Nationwide, state by state, property taxes are spiking. They seem determined to keep rising. The effect on young and on seniors is elevated anxiety, a direct challenge not just to home ownership and home retention, but to sustainable rental at median income. The American Dream is receding. Why, and how do we stop it?
On the facts, real estate analytics show what many feel: Property taxes are out of control. Realtor.com reports that, “More than 72 percent of metropolitan areas with at least 200,000 residents saw above-average increases in property-tax bills last year…” In rural areas, where city dwellers fled from COVID, the jump is worse.
“Nationally, the average property-tax bill on a single-family home increased by 2.7 percent in 2024… but in 157 of these 217 metropolitan areas, those bills jumped by more than that.”
Another data point: “The report also shows that the average tax on a single-family home in the U.S. rose to $4,300 in 2024, a 5.8 percent increase over the previous year,” adding to 2023, when “the average tax on a single-family home…increased 4.1 percent over the prior year.”
So, on the national level, why? The short answer is the Biden years, when inflation spiked – so the cost of everything rose. The CPI (Consumer Price Index) grew at 20 percent in the Biden years, meaning inflation was enormous – the direct result of overspending, overtaxing, a retreat from fossil fuels, and expensive green subsidies.
Narrowing the gauge, other mysteries persist. Why are rural properties proving more expensive? Rural property taxes are often proportionally higher. The national answer is post-COVID growth in “remote work” and rising city violence.
In some states, especially in New England, property taxes have risen at unusually high rates. Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire (which has no income tax), and Maine (which has gone deep into leftist policies) are exceptionally high.
So, before getting to solutions – and calculating the national likelihood of a property tax revolt of the kind not seen in decades – what is up with New England?
In Connecticut and Massachusetts, a combination of high energy costs, shrinking populations, and poor local infrastructure (covered by property taxes) is responsible, while in New Hampshire, the absence of some state services, due to no income tax, leads to unfunded mandates falling on local government.
Maine may be the best example of bad policy top to bottom. Here is why. In Maine, beyond hundreds of “woke,” unnecessary state mandates pushed on schools, law enforcement, and local government, the state is wildly anti-business.
In effect, by politicizing energy, stopping fossil fuel growth, for example, by connecting Maine to Pennsylvania’s cheap national gas pipeline, relentlessly subsidizing solar and wind with “net energy billing,” making poor taxpayers fund rich environmentalists, killing hydropower, blocking nuclear redevelopment, and overtaxing businesses, the state is failing in an epic way.
Moreover, by overtaxing large and small businesses – with disproportionately high income and sales taxes, excess regulations and restrictions – businesses are leaving the state, failing and shrinking at record levels, leading to a four percent drop in commercial property values, while homes are reassessed at a higher value.
Like a throttle stuck open, that Democrat-dominated state proves the rule. When a state has no checks on power, when one party dominates, spends like crazy, taxes like crazy, and then pushes crazy woke policies over basic affordability, all things fail.
Property taxes nationwide – and especially in failed states like Maine – are on a tear, causing young people to suffer, since they cannot save for a home as rental costs exceed their monthly income, and seniors lose their homes, with skyrocketing property taxes outstripping their fixed incomes.
So, how do we fix this mess? The answer is not complicated, but it does take political courage. Either referenda should be passed, emerging in seven states, to stop property taxes, or leaders must be elected who will cut state mandates (many woke) on schools, counties, and towns, while cutting the budget to allow tax incentives for attracting and retaining businesses, restarting commercial revenue.
The real choice, as always, is between incentivizing economic growth, safety, education, and the link among those three, or doing the reverse, disincentivizing them with high spending, taxes, insecurity, and leftist political nonsense.
Bottom line: Either way, if you put your finger in the wind, you will feel a stiff wind building, and that wind is public anxiety over property taxes, which could easily develop into a Category 5 hurricane, a 2026 property tax revolt. Keep watching!
Robert Charles is a former Assistant Secretary of State under Colin Powell, former Reagan and Bush 41 White House staffer, Maine attorney, ten-year naval intelligence officer (USNR), and 25-year businessman. He wrote “Narcotics and Terrorism” (2003), “Eagles and Evergreens” (North Country Press, 2018), and “Cherish America: Stories of Courage, Character, and Kindness” (Tower Publishing, 2024). He is the National Spokesman for AMAC. Today, he is running to be Maine’s next Governor (please visit BobbyforMaine.com to learn more)!
Public officials in the U. S. seem to have forgotten that this country was started by a tax revolt. Where are the modern day minutemen? Seems we need them again!
Time to vote MARXIST Democrats out nationally, return America to prosperity and common sense.
I know something about this. Here in Texas our Great Republican State Legislature has cut Property Tax rates every session. But the local County Appraisal Districts have raised evaluations each time. Hence, I am paying the same taxes as ever. Are they criminal..? My vote is yes.
Senior Citizens should never have to pay property taxes if they have paid their house off.
Ours doubled. We live in a state, WA, that’s the bluest state in the union. Highest taxes around. Ferguson is worse than Cali. We need a total recall and revamp.
Interesting. Talking with my county tax office, the state of OH will be raising property taxes this Jan 2026 since the state is at the end of its 6 years of current property tax cycle. The county tax officials have hinted at a substantial increase for the rural areas. Can’t win.
Revolt? Exactly how is that to happen? Property ownership is nothing more than indentured servitude to county governments. Politicians and bureaucrats are in lockstep with each other as evidenced by the chokehold of mandatory revenue collections that increases each year. Property taxes it seems can not only be manipulated by government, but also includes sponsored pet projects ranging from school bonds park maintenance or whatever magnanimous good causes by politicians and bureaucrats who won’t go on record. Voted on by the general population, property taxes is almost a free for all who can get enough signatures to qualify for a ballot initiative. Unfortunately, paid only by people who own property.
Rising property taxes really screw the senior population. We are on fixed incomes and the rate of social security increases does not even remotely keep up with property tax increases. Add to the fact that energy costs, food and gas prices are climbing and you have the “perfect storm” for financial disaster for the older folks. We paid our taxes when our kids were in school and we are still paying for the subsequent generations of school age children. Give us some relief!
We’re Red State here in Texas and our property taxes have been shooting up for three years. Here in rural Texas it seems like bandits have gotten hold of our appraisal system. Never realized I was going to be held hostage by my property taxes my senior retired years. Sure feels like we need to fire everybody and start over….
I live in Missouri which is considered a conservative state. In 2020 my property tax increased by almost a third. The increases since then have been modest. Missouri has passed a law that takes effect this year that freezes your property tax at its current level if you are 65 and on social security. I am eligible and thankful for it but I am concerned for a lot of people that are having a hard time in this economy. This is a serious problem that needs to be addressed in all states.
My wife and I are in our middle eighties and we have a very limited income,We live in Winnebago county in Illinois and every thing in this state is overtaxed.I think that we all wonder where all of that money goes.
Our property taxes continue to go up. We have a housing boom which will cause our taxes to increase every year. Since Covid our budget has been short $800 to $1000 every month. Home and autos paid for. After savings are gone don’t know what we will do. Prices have GOT to come down.
I live in a small town in Pa and the prices here have not come down and we worked hard to own our home which is now falling apart, our business was shut down, we don’t know who gets elected or unelected in our cities or bigger states until it’s over with and we know we didn’t elect them. Why cant our elections be recalled for 2020 everyone knows they cheated with the illegals voting in our elections which is illegal and unconstitutional the want to keep the people as slaves and it’s Biblical If my state is all Red then how in the heck did we get a Democrat running Pennsylvania. I think Pennsylvania should be seriously Investigated on where our tax money is going. Time to stop padding Democrats pockets while Republicans suffer.
Property taxes go towards paying for schools and junior colleges. Education should be paid for by those who have kids in school or kids who will be going to school. Now that the Department of “Education” is being shut down and “education” is given back to the states, senior citizens who have no children in school should not have to pay property taxes. I live in Texas. In Texas high school football is a big deal. Some high schools have bands and football stadiums that mirror those of some colleges. In Collin County, just North of Dallas, Allen High School has a $60 million stadium and not to be outdone, McKinney built one for $70 million. The amenities, not only in the stadiums but in the schools, are mind boggling. I think it is good for the students but seniors who do benefit from it in any way should not have to pay for it. Please writ to your state representatives and voice your opinion.
all veterans & first responders on 2026 ky state ballot i’ve managed to get a state representative sponsor to reduce personal state property taxes for vets by 30% and 20% and first responders by 20% and 10%.
Property taxes have to be raised to pay for the tens of millions of children who came into the country illegally under the Biden administration and the children who will be born here from illegal parents while they are here and be given citizenship automatically.
How can property taxes be justified? I want to know. It’s a scam, it should have never been implemented. All the BS jargon as to why still doesn’t make sense! It’s called stealing!!
One state (I think it was Ohio) was trying to pass a bill that would eliminate property taxes for those who have owned and lived in their homes for 30 years paying the government taxes for all those years. That would be a great relief for many seniors who are looking at losing their homes only because they can’t continue paying the ever increasing property taxes. But that isn’t the only cost that is quickly rising for homeowners. I’ve seen my homeowners insurance premium jump dramatically from last year’s premium. However, percentage wise, the amount of coverage has not increased nearly as much. Combine that cost with the taxes, and it becomes more and more difficult for seniors to stay in their homes.
Over the past 5 years, our property taxes in a Utah rural county, our property tax has more than tripled. We’ve got savings that has covered the yearly increases. As my husband and I are just entering our retirement years, I don’t know how many more years of increases before our savings are depleted, only spending it on property tax increases.
Property taxes make us a communist country (The state owns everything and we only rent it.
States should also check into the growing assessment fees charged by Manufactured Home complexes to the residents who “do not own” the property their manufactured home is occupying. There are no cap limits anymore in the state of Florida, so these community corporate owners are stuffing it to the individuals living in their community and leasing the property space. Their tax rate is 2.9% but they continue to charge each individual a 5% increase of the land fee every single year. Women who lose their spouses are forced out of their home because they cannot pay the high rental fees that continue to increase every year. It is too costly to move a manufactured home out of the community, so women are forced out in their later years of life and end up losing their entire investment. This is a disgrace and something should be done about it by either forcing the manufactured communities to stop increasing rates after ten years or something that will level off so people can afford to stay in the home they paid for and intended to retire in. Truly, real estate taxes for the young and the old alike are out of control.
Thanks to Governor Evers (D) in Wisconsin he did a line item veto (Frankenstein bill) and decided to raise our property taxes $325 per year per pupil for the next 400 years. Our State Supreme Court (liberal) decided that this is ok. My two bedroom ramble will be over $5k this year. Our mil rate is going up 9.1% for my township. 2/3 of my taxes fund the public schools and the technical college. Its now costing taxpayers $18k to educate a student in Wisconsin. We need a conservative judge in April 2026 election to get elected along with Republicans in our senate and assembly and governor office in 2026. Otherwise the great state of Wisconsin will be heading down the river without a canoe.
I live in Ohio. Our property taxes went up 33% last year…..
Got letter yesterday. My property assessment here in Illinois just went up 13%.
California revolted in 1976 and passed Prop 13, effectively changing the way property taxes could rise, 2% a year. Of course, as property values have risen, when a house is sold, it’s taxed at 1% of the sales price, so that makes them high for new purchasers, but if you’ve been in your house for many years, you are paying very low taxes. I own my principal residence in CA and several rentals in other states. Property taxes in those states far outpace my CA residence. High income taxes, sales taxes, and gas taxes, make up for the sometimes lower property taxes here. I’m leaving CA soon.
We must have a change in property taxation. However, most of our legislators are too greedy and have no backbone to provide much relief. This is just my opinion but so far the legislators have not proven otherwise.
The primary root cause is Inflation followed by increased government mandate spending. The current mantra of high interest rates is a soundbite bandaid.
In my state of Ks property taxes are beyond excessive and most of the state governments have a surplus of money banked..it’s an on purpose thing..they are stripping the elderly of the homes they scrimped and saved for with nothing more than a shrug of their shoulders..when my husband and I purchased our home 21 years ago our housepayment was 324.00 a month it is 776.00 all due to property taxes..yes we could sell but then we would be stuck paying 2000.00 month for rent..and between property taxes and the cost of electricity well we elderly hope Jesus comes soon and we apologize to our children that our homes are not paid off due to collapsing 401ks due to the housing bubble and the dot com bubble sad state of affairs
I am 82 and want to know why my property tax is so high even after filling out an exemption form. I had to get a credit card last year to pay my taxes. What I don’t understand is I moved to Wichita Falls 2 years ago and the home I had in Irving, the property taxes were one fourth of what I am paying here.
Taxes of every kind will change based on cost of doing business. You get a raise great! you want to grow your economy great then you need more infrastructure (roads, utilities, public buildings, first responders, police etc) great! you want to pay the bills of undocumented aliens (we are humanitarians after all) great! you want bigger and better homes & cars great! Be careful what you wish for because you will never get something for nothing.
In IN, our over 65 deduction is tied to an exceptionally high minimum property valuation, therefore I have never been able to use the senior deduction. I have tried to get this changed, but nobody is listening. Some effort was made this year to lower the property taxes, but with increase in other taxes, I doubt I will see any changes.
Our property taxes have more than doubled in one year
I believe Illinois, where I live is one of the highest democrat taxers in the country. It is getting so common people are going broke because of them. Our illustrious governor wants us to fund the illegals living in this state. It is time for him and the democrat state legislature to go. Unfortunately, this state is controlled by Chicago and Cook county which is fundamentally democrat controlled. Definitely time for a tax revolution here! I am one senior citizen who is fed up !
A “property tax revolt”? Has anyone other than me seen who has Trumps ear each and every day? SUPER wealthy billionaires, many who got wealthy in real estate. Does anyone think the great orange clown will step in and help them should they boycott paying their property taxes or allow the authorities to just take the properties? We do recall the field in which it was Trump became a billionaire in right? HINT: It was not, social service