State tax comparison
Property Taxes, State by State
Every figure below comes from the same state data that powers our destination pages, with the source and the year it covers shown above the table. Where a number is not verified, the table says so instead of estimating.
California's rate is low. Its bill is not.
Because of Proposition 13, California's effective property tax rate is comparatively low. What feels high is the dollar amount on your bill, and that is driven by home values, not the rate.
That flips the comparison most people expect. Moving to a lower-cost state often means a smaller tax bill at a higher tax rate, and in several of the most popular destinations the rate is dramatically higher than what you pay now.
One more thing that does not travel with you: Prop 13's assessed value protection applies to your California home only. A new purchase in another state is assessed at market value under that state's rules, from day one.
The table
Effective property tax, median value, and annual bill
Figures as of 2026-09-02.
- Effective property tax rate: Tax Foundation, Property Taxes by State and County, 2026 (published 2026-03-16); rate is for tax year 2024. https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/property-taxes-by-state-county/
- Median home value: US Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year 2023, table B25077
- Median annual property tax: US Census Bureau, ACS 1-Year 2023, table B25103 (median real estate taxes paid, owner-occupied units with a mortgage)
| California (comparison) | 0.70% | $725,800 | $5,114 |
| Alabama | 0.37% | $216,600 | $786 |
| Alaska | 0.94% | $347,500 | $3,718 |
| Arizona | 0.48% | $411,200 | $1,811 |
| Arkansas | 0.56% | $195,700 | $1,038 |
| Colorado | 0.50% | $550,300 | $2,604 |
| Connecticut | 1.54% | $367,800 | $6,388 |
| Delaware | 0.54% | $359,700 | $1,715 |
| Florida | 0.78% | $381,000 | $2,793 |
| Georgia | 0.79% | $323,000 | $2,383 |
| Hawaii | 0.29% | $846,400 | $2,283 |
| Idaho | 0.50% | $428,600 | $2,101 |
| Illinois | 1.88% | $263,300 | $5,089 |
| Indiana | 0.76% | $225,900 | $1,647 |
| Iowa | 1.33% | $213,300 | $2,827 |
| Kansas | 1.21% | $219,800 | $2,746 |
| Kentucky | 0.74% | $211,800 | $1,524 |
| Louisiana | 0.55% | $215,600 | $1,168 |
| Maine | 0.98% | $310,700 | $2,886 |
| Maryland | 0.92% | $413,600 | $3,936 |
| Massachusetts | 1.00% | $570,800 | $5,821 |
| Michigan | 1.19% | $236,100 | $2,845 |
| Minnesota | 1.00% | $328,600 | $3,321 |
| Mississippi | 0.58% | $169,800 | $1,177 |
| Missouri | 0.89% | $233,600 | $1,907 |
| Montana | 0.61% | $392,300 | $2,658 |
| Nebraska | 1.44% | $245,200 | $3,523 |
| Nevada | 0.50% | $441,100 | $2,037 |
| New Hampshire | 1.50% | $415,400 | $6,285 |
| New Jersey | 1.88% | $461,000 | $9,163 |
| New Mexico | 0.63% | $256,300 | $1,709 |
| New York | 1.30% | $420,200 | $6,325 |
| North Carolina | 0.66% | $308,600 | $1,880 |
| North Dakota | 0.92% | $246,700 | $2,455 |
| Ohio | 1.36% | $220,200 | $2,754 |
| Oklahoma | 0.79% | $208,600 | $1,593 |
| Oregon | 0.81% | $484,800 | $3,750 |
| Pennsylvania | 1.26% | $259,900 | $3,151 |
| Rhode Island | 1.12% | $411,800 | $4,644 |
| South Carolina | 0.49% | $272,900 | $1,236 |
| South Dakota | 1.00% | $268,200 | $2,712 |
| Tennessee | 0.52% | $307,300 | $1,420 |
| Texas | 1.40% | $296,900 | $4,274 |
| Utah | 0.48% | $517,700 | $2,585 |
| Vermont | 1.51% | $332,000 | $4,851 |
| Virginia | 0.78% | $382,900 | $2,754 |
| Washington | 0.75% | $576,000 | $4,478 |
| West Virginia | 0.51% | $163,700 | $843 |
| Wisconsin | 1.32% | $272,500 | $3,582 |
| Wyoming | 0.53% | $298,700 | $1,793 |
Click any column header to sort. California is pinned at the top for comparison.
Median annual property tax is the Census Bureau's B25103 figure: median real estate taxes paid, owner-occupied units with a mortgage.
Income tax and sales tax
- Income tax (2025 edition, published 2025-02-18): Tax Foundation, State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets, 2025 (published 2025-02-18). Top marginal rate on individual income; 0 indicates no individual income tax on wages. https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates/
- Sales tax (2026 edition, published 2026-01-20): Tax Foundation, State and Local Sales Tax Rates, 2026 (published 2026-01-20). State rate, population-weighted average local rate, and combined rate. https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/sales-tax-rates/
| California (comparison) | 13.30% | 8.99% |
| Alabama | 5.00% | 9.46% |
| Alaska | None | 1.82% |
| Arizona | 2.50% | 8.52% |
| Arkansas | 3.90% | 9.46% |
| Colorado | 4.40% | 7.89% |
| Connecticut | 6.99% | 6.35% |
| Delaware | 6.60% | 0.00% |
| Florida | None | 6.98% |
| Georgia | 5.39% | 7.49% |
| Hawaii | 11.00% | 4.50% |
| Idaho | 5.70% | 6.03% |
| Illinois | 4.95% | 8.96% |
| Indiana | 3.00% | 7.00% |
| Iowa | 3.80% | 6.94% |
| Kansas | 5.58% | 8.69% |
| Kentucky | 4.00% | 6.00% |
| Louisiana | 3.00% | 10.11% |
| Maine | 7.15% | 5.50% |
| Maryland | 5.75% | 6.00% |
| Massachusetts | 9.00% | 6.25% |
| Michigan | 4.25% | 6.00% |
| Minnesota | 9.85% | 8.14% |
| Mississippi | 4.40% | 7.06% |
| Missouri | 4.70% | 8.44% |
| Montana | 5.90% | 0.00% |
| Nebraska | 5.20% | 6.98% |
| Nevada | None | 8.24% |
| New Hampshire | None | 0.00% |
| New Jersey | 10.75% | 6.60% |
| New Mexico | 5.90% | 7.67% |
| New York | 10.90% | 8.54% |
| North Carolina | 4.25% | 7.00% |
| North Dakota | 2.50% | 7.09% |
| Ohio | 3.50% | 7.29% |
| Oklahoma | 4.75% | 9.06% |
| Oregon | 9.90% | 0.00% |
| Pennsylvania | 3.07% | 6.34% |
| Rhode Island | 5.99% | 7.00% |
| South Carolina | 6.20% | 7.49% |
| South Dakota | None | 6.11% |
| Tennessee | None | 9.61% |
| Texas | None | 8.20% |
| Utah | 4.55% | 7.42% |
| Vermont | 8.75% | 6.39% |
| Virginia | 5.75% | 5.77% |
| Washington | None on wagesWashington levies no tax on wage income. The 7.0% figure often cited is its capital gains tax, which applies to certain long-term gains above a threshold. | 9.51% |
| West Virginia | 4.82% | 6.59% |
| Wisconsin | 7.65% | 5.72% |
| Wyoming | None | 5.56% |
Click any column header to sort. California is pinned at the top for comparison.
We are not tax advisors, and this page is a comparison, not tax advice. The fuller statement of what we do and do not do lives on our story page.
Keep digging
See where California households actually went on the migration stats page, or compare all 49 destinations side by side on the states page.
Run your own numbers
State averages are context. Your equity report compares your actual home against the destinations you are considering, and your purchase there can qualify for a closing cost credit.