Property taxes are one of the largest recurring expenses for homeowners, often exceeding $5,000 to $15,000 annually in high-tax counties. For retirees on fixed incomes, investors holding rental properties, or anyone trying to minimize overhead, low property tax counties offer significant long-term savings. We ranked all 3,144 US counties by effective property tax rate to find the 50 most tax-friendly places in America.
The average effective tax rate among the top 50 counties is just 0.24%, compared to a national average of approximately 1.1%. On a $300,000 home, that difference translates to roughly $2,500 in annual savings.
The 50 Counties with the Lowest Property Tax (2026)
These counties have the highest tax scores in our ranking system, which measures effective property tax rate as a percentage of median home value. A score of 100 means the county has among the lowest tax rates in the nation.
| Rank | County | State | Tax Score | Effective Rate | Median Tax | Median Home Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copper River Census Area | AK | 100 | 0.07% | $199 | $292,800 |
| 2 | Northwest Arctic Borough | AK | 100 | 0.10% | $199 | $199,100 |
| 3 | Aleutians East Borough | AK | 99.9 | 0.15% | $199 | $135,500 |
| 4 | Bethel Census Area | AK | 99.9 | 0.12% | $199 | $168,100 |
| 5 | East Feliciana Parish | LA | 99.9 | 0.15% | $339 | $228,100 |
| 6 | Choctaw County | AL | 99.8 | 0.17% | $207 | $123,400 |
| 7 | Jackson County | CO | 99.8 | 0.17% | $416 | $239,600 |
| 8 | Maui County | HI | 99.8 | 0.16% | $1,466 | $904,700 |
| 9 | Bibb County | AL | 99.7 | 0.20% | $298 | $145,700 |
| 10 | Avoyelles Parish | LA | 99.7 | 0.20% | $249 | $122,400 |
| 11 | West Carroll Parish | LA | 99.7 | 0.21% | $199 | $94,400 |
| 12 | Clay County | AL | 99.6 | 0.21% | $331 | $156,700 |
| 13 | Las Animas County | CO | 99.6 | 0.23% | $535 | $237,600 |
| 14 | Kauai County | HI | 99.6 | 0.21% | $1,866 | $873,200 |
| 15 | Slope County | ND | 99.6 | 0.23% | $387 | $170,000 |
| 16 | Washington County | AL | 99.5 | 0.23% | $365 | $159,700 |
| 17 | Kusilvak Census Area | AK | 99.5 | 0.24% | $199 | $84,300 |
| 18 | Gilpin County | CO | 99.5 | 0.23% | $1,310 | $573,900 |
| 19 | Lamar County | AL | 99.4 | 0.24% | $274 | $114,000 |
| 20 | Randolph County | AL | 99.4 | 0.25% | $452 | $181,600 |
| 21 | Nantucket County | MA | 99.4 | 0.25% | $3,974 | $1,593,800 |
| 22 | Allen Parish | LA | 99.3 | 0.26% | $267 | $104,500 |
| 23 | Tensas Parish | LA | 99.3 | 0.26% | $221 | $86,300 |
| 24 | Rich County | UT | 99.3 | 0.26% | $859 | $334,600 |
| 25 | Covington County | AL | 99.2 | 0.26% | $397 | $152,100 |
| 26 | Cullman County | AL | 99.2 | 0.26% | $516 | $199,100 |
| 27 | Walker County | AL | 99.2 | 0.26% | $356 | $135,900 |
| 28 | Dolores County | CO | 99.1 | 0.27% | $659 | $247,600 |
| 29 | La Plata County | CO | 99.1 | 0.26% | $1,552 | $591,500 |
| 30 | San Miguel County | CO | 99.1 | 0.26% | $1,900 | $720,700 |
| 31 | Coosa County | AL | 99 | 0.27% | $315 | $115,500 |
| 32 | Elmore County | AL | 99 | 0.27% | $610 | $223,900 |
| 33 | Pike County | AL | 99 | 0.27% | $424 | $157,600 |
| 34 | Ouray County | CO | 98.9 | 0.28% | $2,050 | $739,800 |
| 35 | Hawaii County | HI | 98.9 | 0.28% | $1,459 | $519,300 |
| 36 | East Carroll Parish | LA | 98.9 | 0.28% | $277 | $100,500 |
| 37 | Sevier County | TN | 98.9 | 0.28% | $824 | $299,000 |
| 38 | Fayette County | AL | 98.8 | 0.28% | $355 | $125,900 |
| 39 | Marion County | AL | 98.8 | 0.28% | $301 | $106,600 |
| 40 | Huerfano County | CO | 98.8 | 0.28% | $699 | $247,800 |
| 41 | Chaffee County | CO | 98.7 | 0.29% | $1,901 | $665,700 |
| 42 | Honolulu County | HI | 98.7 | 0.28% | $2,553 | $897,500 |
| 43 | Richland Parish | LA | 98.7 | 0.28% | $401 | $141,900 |
| 44 | Lawrence County | AL | 98.6 | 0.29% | $497 | $172,300 |
| 45 | Montezuma County | CO | 98.6 | 0.29% | $958 | $331,400 |
| 46 | St. Landry Parish | LA | 98.6 | 0.29% | $411 | $142,500 |
| 47 | Gunnison County | CO | 98.5 | 0.29% | $1,798 | $621,800 |
| 48 | Custer County | ID | 98.5 | 0.29% | $1,112 | $381,700 |
| 49 | Evangeline Parish | LA | 98.5 | 0.29% | $362 | $124,600 |
| 50 | Cleburne County | AL | 98.4 | 0.29% | $486 | $165,600 |
Hawaii, Alaska, and Louisiana Lead the Way
The geographic distribution of low-tax counties is heavily concentrated in a few states. Alabama (16 counties), Colorado (11 counties), Louisiana (9 counties), Alaska (5 counties), Hawaii (4 counties) dominate the top 50. Hawaii is famous for its low property tax rates — the state caps rates and uses tourism revenue to fund services. Alaska benefits from oil revenue that reduces reliance on property taxes. Louisiana's homestead exemption shields a significant portion of home value from taxation.
What these states share is a funding model that does not depend heavily on residential property taxes. For homeowners, this is a massive advantage. For state budgets, it creates different vulnerabilities — but from a resident's perspective, the savings are real and substantial.
The Tradeoff: Low Taxes and Public Services
It is important to understand that property taxes fund schools, roads, emergency services, and infrastructure. Counties with extremely low tax rates may have fewer resources for public services. Some of the counties on this list are rural areas where low tax revenue is offset by sparse population and modest service demands.
Before relocating for tax savings alone, research the specific public services you value. A county with a 0.2% tax rate may not have the same school funding or road maintenance as a county with a 1.5% rate. The optimal choice depends on your priorities and stage of life.
Methodology
Tax scores are calculated using effective property tax rate — median annual property tax divided by median home value — from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2019-2023 5-Year Estimates). Counties are ranked by percentile: a tax score of 95 means the county has lower property taxes than 95% of US counties. Higher scores always mean lower taxes.
Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023), FBI Uniform Crime Reports (2022), CDC County Health Rankings (2024), FEMA National Risk Index, NCES school data, and EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System. All figures are estimates and may differ from other published analyses due to methodology differences.