What are taxes like where you live?

BPer · September 2013

Inspired by a phone call from our town assessor regarding an estimate on what our property + school taxes would be should we choose to build a ~2800sq ft house, with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, plus a bonus room (which is actually a bedroom that we've renamed in order for it not to count against our assessment). Over 12k per year. We'd be paying more in taxes than our mortgage every month. So what are taxes like where you live? Can I move there and join you?

MeatballEsq · September 2013

Would it be in a downtown? That's pretty common for our upscale walkable downtowns.

We live in a township so we pay about half of that.

BPer · September 2013

@tonir319 Nope, out in the 'country'. Here, it's really the 'burbs' of the 'burbs. The closest city hardly counts as a city.

hmp1 · September 2013

I always think of it in % terms.

In TX, we were paying 3.04% of our county property tax assessment. In TN, we pay 1.27% of our assessed value. This is why you always fight your assessment to make it lower.

Also, TX and TN do not have state income tax, Woot! Our sales tax is much higher (9.75%) in TN though and we have to pay tax on Amazon, Boo!

BillyMollyEmmy · September 2013

Our taxes are $745/year, but water and sewer are separate.

Bighair12 · September 2013

Ours are about $5k with out our homeowners exemption.

JulesDiane · September 2013

Oh. FAIL on my part. Read it too quickly. Answered what we pay, not necessarily what the norm might be. But, it's really hard to say what the norm is because it depends on the value of the house.

MrsKipper · September 2013

We live right over the county line in the "cheaper" county in this area. It made a significant difference in our taxes but we still have the "big" city address (even though we're somewhat out in the country).

BPer · September 2013

We're at about 4% of the assessed value of our house, which is where we will really get screwed. Even though the land + constructed house would cost under $300k, we were told our house would be assessed between $375k-$400k. Honestly, when he told me that, I imagine I felt similar to a guy being kicked in the balls. Seriously.

@hmp1 I'm moving to TN. It's settled. I heard a rumor the Hyundai dealership in Nashville is for sale...

redneckmomma25 · September 2013

$7500/year. 2700sqft. 5bedrooms, 2.5 baths. 4.68 acres.

1fish2fish · September 2013

Delaware property taxes are awesome. It's just that...we're in Delaware. (only 30 mins from Philly and an hour and 15 mins from the Delaware beaches though). Also? Tax free shopping.

INmommy871278 · September 2013

114.22/year with homestead exemption Its about 1200/year without the homestead exemption. 3500 sq ft 3 bd 1 bath and unfinished basement plus an "out building" which is really a patio with a lean to on it, basically looks like a shelter you would find at a park.

watercolor5 · September 2013

$1500 per year for a 2700 sq ft house. Cost of living in general is really low here, I've been shocked at how much house you can get for $200k.

ETA: Georgia

BPer · October 2013

After reading all of your responses, I now feel that the taxes here are even more absurd than I did previously.

MomtobeNJ · October 2013

Not so fast...have you priced taxes in NJ? Depending on where you are in the state, taxes are beyond absurd. In the town we are in currently, which is 9 miles outside of NYC, it's around 9k per year for a teeny tiny house and a teeny tiny lot. We are house hunting about 40 miles west of here (yes, my commute will suck but I'm dealing with it). Out there it's about 6 - 7k for up to an acre or so.

ETA: How much property would you have?

mrsjenni · October 2013

We're in NJ, so they're pretty much known for their ridiculous taxes. In our town, taxes are between 10-15K for the "average" house. But a lot of people are paying 15-20k, if not more. I feel bad for people like my parents next door neighbors... they're both retired and their house is paid off, yet they still have to pay $1100/month in taxes. SIGH.

jenmbott · October 2013

Currently we pay $3,700/year and we live in a 1100 square foot house with 3 bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms and it was built in 1956. About $1,00 of it is school taxes and the rest are for the town. When the house was assessed for tax purposes, the value was only $98,000. We bought it 4 years ago for $128,000 and have updated almost every single aspect of the house. I think if we ever got reassessed we would be paying at least a grand more per year in taxes. BTW we are in an area with a very good suburban school district. Many new houses and neighborhoods have tax rates that average between 8k - 10k per year.

MomtobeNJ · October 2013

@mrsjenni - We need to move.

Bookelly · October 2013

Western suburbs of Chicago. Great school districts. All of the houses we've been looking at recently have had taxes that are about 6.5 - 8% of the assessed value. Most are 1300-1800 sq ft with 3 beds and 2 baths. If you go 30 minutes west of us, property taxes jump up, as there's not as much in the way of business to make up the difference.

Edit: that percentage ends up being 4800-6800/year.

bosha711 · October 2013

The rate for my county is 2.611%

Our taxes are approx $6,500 for a postage stamp

L8kissie · October 2013

We are at $7261 for our house in So Cal. It's about 2,000 sq ft if you include the studio apt that is attached and our guest room. Our actual house is only about 1,300. Our lot is 4,791 sq ft according to the magical Zillow. California rate is 1% and has other parcels added in as voted.

Eta. Answered the actual question.

Holly_1007 · October 2013

we are under $5k but we are in the city. once you move into the burbs they double. We have really high state tax on just about everything though.

BeebopandBuddy · October 2013

Taxes in NJ are notoriously high (but not as high as NY). However, we live in a city rather than a township, so there are a lot of subsidies that help us. I think we are right around $4000.

BPer · October 2013

Our taxes won't include water or sewer. We have to drill a well and septic system.

jocymama · October 2013

In our area you would pay about $6000/year for a $250K house. Now that is in a really good school district, you can definitely find a house with cheaper taxes in some of the smaller suburbs.

plus12012 · October 2013

We pay about 1500/ yr. for our 2,875 sq ft. home- 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths bonus room downstairs, loft upstairs and full basement (not included in sq. ft count). We're in a really good school system and in a township just outside the city in the Indianapolis area.

Pokedot · October 2013

We pay almost $3k in taxes a year based on our double lot, with a 2000 sq ft house. 3 bedroom, 1 full/ 2 half bath home. We actually pay a lot compared to other areas of town. We are in town literally 1 block from a former elementary school (now used for subsidiary daycare). My parents live 1 mile away next to a part and fantastic elementary school and they pay half. Plus their house is newer/larger than ours! It's a racket! We fought ours 2 years ago and will do the same again this coming spring! $12K is insane!!!!!!

MommaP12 · October 2013

Holly_1007 said:

we are under $5k but we are in the city. once you move into the burbs they double. We have really high state tax on just about everything though.

This is how it is here in Chicago too.

wenawinter · October 2013

I'm in NJ too, and in a town that is known for it's "lower" taxes due to the commerce and retails stores in it. We pay just under $11K per year, but are in a 2 family house w/my parents, so they pay half. And it's a 3000 square foot house, and a lot of yard, so I get why they are so high.

BPer · October 2013

Very interesting responses. We're now going to look at another house in the same subdivision as the house I loved, and 'lost' a few weeks ago. It was constructed by the same builder, but it's on a little over an acre, as opposed to 1/2 an acre, and it has a beautiful, well-maintained pool. We've always wanted a pool, and I don't even want to think about what our taxes would be if we put an in-ground pool in, in our current town.

thebanich · October 2013

WNC. Depends a lot on where you are but the town we live in a 2500 sqft house on a decent lot would be about $1600 to $1800.

miss50 · October 2013

Less than $1500 per month. Our address is actually "County". We live on an "island" that has two cities attached. If our house were moved to the bigger city less than 1/8 mile down the road we would be paying over $2000.

Sounds like we are getting off really cheap for our little box 1400 sq ft. We have to pay for garbage pick up. We are on a well and don't have a water bill.

Pokedot · October 2013

Less than $1500 per month. Our address is actually "County". We live on an "island" that has two cities attached. If our house were moved to the bigger city less than 1/8 mile down the road we would be paying over $2000.

Sounds like we are getting off really cheap for our little box 1400 sq ft. We have to pay for garbage pick up. We are on a well and don't have a water bill.

Totally hijacking this response, say what? You pay $1500 a month just in taxes as in $18,000 a year? Holy hell!

Flamingemu · October 2013

Pokedot said:

Less than $1500 per month. Our address is actually "County". We live on an "island" that has two cities attached. If our house were moved to the bigger city less than 1/8 mile down the road we would be paying over $2000.

Sounds like we are getting off really cheap for our little box 1400 sq ft. We have to pay for garbage pick up. We are on a well and don't have a water bill.

Totally hijacking this response, say what? You pay $1500 a month just in taxes as in $18,000 a year? Holy hell!

I am pretty sure that is a year, not 1500 per month.

Pokedot · October 2013

Flamingemu said:

Pokedot said:

Less than $1500 per month. Our address is actually "County". We live on an "island" that has two cities attached. If our house were moved to the bigger city less than 1/8 mile down the road we would be paying over $2000.

Sounds like we are getting off really cheap for our little box 1400 sq ft. We have to pay for garbage pick up. We are on a well and don't have a water bill.

Totally hijacking this response, say what? You pay $1500 a month just in taxes as in $18,000 a year? Holy hell!

I am pretty sure that is a year, not 1500 per month.

Gosh I hope so!

JulesDiane · October 2013

You would have thought when I saw this thread yesterday, I would have been like "Oh my goodness! I forgot that my city taxes are due TODAY!" But, nope... it only just hit me now. Hopefully there isn't a big penalty. My brain is shit lately! ARgh.

Want a personalized experience?

What are taxes like where you live?

What are taxes like where you live? 88 votes

Re: What are taxes like where you live?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards