No Two Property Taxes Are Alike

The annual "50-State Property Tax Comparison Study" is available examines the imbalances across jurisdictions, and even within jurisdictions, when it comes to property taxes.

1 minute read

April 17, 2018, 2:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Home For Sale Signs

caswell_tom / Flickr

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Minnesota Center for Fiscal Excellence have released the latest version of the annual 50-State Property Tax Comparison Study.

A blog post announcing the new study focuses on the discrepancies in property tax rates that can arise parcel to parcel in cities like Los Angeles, where proposition 13 can mean one house pays twice as much in property taxes as the house next door. "Of the ten American cities with the greatest discrepancy in taxes paid by new homeowners and longtime homeowners, six are in California and two are in Florida, where the 1992 Save Our Homes constitutional amendment similarly restricts reassessment," according to the post.

The report analyses effective property tax rates—"the tax paid as a percentage of market value"—in 100 cities located in every state. As in previous years, the report also lists the cities with the highest and lowest effective property tax rates.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018 in At Lincoln House

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20 - Streetsblog USA

Close-up on BLM sign on Continental Divide Trail in Rawlins, Wyoming.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule

The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

April 20 - Public Domain

Calvary Street bridge over freeway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path

Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.

April 20 - Smart Cities Dive