tend to have the lowest property taxes on homeowners.
In Tax Foundation Fiscal Fact No. 192, "New Census Data on Property Taxes on Homeowners," Tax Foundation Senior Economist Gerald Prante uses newly updated data from the 2008 American Community Survey to rank high-population counties across the country according to various property tax measures. "In the county rankings, there has been little change from the 2007 numbers, where the Northeast, specifically New York and New Jersey, dominated the highest-taxed counties," Prante observes.
The top 10 counties in median real estate taxes paid for 2008 are, from 1 to 10, Westchester County, NY ($8,890); Nassau County, NY ($8,628); Hunterdon County, NJ ($8,492); Bergen County, NJ ($8,446); Rockland County, NY ($8,430); Essex County, NJ ($7,924); Somerset County, NJ ($7,743); Morris County, NJ ($7,557); Passaic County, NJ ($7,370); and Putnam County, NY ($7,324). The national median is $1,897.
The top 10 counties in median real estate taxes as a percentage of median home value for 2008 are all from the state of New York, from 1 to 10, Niagara County (2.89%); Monroe County (2.85%); Wayne County (2.82%); Chautauqua County (2.60%); Cayuga County (2.54%); Cattaraugus County (2.52%); Onondaga County (2.51%); Erie County (2.48%); Oswego County (2.42%); and Chemung County (2.38%). The national median is nearly 1 percent (0.96%).
"Among states, the story is much the same as for the top counties: The Northeast area of the country has the highest property taxes, along with pockets elsewhere, such as Wisconsin, Texas, Nebraska, and Illinois," Prante said.
The top 10 states in median real estate taxes paid for 2008 are, from 1 to 10, New Jersey ($6,320); Connecticut ($4,603); New Hampshire ($4,501); New York ($3,622); Rhode Island ($3,534); Massachusetts ($3,406); Illinois ($3,384); Vermont ($3,281); Wisconsin ($2,963); and California ($2,829). The top 10 states for median real estate taxes as a percentage of median home value are Texas (1.76%); New Jersey (1.74%); Nebraska (1.72%); Wisconsin (1.71%); New Hampshire (1.70%); Illinois (1.57%); Vermont (1.53%); Connecticut (1.50%); Michigan (1.45%); and North Dakota (1.41%).
Fiscal Fact No. 192 can be found at: http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/25197.html. See the full county list, ranked by property taxes paid, online at http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/23649.html. See the full county list, ranked by taxes as a percentage of home value, online at http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/1888.html. See the list by state online at http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/1913.html.
The Tax Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has monitored fiscal policy at the federal, state and local levels since 1937.
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