ATTOM: 2019 Property Taxes Rise to $306 Billion

ATTOM Data Solutions, Irvine, Calif., reported property taxes levied on more than 86 million single-family homes in 2019 totaled $306.4 billion, up 1 percent from $304.6 billion in 2018—the smallest increase in three years.

The report said the average tax amount came to $3,561 per home — an effective tax rate of 1.14 percent, representing an increase of 2 percent from the average property tax of $3,498 in 2018. The effective property tax rate fell from 1.16 percent in 2018.

Todd Teta, chief product officer for ATTOM Data Solutions, said the small increase was a sign that cities, towns and counties are taking stronger steps to clamp down on how much they hit up property owners to support schools and local government services. Without major changes in the way local government and educational systems are funded, demands for good schools and other services will continue to put upward pressure on property taxes. But on balance, 2019 was a relatively mild year for taxpayers around the nation.”

Key report data:

–States with the highest effective property tax rates were Illinois (2.22 percent), New Jersey (2.19 percent), Texas (2.11 percent), Vermont (2.11 percent), and Connecticut (2.04 percent).

–Among 220 metropolitan statistical areas analyzed in the report, those with the highest effective property tax rates were Binghamton, N.Y. (3.11 percent); Syracuse, N.Y. (3.00 percent); Rockford, Ill. (2.84 percent); Rochester, N.Y. (2.80 percent); and Atlantic City, N.J. (2.60 percent).

–Fifty-six percent of metros posted an increase in average property taxes above the national average of 2 percent, including Atlanta (9 percent), Phoenix, (9 percent); Miami, Florida (5 percent); Washington, D.C. (4 percent increase); and Boston (4 percent).

–States with the lowest effective property tax rates were Hawaii (0.36 percent), Alabama (0.48 percent), Colorado (0.52 percent), Utah (0.56 percent), and Nevada (0.58 percent).

–Metros with the lowest effective property tax rates were Daphne, Ala. (0.33 percent); Honolulu (0.35 percent); Montgomery, Ala. (0.38 percent); Tuscaloosa, Ala. (0.39 percent); and Colorado Springs, Colo. (0.41 percent).

–Among 1,448 U.S. counties with at least 10,000 single family homes, those with the highest average property taxes on single-family homes were largely located in the greater New York metro area, led by Westchester County, N.Y. ($18,103); Rockland County, N.Y. ($13,048); Marin County, Calif. ($12,250); Essex County, N.J. ($12,206); and Nassau County, N.J. ($11,952).