Ohio among top 10 states with the highest property taxes, report says

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio has one of the highest property tax rates in the country, according to a recent analysis.

The Buckeye State’s effective property tax rate was 1.31% in 2023, meaning homeowners paid 1.31% of their home’s value in property taxes, an analysis by the nonpartisan think tank The Tax Foundation found. That rate placed Ohio as the state with the eighth-highest property taxes. 

The research published by the nonprofit earlier this year used data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent American Community Survey and excluded property taxes paid by businesses and renters. 

Realtor.com highlighted Ohio's high ranking in a report released last week, pointing out that while Ohio’s property taxes remain relatively high, the state ranks low when it comes to median household income. According to the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, Ohio has the 40th-highest average household income, at $69,680. 

The real estate listing website stated Ohio is at the center of a Midwestern revival, with cities such as Columbus and Cleveland drawing new development, resulting in home values climbing across “once-stagnant” suburbs. 

Ohio counties reappraise property every six years. While counties do not all reappraise property at the same time, many residents recently underwent their first reassessment since the “COVID-19 pandemic-fueled housing boom,” Realtor.com stated, referring to when record-low interest rates and the spread of remote work created intense competition that drove house prices up.

“That’s created a massive collective jump in assessed value for the state – and, in many cases, higher tax bills,” the report said. 

The report highlighted the issue in Cuyahoga County, where a 2024 reassessment raised home values by an average of 32%. Some communities saw steeper increases, with East Cleveland jumping 67%, the website noted. 

The state with the highest property taxes, according to The Tax Foundation, was Illinois, at 1.83%. Illinois was followed by New Jersey (1.77%), Connecticut (1.48%), Nebraska (1.43%) and Vermont (1.42%). The states with the lowest effective property tax rates include Hawaii (0.32%), Alabama (0.36%), Arizona (0.44%), South Carolina (0.47%) and Utah (0.47%).