Lowest Property Tax Counties

Property taxes are often the single largest recurring cost of homeownership, and they vary dramatically across the country. Our tax score ranks every county by its effective property tax rate — the actual taxes paid as a percentage of home value, calculated from U.S. Census American Community Survey data. Counties in states without income tax (like Texas and New Hampshire) frequently have higher property tax rates to compensate, while counties in states like Hawaii, Alabama, and Louisiana consistently rank among the lowest. The top-scoring counties here typically have effective rates below 0.5%, compared to a national median near 1.1%. For a median-priced home, the difference between a top-ranked and bottom-ranked county can exceed $5,000 per year — a significant factor for homebuyers and retirees on fixed incomes.