Texas has no state income tax and also places on property taxes on vehicles, so the state tries to make up the tax deficit in another way. Primarily, Texas seeks to use property taxes in order to pay its bills. As a result, the property taxes in Texas are nearly at the top of the nation. On average, a person in Texas will pay $3,327 in property taxes, which places the state among the top five in property tax payments. This is also close to 60% higher than what most other Americans pay in property taxes throughout the rest of the country. Other states such as Rhode Island and Connecticut join Texas among the top ten states in property tax payments, and only Texas, of all southern states is among the top ten list of states that pay property taxes.
What Are Property Taxes In San Antonio?
San Antonio has been called a big city with a small town feel. It is one of four major urban areas in Texas. The other three major metropolitan areas in the state are Austin, Houston, and the Dallas-Fort Worth region. However, San Antonio does not attract the technology and telecommunications companies that other cities do. As a result, its blue collar and middle class residents earn less than their peers in some other citizens, but also enjoy a lower cost of living. The median household income for the area is $50, 502, above the state average but slightly lower than in other cities. However, the median list price for a home in San Antonio is only $230,000, far lower than Austin and many parts of Dallas and Houston.
San Antonio residents pay almost .57 cents in property taxes per every $100 dollars. Throughout Bexar county, of which San Antonio is the dominant player, tax rates can vary between 1.2% and 1.4%. This compares favorably with other parts of the state. Although Austin is smaller and encompasses a smaller number of areas for taxing, its total tax rate on property can range between 1.2% and 1.5% as well. San Antonio and Austin are geographically near to one another, but have very different economies. The cost of living in Austin is much higher, and median list price for a home there is $489,000, more than twice the amount of a house listing in San Antonio. Although the tax rates are not too dissimilar, you will end up paying far more in Austin over time than you will in San Antonio due to the much higher list prices on homes.
What Are the Top Five Counties With the Highest Property Tax?
Parts of New York possess tax rates that are almost double the 1.4% that typifies the rest of the country and leads to substantially higher payments on what are already typically more expensive properties. New York dominates the list of counties paying higher property taxes, with three of the top five property tax paying counties all located inside of the state. However, parts of the Midwest also possess significantly higher property tax rates. Milwaukee County, in Wisconsin, sees tax rates as high as 3.7%. Milwaukee County is home to the city of Milwaukee itself, as well as South Milwaukee, Oak Creek, and Glendale. The only other county in the Midwest that joins Wisconsin in the top five property tax rate bracket is Illinois, with a property tax rate of 3.6% in Kendall County. Kendall County is home to cities such as Plano, Yorkville, and Aurora.
What Are the Top Five Counties With the Lowest Property Tax?
The property tax rate of a place such as Bexar County, where San Antonio located, may seem low in comparison. However, when compared against many other southern states, the property taxes found in San Antonio are actually quite high. The tax rate in nearby in Louisiana are much lower, for example. Catahoula County in Louisiana has a tax rate that is only 0.2%, while Iberville County in Louisiana has a tax rate of only .21%. These low paying Louisiana counties encompass cities such as Plaquemine, St. Gabriel, Jonesville, and Harrisonburg. Joining the list of top five lowest paying counties in the country is Caroline County, located along the eastern seaboard in the state of Virginia. Cities in this county include Bowling Green and Port Royal, whose citizens pay only a .17% property tax rate.
What Is the San Antonio Advantage?
San Antonio is a welcome relief from most of the rest of the state of Texas, but continues to lag behinds cities and towns found throughout the rest of the south. However, San Antonio is still a fair compromise to the high tax rates that are found throughout part of the Midwest and Northeast, where property tax rates can be nearly double.
2 Point Highlight
San Antonio property tax, in comparison to the rest of the state, is actually among the best in the state.
In this sense, San Antonio is a welcome relief from the rest of its state. Not only are homes listed at a lower price, but the city also enjoys one of the lowest tax floors in the state, as well as a total tax rate ceiling that is lower than Austin, Houston, and Dallas.
