How to Find Property Taxes by Address: What You Need To Know
Cindy Ellis - August 28, 2022
Property taxes play a crucial role when you’re looking for a home. For example, New York has a 1.72% property tax rate, while Alabama has a .41% property tax rate. Therefore, buying an expensive home in Alabama is more cost-effective than in New York. While it’s easy to identify the differences in property tax between each state, it gets harder when you’re comparing towns and cities.
For example, the average cost of property taxes in New York is listed at just under $5,000 annually (according to Rocket Mortgage). In contrast, some towns on Long Island, like Saint James, have annual property taxes that cost upwards of $12,000.
If you’re looking for a home in any state, city, or town, it’s important to know the property tax. We’re here to help you find the property tax for any property with only an address. Read on to learn more below.
What Is Property Tax?
Property tax is a tax rate that’s placed on a property by a governing authority. Governing authorities place taxes on property at the federal, state, and even the county level. Some governing bodies may also use geographical regions to determine an effective tax rate as well as the municipality.
A home’s property tax is typically based on the value of the property, home, and the state’s tax rate. In the United States, property tax rates vary based on the state, county, and town. For example, states like Hawaii have an average property tax rate of .28%, whereas states like New Jersey have a property tax rate that’s almost 2.5%.
How Is Property Tax Calculated?
Property tax is calculated in a few ways. First, an assessor evaluates all the properties within a municipality. From there, the local government sets a target for the amount of revenue that needs to be generated from the property. Once the target is set, the property owners in a region get tax bills based on the value of the property.
Still, there are some variations based on each state. Some local governments tax properties based on a millage, which is a tax amount per one thousand dollars of value. In these cases, the tax rate is determined by the fair market value of a property.
Local governments will also use other methods. An example is imposing a property tax based on a home’s market value. In these cases, the property tax rate is a percentage of the value of a home.
Property tax rates vary yearly in some states, especially if property value increases or decreases.
What States Have the Lowest Property Tax?
Several states have low property taxes. Hawaii and Alabama have the lowest property tax rates, while New Jersey and Illinois have the highest property tax rates. That said, you have to factor in the cost of property in each state to find the states with the lowest property taxes.
These states are listed below:
- Hawaii
- Alabama
- Wyoming
- Colorado
- South Carolina
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Nevada
Understanding the value of property in specific states is a great way to find states with affordable property taxes.
While some of these states have low tax rates, real estate prices are high in desirable states like Hawaii. Therefore, the property tax price is higher, and the low tax percentage is deceiving.
What States Have the Highest Property Tax?
There are a handful of states that have exceptionally high property tax rates. That said, New Jersey has the highest property tax rate in the United States. While New Jersey has the highest property tax rate, several states are close behind.
The states with the highest property tax rates are listed below:
- New Jersey
- Illinois
- Connecticut
- Vermont
- New Hampshire
- Texas
- Wisconsin
- New York
- Nebraska
- Rhode Island
- Pennsylvania
For the rest of the United States, the average property tax rate varies from half a percent to one percent. These figures are based on a state’s tax rate and the value of the home.
Is Property Tax Public Information?
Yes, property tax is public information. In fact, most tax information is public. As long as you know the address of a home or property, you can find information about the property taxes. There are a few ways to do so, and each state has its own public database system. That said, most county clerks have tax information on file.
The 5 Best Ways to Find Property Tax Rates by Address
Property tax rates are public records, so it’s possible to find them. You can search for tax rates for each state, county, town, and property. It’s also important to consider the market value of a home when looking for property taxes.
Below are some of the most effective methods for finding a property tax rate with only an address.
1. Reverse Address Lookup Tool
The most effective way to find the property tax of a location with only an address is to use a reverse address lookup tool. These tools comb through public database records to provide you with results. Additionally, you’ll learn more about the people who live at the address (if people live there).
While there are many reverse address lookup tools, Information.com’s tool is the most effective. To use the tool, simply enter an address into the search bar. Then, click “search.”
After you search for an address, you can open the full report. The full report will give you all the information you need about a property. This includes things like:
- Who lives at the property
- Who used to live at the property
- The annual property tax rate
- The annual property tax cost in a dollar amount
- If the property is for sale
When you search for an address with Information.com’s reverse address search tool, you’ll also learn more about the people who live there. Some things you’ll find include their dating profiles, social media accounts, relatives, and more.
We always recommend starting with a reverse address lookup tool for these reasons. Overall, it’s the most effective method for finding a property tax rate. It only takes a few minutes, and you don’t need to make a trip to the county clerk’s office.
2. Public Database Searches
Another way to find a home’s property tax is with a public database search. Because property tax rates are public knowledge, searching through a database will reveal the results.
That said, there are a lot of databases to search for. You might also have to use multiple databases if you’re in the wrong county or region. Furthermore, some tax rates vary based on the town and proximity to a school.
We recommend using a comprehensive public records database tool based on these factors. Information.com, for example, has a tool that collects information from thousands of databases. Then, it presents you with the data in a simple report.
To use Information.com’s public records database tool, enter the address and any additional information you have about a property. Then, open the report and look for the property tax rate and estimated property tax cost.
3. Make a Trip to the County Clerk’s Office
The county clerk’s office has information about property taxes in most states, like New York and California. At the county clerk’s office, you’ll find the region’s property tax rate and the dollar amount a property needs to pay in taxes. Because this information is public, county clerks are forthcoming with this information.
That said, you have to find the county clerk’s office and schedule an appointment. If you don’t, you’ll end up spending a lot of time sitting around and waiting. Furthermore, you have to physically visit the office, which isn’t always convenient if you’re busy.
Some states also have a land records lookup tool you can use. These tools are less specific but give you an estimate of an area’s property taxes.
Some of the things you’ll find when you use a land record lookup tool include:
- Tax maps of towns, cities, and counties
- Photographs of a property and the home (if it has one)
- The tax history of a property
- The tax rate of the property
- Notable tax exemptions with the dollar amount
Remember that these tools are available through the county clerk’s and assessor’s databases. Each database may have different results, so it’s best to use both and cross-check the results.
These are the best ways to find property tax information through databases. Still, using Information.com’s database helps you find this data faster and gives you more specific search results.
It’s almost always better to use Information.com’s reverse address lookup tool to find information about property taxes. It takes a few minutes, and you just need to search for the address.
4. Doing the Math
Another way to find the property tax rate with only an address is to do the math yourself. There are a few ways to do the math, but first, you’ll need to know what the tax rate for a property is and the market value of the home. In some states, you’ll also need to know the fair market value of a home.
You can find all of this information using a reverse address lookup tool like Information.com. Also, you can perform a Google search to find the tax rate of an area.
To calculate the property tax of an address by doing the math, follow the steps listed below.
- Find the tax rate for a state, town, or specific address.
- Find the market value of a home or the fair market value of a home.
- Take the home’s value and multiply it by the property tax percentage. We’ll use New Jersey as an example, where the property tax rate is 2.49%, and the average cost of a home is $300,000. The equation looks like this: 300,000×.0249 = $7,470 (when multiplying percentages, remember that the decimal point needs to be moved two places to the left).
- Add a dollar sign to the results to find a region’s average annual property tax cost
- Search for known exemptions to subtract from the final number.
When you do the math to find the property tax of an address, you’ll only get an estimate. You won’t find information about tax exemptions, how much tax has been paid in the past, and other useful information.
Furthermore, some states and regions have different methods of determining the property tax rate. Therefore, while the simple equation above will help, it’s not always the most effective tool for finding the property tax rate by address.
Therefore, it’s best to use a reverse address lookup tool like Information.com to find the property tax of an address. It’s faster, doesn’t require mathematical knowledge, and gives more accurate results.
5. Speak With a Realtor
Lastly, you can always speak with a realtor if you’re interested in purchasing a property. Realtors typically have property tax information on hand. If they don’t, your realtor can get that information for you without any additional costs.
Real estate agents also have information about other tax factors. These include current market value trends, sales information, and even seller motivation. If you’re looking for property tax information because you want to purchase a home or property, working with a reputable real estate agent is a great choice.
While using a realtor is effective, it’s not always the fastest method to find a home’s property tax. This is because some realtors may take a few days to get back to you. So, we always recommend getting started with a reverse address lookup tool like Information.com.
Find Information About Property Taxes Today
The cost of property taxes each year is a difference-maker for many property buyers. So knowing an area’s property tax rate is essential when looking for a piece of land or a new home for your family. Still, it’s best to know the exact tax rate of a specific property so you know what you’re getting into.
Fortunately, property taxes are public knowledge, so finding the tax rate for a property comes down to looking in the right places. We always recommend using a reverse address lookup tool like the one found on Information.com. It gives you the most accurate and up-to-date property tax information for every town in the US.
