States with the lowest property taxes

No state has zero property tax. Hawaii has the lowest effective rate at 0.26% of home value, and West Virginia has the smallest typical bill at $904 a year. Here is every state, ranked.

By Sol Lakein, founder of Slower Sundays. Updated November 2026.

0.26%Lowest rateHawaii · $2,387 a year
$904Smallest billWest Virginia · 0.51%
1.92%Highest rateIllinois · $5,655 a year

Is there a state with no property tax?

No. All 50 states and DC tax homes, through counties, cities and school districts. What varies is how much: the effective rate in the most expensive state is several times the rate in the cheapest.

Rate and bill tell different stories. Hawaii has the lowest rate, but its homes are among the most valuable in the country, so the median owner still pays $2,387 a year. West Virginia and Alabama have the smallest bills because both the rate and home values are low. The typical state sits near 0.79%.

The 10 states with the lowest property taxes

Ranked by effective rate: median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value, owner-occupied homes, 2025.

#	State	Effective rate	Median tax paid	Median home value
1	Hawaii	0.26%	$2,387	$901,500
2	Alabama	0.38%	$946	$246,500
3	Idaho	0.42%	$1,924	$457,800
4	Arizona	0.44%	$1,894	$427,600
5	South Carolina	0.45%	$1,367	$306,200
6	Tennessee	0.46%	$1,558	$341,200
7	Nevada	0.47%	$2,172	$459,400
8	Delaware	0.49%	$1,911	$392,600
9	Arkansas	0.50%	$1,142	$228,400
10	Utah	0.50%	$2,738	$543,400

Property taxes in every state

All 50 states and DC, lowest rate first.

#	State	Effective rate	Median tax paid	Median home value
1	Hawaii	0.26%	$2,387	$901,500
2	Alabama	0.38%	$946	$246,500
3	Idaho	0.42%	$1,924	$457,800
4	Arizona	0.44%	$1,894	$427,600
5	South Carolina	0.45%	$1,367	$306,200
6	Tennessee	0.46%	$1,558	$341,200
7	Nevada	0.47%	$2,172	$459,400
8	Delaware	0.49%	$1,911	$392,600
9	Arkansas	0.50%	$1,142	$228,400
10	Utah	0.50%	$2,738	$543,400
11	West Virginia	0.51%	$904	$176,300
12	Colorado	0.52%	$2,945	$567,600
13	Louisiana	0.55%	$1,268	$231,800
14	Wyoming	0.56%	$1,987	$357,300
15	New Mexico	0.63%	$1,856	$293,400
16	North Carolina	0.64%	$2,177	$342,800
17	Mississippi	0.65%	$1,248	$192,700
18	District of Columbia	0.67%	$4,805	$715,500
19	Montana	0.69%	$2,947	$427,500
20	Virginia	0.71%	$3,003	$422,600
21	California	0.72%	$5,537	$770,700
22	Kentucky	0.72%	$1,734	$242,000
23	Indiana	0.74%	$1,884	$255,200
24	Oklahoma	0.76%	$1,781	$234,000
25	Georgia	0.77%	$2,680	$346,500
26	Missouri	0.79%	$2,145	$271,400
27	Oregon	0.79%	$4,009	$507,900
28	Florida	0.80%	$3,180	$396,700
29	Washington	0.81%	$4,911	$605,600
30	Maine	0.92%	$3,404	$370,300
31	North Dakota	0.92%	$2,600	$281,700
32	Maryland	0.98%	$4,368	$445,800
33	Massachusetts	1.01%	$6,345	$626,900
34	Rhode Island	1.02%	$4,901	$478,700
35	Minnesota	1.04%	$3,682	$353,800
36	South Dakota	1.04%	$3,098	$299,100
37	Alaska	1.06%	$4,067	$385,100
38	Pennsylvania	1.12%	$3,288	$292,400
39	Michigan	1.17%	$3,163	$269,500
40	Wisconsin	1.20%	$3,810	$316,500
41	Ohio	1.22%	$3,107	$254,100
42	Kansas	1.24%	$3,144	$252,600
43	Iowa	1.27%	$3,014	$237,000
44	Nebraska	1.31%	$3,665	$279,200
45	Texas	1.32%	$4,205	$318,100
46	New York	1.42%	$6,706	$470,900
47	New Hampshire	1.43%	$6,983	$487,100
48	Vermont	1.51%	$5,418	$359,800
49	Connecticut	1.59%	$6,725	$423,900
50	New Jersey	1.82%	$9,648	$530,800
51	Illinois	1.92%	$5,655	$294,400

Statewide medians. Your bill depends on the county and town, the assessed value and any exemptions.

Property taxes: questions people ask

Which states have no property tax?

None. Every state lets local governments tax homes. The lowest effective rate is in Hawaii, where the median homeowner pays $2,387 a year on a median home worth $901,500, about 0.26% (US Census Bureau, ACS 2025).

What state has the lowest property taxes?

By rate, Hawaii (0.26%), then Alabama and Idaho. By the dollar bill a typical owner pays, West Virginia ($904 a year) and Alabama ($946) are lowest, because homes there cost less.

What state has the highest property taxes?

Illinois, at 1.92% of home value. The median Illinois homeowner pays $5,655 a year (ACS 2025).

How is the effective property tax rate calculated?

We divide the median real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied households by the median value of owner-occupied homes, both from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2025 1-year estimates. It is a statewide approximation: your bill depends on your county, city, school district and any exemptions you qualify for.

Do seniors pay property tax?

Yes, but many states and counties offer homestead exemptions, assessment freezes or credits for older or lower-income homeowners. The rules are local, so check the county assessor where you plan to buy.

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Sources for this page

Property tax paid and home value: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 1-year, tables B25103 and B25077