MAP MONDAY: Property Taxes by State

The average American household spends more than $2,300 annually on property taxes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and in states where there are vehicle property taxes (there are 27!), the average property owner pays $441 more.

Naturally, some states have a lower tax burden than others.

In order to determine who pays the most relative to their state, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its 2020 Property Taxes by State report, which compares home and vehicle taxes across the nation.

Among the findings:

• Hawaii has the lowest real-estate tax, $560, which is nine times lower than in New Jersey, the state with the highest at $5,064.
• Twenty-seven states levy some form of vehicle property tax. Of those states, Louisiana has the lowest, $24.95, which is 40.5 times lower than in Virginia, the state wit the highest at $1,011.22.
• Blue States have 21.12 percent higher real-estate property taxes, averaging $2,542, than Red States, averaging $2,099.

The states with the lowest real estate taxes are Hawaii, Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, and the District of Columbia, respectively.

The states with the highest real estate taxes are New Jersey (#51), Illinois (50), New Hampshire (49), Connecticut (48), and Wisconsin (47).

Georgia ranks dead center at No. 25 with an average property tax of $1,855 on a $205,000 home.

Not everyone is paying, though. The National Tax Lien Association reportedly found that $14 billion in property taxes go unpaid each year.

Red vs. Blue States