New Jersey residents pay the most property taxes in the nation, according to a report released by WalletHub [1] this morning.
The 2017 Property Taxes by State Report revealed that New Jersey ($4,189 on a $179,000 home), Illinois ($4,105), New Hampshire ($3,838), Connecticut ($3,517), and Wisconsin ($3,499) have the highest real estate taxes, while Hawaii has the lowest. In fact, New Jersey’s tax is 8.6 times higher than Hawaii’s, which comes in at just $487.
Also on the lower end of the spectrum were Alabama ($773), Louisiana ($876), Delaware ($959), and the District of Columbia ($1,000). On average, American households pay about $2,149 in property taxes annually. According to the National Tax Lien Association, $11.8 billion in these taxes go unpaid every year.
Overall, Republican-leaning states tend to impose 17 percent lower property taxes on residents than Democrat-leaning states do, according to WalletHub. In terms of property tax expense, the average rank of red states was 24.37 and $1,876, while blue states averaged 28.33 and $2,200.
According to Michael E. Bitter, Director of the MAcc Programs in the School of Business Administration at Stetson University, property taxes should always be a consideration when deciding where to buy a home.
“There are many tax considerations, including sales tax, state and local income tax, and other taxes and fees,” Bitter said. “If one plans to own property, then clearly property tax rates should be considered, as in many locations, they can be significant. What are property tax rates? Are there exemptions? What do the taxes pay for? Have tax rates been increasing in recent years? On what value is the property tax levied?”
But property taxes aren’t only a worry for homeowners. According to WalletHub, “though property taxes might appear to be a non-issue for the 37 percent of renter households, that couldn’t be further from the truth. We all pay property taxes, whether directly or indirectly, as they impact the rent we pay as well as the finances of state and local governments.”
WalletHub’s report also revealed the states with the highest and lowest vehicle taxes. Rhode Island ($1,100 on a $23,000 car), Virginia ($966), Mississippi ($773), Connecticut ($555), and Maine ($554) took the top five spots, while 24 states tied for lowest—each with a $0 vehicle tax.
Out of states with some sort of vehicle tax, Louisiana came in lowest, at $23, followed by Montana ($86), Michigan ($142), California ($150), and Alabama ($174).
To see the full list of tax rankings, visit WalletHub.com [2].