Just about every homeowner must pay property taxes. But there are places where the bill is very low.
In contrast to locations where property taxes routinely soar over $10,000 annually, some areas of the country have annual taxes below $250, according to a recent Tax Foundation analysis of U.S. counties and county-equivalents.
It must be said that many of these areas are very poor, which probably accounts for the low cost of taxes. Here are the locations with low property tax rates.
McDowell County, West Virginia
Median annual property tax bill: $237 as of 2021
Median value of primary homes: $43,700 as of 2021
Median household income: $30,127 as of 2021
Population: 17,850 as of 2022
McDowell County is located in the heart of West Virginia’s coal country. For many years, the county produced more coal than any other place in the world.
Lamar County, Alabama
Median annual property tax bill: $234 as of 2021
Median value of primary homes: $102,100 as of 2021
Median household income: $43,324 as of 2021
Population: 13,705 as of 2022
Lamar County encompasses 605 square miles. It is home to both the Quail Valley Hunting Preserve and parts of the Tombigbee River Watershed.
Sioux County, North Dakota
Median annual property tax bill: $223 as of 2021
Median value of primary homes: $83,500 as of 2021
Median household income: $39,755 as of 2021
Population: 3,711 as of 2022
Sioux County is home to the tribal lands of the Standing Rock Nation, part of the Lakota/Dakota/Nakota nation. The tribe owns two casinos in the region.
Ranching also is a key part of the local economy.
Bienville Parish, Louisiana
Median annual property tax bill: $220 as of 2021
Median value of primary homes: $72,300 as of 2021
Median household income: $32,328 as of 2021
Population: 12,641 as of 2022
Bienville Parish is where police ambushed fugitives Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker on May 23, 1934. A stone marks the site of the bloody confrontation.
Madison Parish, Louisiana
Median annual property tax bill: $215 as of 2021
Median value of primary homes: $82,100 as of 2021
Median household income: $36,875 as of 2021
Population: 9,478 as of 2022
Madison Parish is home to many landmarks from the Civil War and Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s march through the area. The parish’s courthouse — one of the most photographed courthouses in Louisiana — features a gazebo that is the site of many weddings.
Choctaw County, Alabama
Median annual property tax bill: $200 as of 2021
Median value of primary homes: $79,800 as of 2021
Median household income: $38,581 as of 2021
Population: 12,439 as of 2022
Choctaw County once was home to companies in the paper and petroleum industries. Today, it is better-known for the Choctaw National Wildlife Refuge, a key place for migrating birds to rest.
Northwest Arctic Borough, Alaska
Median annual property tax bill: $200 as of 2021
Median value of primary homes: $130,700 as of 2021
Median household income: $68,654 as of 2021
Population: 7,423 as of 2022
The Northwest Arctic Borough is about 36,000 square miles, making it roughly the size of the state of Indiana. It also encompasses about 4,900 square miles of water and has 3,560 miles of shoreline.
Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska
Median annual property tax bill: $200 as of 2021
Median value of primary homes: $66,200 as of 2021
Median household income: $37,975 as of 2021
Population: 8,278 as of 2022
The Kusilvak Census Area — formerly known as Wade Hampton Census Area — is part of the Unorganized Borough. The biggest city is Hooper Bay, which is located on the Bering Sea.
Allen Parish, Louisiana
Median annual property tax bill: $200 as of 2021
Median value of primary homes: $112,300 as of 2021
Median household income: $47,660 as of 2021
Population: 22,320 as of 2022
Allen Parish is known for farming as well as hunting and fishing. The area grows about 56,000 acres of rice each year. Crawfish can be found in 15,000 of those acres.
Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana
Median annual property tax bill: $200 as of 2021
Median value of primary homes: $105,700 as of 2021
Median household income: $37,903 as of 2021
Population: 38,751 as of 2022
Avoyelles Parish has a long history of being steeped in the French language. Overall, though, the culture can best be described as Cajun.
The parish encompasses 866 square miles of Louisiana, including 33 square miles of water.
East Carroll Parish, Louisiana
Median annual property tax bill: $200 as of 2021
Median value of primary homes: $74,300 as of 2021
Median household income: $25,049 as of 2021
Population: 6,990 as of 2022
East Carroll Parish, in Louisiana’s northeast corner, was named after Charles Carroll, the longest-surviving person to have signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The parish includes the town of Lake Providence and the unincorporated community of Transylvania.
West Carroll Parish, Louisiana
Median annual property tax bill: $200 as of 2021
Median value of primary homes: $87,000 as of 2021
Median household income: $42,050 as of 2021
Population: 9,475 as of 2022
Poverty Point National Monument — Louisiana’s only U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site, Poverty Point National Monument — is in West Carroll Parish. It comprises earthworks and mounds built between 1650 and 700 B.C.
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