| # | Metro | Effective tax rate | Median list price | Est. annual tax on median | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Olean, NY | 2.69% | $189,900 | $5,108 | 76,479 |
| 2 | Cortland, NY | 2.65% | $232,450 | $6,160 | 46,401 |
| 3 | Rochester, NY | 2.64% | $298,350 | $7,876 | 1,058,875 |
| 4 | Binghamton, NY | 2.59% | $219,500 | $5,685 | 245,844 |
| 5 | Amsterdam, NY | 2.56% | $249,225 | $6,380 | 49,461 |
| 6 | Syracuse, NY | 2.56% | $304,894 | $7,805 | 657,128 |
| 7 | Corning, NY | 2.52% | $240,225 | $6,054 | 93,034 |
| 8 | Elmira, NY | 2.52% | $179,450 | $4,522 | 82,805 |
| 9 | Batavia, NY | 2.51% | $277,000 | $6,953 | 57,943 |
| 10 | Trenton, NJ | 2.51% | $449,900 | $11,292 | 383,286 |
| 11 | Freeport, IL | 2.46% | $199,945 | $4,919 | 44,042 |
| 12 | Vineland, NJ | 2.46% | $299,950 | $7,379 | 152,915 |
| 13 | Rockford, IL | 2.43% | $268,500 | $6,525 | 336,605 |
| 14 | Jamestown, NY | 2.39% | $237,750 | $5,682 | 126,329 |
| 15 | Ithaca, NY | 2.35% | $399,225 | $9,382 | 102,879 |
| 16 | Keene, NH | 2.32% | $507,450 | $11,773 | 76,945 |
| 17 | Seneca Falls, NY | 2.29% | $328,675 | $7,527 | 33,125 |
| 18 | Auburn, NY | 2.28% | $287,175 | $6,548 | 75,464 |
| 19 | Massena, NY | 2.28% | $196,900 | $4,489 | 107,796 |
| 20 | Bloomington, IL | 2.27% | $289,500 | $6,572 | 170,882 |
| 21 | Kankakee, IL | 2.22% | $266,975 | $5,927 | 106,833 |
| 22 | Pontiac, IL | 2.18% | $188,700 | $4,114 | 35,659 |
| 23 | Macomb, IL | 2.16% | $116,250 | $2,511 | 27,102 |
| 24 | Monticello, NY | 2.16% | $435,100 | $9,398 | 79,147 |
| 25 | Peoria, IL | 2.16% | $179,300 | $3,873 | 365,773 |
Housing market ranking · 2023 ACS 5-year
Which metros have the highest property-tax rates?
Olean, NY has the highest Census ACS effective property-tax rate among 929 metros at 2.69% (2023 ACS 5-year). Cortland, NY follows at 2.65%, then Rochester, NY at 2.64%. The median metro rate is 0.83%. Effective rate equals median real-estate taxes paid divided by median home value.
What is the ACS effective property-tax rate?
The ACS effective property-tax rate is median real-estate taxes paid divided by median home value for owner-occupied units in the 2023 ACS 5-year. It is not a statutory millage rate. WealthyBud ranks 929 CBSAs with a non-null acs_tax_rate_pct field See the tables and sources on this page.
WealthyBud stores the field as acs_tax_rate_pct with
acs_vintage set to 2023 ACS 5-year. Listing prices on the annual-tax
column still use September 2026 Realtor.com medians where present.
Which metros have the highest property-tax rates?
Olean, NY ranks first at 2.69%, then Cortland, NY at 2.65% and Rochester, NY at 2.64%. The metro median is 0.83% and the mean is 0.98% across 929 markets See the tables and sources on this page See the tables and sources on this page.
Which metros have the lowest property-tax rates?
Kahului, HI has the lowest effective rate at 0.17% in the 2023 ACS 5-year. Low rates often reflect assessment practices or homestead rules, not necessarily a cheaper ownership cost once insurance and price levels are included See the tables and sources on this page.
| # | Metro | Effective tax rate | Median list price | Est. annual tax on median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kahului, HI | 0.17% | $995,000 | $1,692 |
| 2 | Kapaa, HI | 0.22% | $1.51M | $3,317 |
| 3 | Nantucket, MA | 0.22% | $5.87M | $12,921 |
| 4 | Cullman, AL | 0.25% | $324,950 | $812 |
| 5 | Durango, CO | 0.26% | $812,500 | $2,112 |
| 6 | Troy, AL | 0.27% | $263,900 | $713 |
| 7 | Guayama, PR | 0.28% | $263,750 | $738 |
| 8 | Honolulu, HI | 0.28% | $675,000 | $1,890 |
| 9 | Hilo, HI | 0.29% | $599,000 | $1,737 |
| 10 | Opelousas, LA | 0.30% | $205,000 | $615 |
| 11 | Alexander City, AL | 0.31% | $526,000 | $1,631 |
| 12 | Crossville, TN | 0.31% | $399,125 | $1,237 |
| 13 | Daphne, AL | 0.31% | $499,000 | $1,547 |
| 14 | Dothan, AL | 0.31% | $279,450 | $866 |
| 15 | Scottsboro, AL | 0.31% | $294,450 | $913 |
| 16 | Sevierville, TN | 0.31% | $589,500 | $1,827 |
| 17 | Montgomery, AL | 0.32% | $275,575 | $882 |
| 18 | Tuscaloosa, AL | 0.32% | $326,900 | $1,046 |
| 19 | Decatur, AL | 0.33% | $297,950 | $983 |
| 20 | DeRidder, LA | 0.33% | $259,450 | $856 |
| 21 | Ozark, AL | 0.33% | $242,450 | $800 |
| 22 | Seaford, DE | 0.33% | $550,000 | $1,815 |
| 23 | Taos, NM | 0.33% | $593,500 | $1,959 |
| 24 | Aguadilla, PR | 0.34% | $530,500 | $1,804 |
| 25 | Breckenridge, CO | 0.34% | $908,625 | $3,089 |
How do large metros compare on property taxes?
Among metros with at least 1,000,000 ACS residents, Rochester, NY leads at 2.64%. 56 large metros appear in this file; rates still vary by more than a full percentage point across that group See the tables and sources on this page.
| # | Metro | Effective tax rate | Population | Est. annual tax on median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester, NY | 2.64% | 1,058,875 | $7,876 |
| 2 | Buffalo, NY | 2.11% | 1,161,385 | $5,643 |
| 3 | Chicago, IL | 2.08% | 9,359,555 | $8,101 |
| 4 | Hartford, CT | 2.06% | 1,144,012 | $9,268 |
| 5 | Cleveland, OH | 1.74% | 2,171,978 | $4,522 |
| 6 | Houston, TX | 1.71% | 7,274,714 | $6,053 |
| 7 | Dallas, TX | 1.69% | 7,807,555 | $7,140 |
| 8 | New York, NY | 1.69% | 19,756,722 | $12,540 |
| 9 | San Antonio, TX | 1.67% | 2,612,802 | $5,350 |
| 10 | Austin, TX | 1.60% | 2,357,497 | $7,143 |
For metros with at least 250,000 residents, the top rates are:
| # | Metro | Effective tax rate | Population | Median list price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rochester, NY | 2.64% | 1,058,875 | $298,350 |
| 2 | Syracuse, NY | 2.56% | 657,128 | $304,894 |
| 3 | Trenton, NJ | 2.51% | 383,286 | $449,900 |
| 4 | Rockford, IL | 2.43% | 336,605 | $268,500 |
| 5 | Peoria, IL | 2.16% | 365,773 | $179,300 |
| 6 | Kiryas Joel, NY | 2.15% | 700,984 | $567,000 |
| 7 | Utica, NY | 2.15% | 289,577 | $264,950 |
| 8 | Buffalo, NY | 2.11% | 1,161,385 | $267,450 |
| 9 | Chicago, IL | 2.08% | 9,359,555 | $389,450 |
| 10 | El Paso, TX | 2.08% | 869,606 | $314,987 |
| 11 | Atlantic City, NJ | 2.07% | 369,940 | $544,450 |
| 12 | Hartford, CT | 2.06% | 1,144,012 | $449,900 |
| 13 | Waterbury, CT | 2.04% | 452,303 | $404,450 |
| 14 | New Haven, CT | 2.03% | 566,803 | $425,000 |
| 15 | Albany, NY | 1.91% | 902,372 | $419,975 |
How much tax does the median listing imply?
Annual tax on the September 2026 median listing is estimated as median price times the ACS effective rate. Among the top 25 rates with a listing price, Keene, NH shows about $11,773 a year on that arithmetic — a bill figure, not a tax-authority levy.
- Olean, NY: 2.69% effective rate, $5,108 on the median listing.
- Cortland, NY: 2.65% effective rate, $6,160 on the median listing.
- Kahului, HI: 0.17% effective rate, $1,692 on the median listing.
For affordability context, see income needed to buy a home, price-to-income ratio, and property tax statistics.
How is the property-tax-by-metro list calculated?
Universe: 929 CBSA rows with acs_tax_rate_pct from the 2023 ACS 5-year (markets.json as_of September 2026). One row per CBSA code, curated record first. Sorted by rate descending for highs and ascending for lows. No imputed rates See the tables and sources on this page.
- Start from CBSA-level markets.json rows with a non-null
acs_tax_rate_pct. - Keep one row per CBSA code (curated record first).
- Sort by
acs_tax_rate_pctdescending for highs; ascending for lows. - Estimate annual tax as median listing × rate ÷ 100 where price exists.
Statutory millage, exemptions and assessment ratios are outside this ACS average. The rate vintage is 2023 ACS 5-year; listing prices are September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which U.S. cities have the highest property taxes?
By Census ACS effective rate (2023 ACS 5-year), Olean, NY leads at 2.69%, followed by Cortland, NY and Rochester, NY. The median of 929 metros is 0.83% See the tables and sources on this page See the tables and sources on this page.
What is an effective property-tax rate?
ACS divides median real-estate taxes paid by median home value for owner-occupied units. It is an average burden measure, not the millage rate on your assessment notice, and it can differ from county-published rates See the tables and sources on this page.
Which metros have the lowest property-tax rates?
Kahului, HI sits at 0.17%, the lowest among 929 metros on this file. Hawaiian and some Mountain West metros often land near the bottom of the ACS effective-rate list See the tables and sources on this page See the tables and sources on this page.
How much are property taxes on a median-priced home?
Multiply the September 2026 median listing by the ACS effective rate. Among high-rate metros with prices, Keene, NH is about $11,773 a year on that estimate. County bills can differ See the tables and sources on this page See the tables and sources on this page.
Is a high tax rate a bad place to invest?
Not by itself. Taxes cut cash flow, but rents, prices, insurance and job growth matter too. Pair this ranking with yield and price lists before you treat tax rate as a buy or avoid signal See the tables and sources on this page.
How is this property-tax-by-metro list built?
Keep CBSA records with acs_tax_rate_pct from the 2023 ACS 5-year, de-duplicate by CBSA code, and sort by the rate. Annual-tax columns use median listing times rate where both exist. No estimates fill blanks See the tables and sources on this page.
Key takeaways
- Olean, NY leads ACS effective property-tax rates at 2.69% (2023 ACS 5-year).
- The median metro rate is 0.83% across 929 CBSAs; the mean is 0.98%.
- Kahului, HI has the lowest rate at 0.17%.
- Effective rates are ACS averages, not the millage on a specific tax bill.
- Pair tax rates with rents, prices and insurance before treating them as an investable signal.
For education only, not tax, legal or investment advice. ACS effective rates are survey averages and can differ from your local assessment.