Property tax estimator
Pick the state and county, enter the home value, and see the estimated annual bill, the monthly escrow amount, and how the county compares.
How the estimate is calculated
Estimated bill = home value × county median effective rate. The effective rate is the median annual tax paid divided by the median home value for owner-occupied homes in that county, from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, cross-checked against the assessor's published rates. It captures the combined levy of county, city, school and special districts as homeowners actually experience it.
Homestead exemptions that are a fixed amount off assessed value are converted to a dollar reduction using the state's assessment ratio. Percentage caps on assessment growth are not modelled, because they depend on how long the home has been owned.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the estimate?
It applies the county's median effective rate (median bill divided by median home value) to the value you enter. Your actual rate depends on the city, school district and special districts serving the parcel, so treat the result as a planning range, typically within 10 to 20 percent. County pages list the assessor where you can look up an exact parcel.
Should I enter purchase price or assessed value?
Enter the market value or expected purchase price. In most states assessed value tracks market value, sometimes at a fraction (Georgia uses 40%, Illinois 33%), but the effective rate already accounts for that. California is the exception: assessed value resets to purchase price and then grows at most 2% a year.
Why is my estimate lower than the seller's current bill, or higher?
Long-time owners in states with assessment caps (California, Florida, Texas homesteads) pay on an assessed value well below market. When a home sells, the assessment resets and the new owner's bill can jump. The estimate reflects the reset, not the seller's capped bill.
Does the estimate include exemptions?
Only when you tick the homestead box. It then applies the state's general homestead exemption where it is a fixed dollar reduction. Senior, veteran and disability exemptions vary too much by county to estimate; the county page lists them.