What is an effective property tax rate?

The tax actually paid divided by the home's market value. It is the only comparable number across states, because statutory "millage" rates apply to assessed values that each state discounts differently — a high millage on a fraction of value can cost less than a low rate on full value.

Which states have the highest and lowest property taxes?

New Jersey, Illinois, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont sit at the top, with effective rates around 1.8–2.2% of home value. Hawaii, Alabama, Colorado, Nevada and South Carolina sit at the bottom, around 0.3–0.55%. On a $400,000 home, the gap between the extremes is roughly $7,500 a year.

Why is my bill different from the state average?

Because property tax is fundamentally local. School districts, counties and cities each set their own levies, so rates vary 2–3× within a single state. Exemptions matter too — homestead, senior, veteran and disability exemptions cut many actual bills well below the headline rate.

How do I find my exact rate?

Divide last year's total property tax bill by roughly what the home would sell for. For a home you are buying, the listing usually shows the current owner's annual tax — but check whether a sale triggers reassessment in that state, because your bill can jump well above the seller's.

Can my property tax go up if I never move?

Yes, through reassessment as your home's value rises or when local governments raise levies. Some states cap annual increases for existing owners — California's Proposition 13 is the famous example — which is why long-time owners can pay a fraction of what their new neighbors do for identical houses.

Property Tax Calculator — Florida

Estimate your annual and monthly property tax from your state's effective rate, compare it to the national average, and see what moving states really costs Figures shown for Florida.

By StatesideCalc EditorialLast verified July 26, 2026

Provisional rates. Statewide effective rates are seeded and not yet re-verified. County rates vary widely either way.

Home value

State

Florida

The statewide figure is a median — rates can differ by 2–3× between counties in the same state, and exemptions (homestead, senior, veteran) lower many actual bills. Use the override once you know the county.

The tax that never finishes

Property tax is the one housing cost that survives your mortgage. Pay the loan off after thirty years and the tax bill keeps arriving — which is why it belongs in every long-term housing decision, not just the purchase math.

It is also the least standardized number in American personal finance. States assess differently, discount differently, cap differently and exempt differently. The only honest way to compare them is the effective rate: what owners actually pay divided by what homes are actually worth. That is what this calculator uses.

A 4× spread between states

The gap between high-tax and low-tax states is far larger than for income or sales tax. New Jersey’s effective rate runs north of 2.2% of home value; Hawaii’s sits under 0.3%. Same $400,000 house, roughly $8,900 a year versus $1,150.

And the trade-off logic from sales tax applies here in reverse: several states celebrated for having no income tax — Texas and New Hampshire most famously — fund themselves with property taxes near the top of the table. When you model a move, run all three taxes together: your take-home pay, the sales tax, and this. States rarely lose on all three at once.

Within a state, the county is the real answer

A statewide rate is a median over wildly different local levies. School district boundaries alone can move the rate by half a percentage point between adjacent streets, and 2–3× spreads between counties in one state are normal.

So treat the state figure as a first pass. When you have a specific home in mind, take the seller’s actual tax bill, check whether your state reassesses on sale, and put the exact figure into the override field — and into your affordability math, where property tax is frequently the difference between comfortable and stretched.

Escrow hides this inside your mortgage

Most lenders collect property tax monthly into escrow and pay the county for you, so the cost lands inside your mortgage payment rather than as a separate bill. Convenient — and also why so many owners cannot name their own tax rate.

The catch is escrow shock: when the county reassesses upward, the lender recalculates, and your “fixed” mortgage payment rises. The loan didn’t change; the tax inside it did. If your payment jumped and you don’t know why, the escrow analysis statement is the first place to look.

Exemptions are free money sitting on the table

Nearly every state offers a homestead exemption for a primary residence, and most add senior, veteran and disability exemptions on top. They are usually not automatic — you file once with the county assessor, often by a spring deadline. Skipping the form leaves hundreds of dollars a year unclaimed on otherwise identical houses.

How this is calculated

Annual tax = home value × effective rate Monthly = annual ÷ 12 (usually collected inside your mortgage escrow) "Effective rate" = median tax actually paid ÷ median home value, the only figure that is comparable across states.

Frequently asked questions

What is an effective property tax rate?: The tax actually paid divided by the home's market value. It is the only comparable number across states, because statutory "millage" rates apply to assessed values that each state discounts differently — a high millage on a fraction of value can cost less than a low rate on full value.
Which states have the highest and lowest property taxes?: New Jersey, Illinois, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont sit at the top, with effective rates around 1.8–2.2% of home value. Hawaii, Alabama, Colorado, Nevada and South Carolina sit at the bottom, around 0.3–0.55%. On a $400,000 home, the gap between the extremes is roughly $7,500 a year.
Why is my bill different from the state average?: Because property tax is fundamentally local. School districts, counties and cities each set their own levies, so rates vary 2–3× within a single state. Exemptions matter too — homestead, senior, veteran and disability exemptions cut many actual bills well below the headline rate.
How do I find my exact rate?: Divide last year's total property tax bill by roughly what the home would sell for. For a home you are buying, the listing usually shows the current owner's annual tax — but check whether a sale triggers reassessment in that state, because your bill can jump well above the seller's.
Can my property tax go up if I never move?: Yes, through reassessment as your home's value rises or when local governments raise levies. Some states cap annual increases for existing owners — California's Proposition 13 is the famous example — which is why long-time owners can pay a fraction of what their new neighbors do for identical houses.