October 28, 2009 New Jersey and New York Counties Rank Highest in Property Tax, Louisiana Parishes Lowest Gerald Prante Gerald Prante Print this page Subscribe Support our work Download Fiscal Fact No. 198 Fiscal Fact No. 198 Introduction The highest median property taxes on owner-occupied homes are paid in counties in New York and New Jersey while the lowest taxes are found in Louisiana parishes, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). The Census Bureau published new data on residential, owner-occupied property taxes along with other data on income and other demographic data. The new release covers all geographic types with populations of 20,000 or more, but our analysis is restricted to counties, tallying all the property tax levied in those counties, including those levied by school districts and any other entity with taxing authority. To prevent small sample sizes in smaller counties from creating inaccurate impressions, Census presents this data only in three-year averages. To see data from just the most recent year, 2008, consult Tax Foundation Fiscal Fact, No. 192, published in September, which was based on Census data for counties with populations of 65,000 or more. In What Counties Are Property Taxes Highest (2006-08)? Tables 1-3 show which counties rank in the top 10 in property taxes on homeowners by three metrics: (1) median real estate taxes paid, (2) median real estate taxes as a percentage of median home value, and (3) median real estate taxes as a percentage of median homeowner income. Table 1 Top Ten Counties for Median Real Estate Tax (Owner-Occupied) Three-Year Average of 2006-08 in Counties with Populations of 20,000 or more County Median Annual Tax Payment Rank Westchester County, New York $ 8,404 1 Hunterdon County, New Jersey $ 8,347 2 Nassau County, New York $ 8,306 3 Bergen County, New Jersey $ 7,997 4 Rockland County, New York $ 7,798 5 Essex County, New Jersey $ 7,676 6 Somerset County, New Jersey $ 7,676 6 Morris County, New Jersey $ 7,310 8 Passaic County, New Jersey $ 7,095 9 Union County, New Jersey $ 7,058 10 National median $ 1,854 – Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Tax Foundation Table 2 Top Ten Counties for Median Real Estate Tax as a Percentage of Median Home Value (Owner-Occupied) Three-Year Average of 2006-08 in Counties with Populations of 20,000 or more County Median Real Estate Taxes Paid Median Value Owner-Occupied Housing Units Tax as Percentage of Home Value Rank Orleans County, New York $ 2,506 $ 82,400 3.04% 1 Niagara County, New York $ 2,799 $ 94,900 2.95% 2 Allegany County, New York $ 1,867 $ 63,900 2.92% 3 Monroe County, New York $ 3,644 $ 126,300 2.89% 4 Wayne County, New York $ 2,996 $ 105,300 2.85% 5 Montgomery County, New York $ 2,474 $ 89,900 2.75% 6 Genesee County, New York $ 2,686 $ 98,400 2.73% 7 Cortland County, New York $ 2,482 $ 91,700 2.71% 8 Chautauqua County, New York $ 2,058 $ 77,400 2.66% 9 Seneca County, New York $ 2,351 $ 88,800 2.65% 10 National median $ 1,854 $ 192,400 0.96% – Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Tax Foundation Table 3 Top Ten Counties for Median Real Estate Tax as a Percentage of Homeowner Income Three-Year Average of 2006-08 in Counties with Populations of 20,000 or more County Median Real Estate Taxes Paid Median Household Income for Homeowners Tax as Percentage of Income Rank Passaic County, New Jersey $ 7,095 $ 85,088 8.34% 1 Essex County, New Jersey $ 7,676 $ 94,519 8.12% 2 Nassau County, New York $ 8,306 $ 103,831 8.00% 3 Bergen County, New Jersey $ 7,997 $ 101,326 7.89% 4 Union County, New Jersey $ 7,058 $ 90,456 7.80% 5 Rockland County, New York $ 7,798 $ 102,409 7.61% 6 Westchester County, New York $ 8,404 $ 111,243 7.55% 7 Hunterdon County, New Jersey $ 8,347 $ 111,334 7.50% 8 Suffolk County, New York $ 6,842 $ 94,446 7.24% 9 Hudson County, New Jersey $ 6,155 $ 85,512 7.20% 10 National median $ 1,854 $ 65,088 2.85% – Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Tax Foundation In What Counties Are Property Taxes Lowest (2006-08)? Tables 4, 5 and 6 show what counties rank at the bottom in property taxes on homeowners by the same three metrics in tables 1-3. All are Louisiana parishes (same as counties). Table 4 Bottom Ten Counties for Median Real Estate Tax (Owner-Occupied) Three-Year Average of 2006-08 in Counties with Populations of 20,000 or More County Median Annual Tax Payment Rank De Soto Parish, Louisiana $ 129 1,813 Evangeline Parish, Louisiana $ 127 1,814 Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana $ 127 1,814 Webster Parish, Louisiana $ 125 1,816 Sabine Parish, Louisiana $ 124 1,817 Richland Parish, Louisiana $ 122 1,818 Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana $ 120 1,819 Vernon Parish, Louisiana $ 120 1,819 Allen Parish, Louisiana $ 119 1,821 Franklin Parish, Louisiana $ 117 1,822 National median $ 1,854 – Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Tax Foundation Table 5 Bottom Ten Counties for Median Real Estate Tax as a Percentage of Median Home Value (Owner-Occupied) Three-Year Average of 2006-08 in Counties with Populations of 20,000 or more County Median Real Estate Taxes Paid Median Value Owner-Occupied Housing Units Tax as Percentage of Home Value Rank Livingston Parish, Louisiana $ 198 $ 136,000 0.15% 1813 Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana $ 165 $ 114,100 0.14% 1814 Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana $ 120 $ 83,100 0.14% 1815 West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana $ 176 $ 122,900 0.14% 1816 Assumption Parish, Louisiana $ 130 $ 90,800 0.14% 1817 St. James Parish, Louisiana $ 160 $ 112,500 0.14% 1818 Lafourche Parish, Louisiana $ 152 $ 107,800 0.14% 1819 Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana $ 168 $ 137,700 0.12% 1820 St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana $ 163 $ 143,100 0.11% 1821 St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana $ 145 $ 135,000 0.11% 1822 National median $ 1,854 $ 192,400 0.96% – Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Tax Foundation Table 6 Bottom Ten Counties for Median Real Estate Tax as a Percentage of Homeowner Income Three-Year Average of 2006-08 in Counties with Populations of 20,000 or more County Median Real Estate Taxes Paid Median Household Income for Homeowners Tax as Percentage of Income Rank Lafourche Parish, Louisiana $ 152 $ 53,846 0.28% 1813 St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana $ 163 $ 57,799 0.28% 1814 De Soto Parish, Louisiana $ 129 $ 45,888 0.28% 1815 Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana $ 127 $ 45,717 0.28% 1816 Webster Parish, Louisiana $ 125 $ 45,948 0.27% 1817 Beauregard Parish, Louisiana $ 132 $ 49,241 0.27% 1818 Evangeline Parish, Louisiana $ 127 $ 48,692 0.26% 1819 Allen Parish, Louisiana $ 119 $ 45,851 0.26% 1820 Vermilion Parish, Louisiana $ 138 $ 53,842 0.26% 1821 Vernon Parish, Louisiana $ 120 $ 47,085 0.25% 1822 National median $ 1,854 $ 65,088 2.85% – Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Tax Foundation Topics Center for State Tax Policy Property Taxes Research
