The average property tax bill on a single-family home is $4,406 a year in the U.S. as of October 2026. In 1950 it was $125, or $1,749 in today’s dollars. Adjusted for inflation, the property tax bill is 2.5 times as high as in 1950.
Price at the time In October 2026 dollars
U.S. average yearly bill on a single-family home. ≈ marks estimates between data points.
| Year | Price | In today’s dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | $125 | $1,749 |
| 1951 | ≈$133 | ≈$1,724 |
| 1952 | ≈$141 | ≈$1,792 |
| 1953 | ≈$150 | ≈$1,892 |
| 1954 | ≈$160 | ≈$2,012 |
| 1955 | $170 | $2,139 |
| 1956 | ≈$182 | ≈$2,258 |
| 1957 | ≈$195 | ≈$2,342 |
| 1958 | ≈$209 | ≈$2,440 |
| 1959 | ≈$224 | ≈$2,587 |
| 1960 | $240 | $2,735 |
| 1961 | ≈$251 | ≈$2,831 |
| 1962 | ≈$262 | ≈$2,930 |
| 1963 | ≈$274 | ≈$3,024 |
| 1964 | ≈$287 | ≈$3,121 |
| 1965 | $300 | $3,212 |
| 1966 | ≈$322 | ≈$3,346 |
| 1967 | ≈$346 | ≈$3,498 |
| 1968 | ≈$372 | ≈$3,608 |
| 1969 | ≈$400 | ≈$3,677 |
| 1970 | $430 | $3,738 |
| 1971 | ≈$461 | ≈$3,840 |
| 1972 | ≈$495 | ≈$3,990 |
| 1973 | ≈$530 | ≈$4,029 |
| 1974 | ≈$569 | ≈$3,891 |
| 1975 | $610 | $3,824 |
| 1976 | ≈$631 | ≈$3,738 |
| 1977 | ≈$652 | ≈$3,628 |
| 1978 | ≈$674 | ≈$3,485 |
| 1979 | ≈$697 | ≈$3,236 |
| 1980 | $720 | $2,947 |
| 1981 | ≈$761 | ≈$2,824 |
| 1982 | ≈$804 | ≈$2,811 |
| 1983 | ≈$850 | ≈$2,879 |
| 1984 | ≈$899 | ≈$2,917 |
| 1985 | $950 | $2,978 |
| 1986 | ≈$1,004 | ≈$3,088 |
| 1987 | ≈$1,060 | ≈$3,148 |
| 1988 | ≈$1,120 | ≈$3,193 |
| 1989 | ≈$1,183 | ≈$3,218 |
| 1990 | $1,250 | $3,226 |
| 1991 | ≈$1,296 | ≈$3,210 |
| 1992 | ≈$1,345 | ≈$3,232 |
| 1993 | ≈$1,395 | ≈$3,255 |
| 1994 | ≈$1,446 | ≈$3,291 |
| 1995 | $1,500 | $3,320 |
| 1996 | ≈$1,564 | ≈$3,365 |
| 1997 | ≈$1,631 | ≈$3,428 |
| 1998 | ≈$1,701 | ≈$3,520 |
| 1999 | ≈$1,774 | ≈$3,591 |
| 2000 | $1,850 | $3,623 |
| 2001 | ≈$1,957 | ≈$3,727 |
| 2002 | ≈$2,070 | ≈$3,881 |
| 2003 | ≈$2,190 | ≈$4,013 |
| 2004 | ≈$2,316 | ≈$4,135 |
| 2005 | $2,450 | $4,231 |
| 2006 | ≈$2,525 | ≈$4,225 |
| 2007 | ≈$2,603 | ≈$4,235 |
| 2008 | ≈$2,683 | ≈$4,202 |
| 2009 | ≈$2,765 | ≈$4,348 |
| 2010 | $2,850 | $4,407 |
| 2011 | ≈$2,920 | ≈$4,379 |
| 2012 | ≈$2,992 | ≈$4,394 |
| 2013 | ≈$3,065 | ≈$4,436 |
| 2014 | ≈$3,140 | ≈$4,474 |
| 2015 | ≈$3,217 | ≈$4,578 |
| 2016 | $3,296 | $4,632 |
| 2017 | $3,399 | $4,677 |
| 2018 | $3,498 | $4,698 |
| 2019 | $3,561 | $4,697 |
| 2020 | $3,719 | $4,851 |
| 2021 | $3,785 | $4,685 |
| 2022 | $3,901 | $4,440 |
| 2023 | $4,062 | $4,485 |
| 2024 | $4,172 | $4,476 |
| 2025 | $4,270 | $4,461 |
| Oct 2026 (latest) | $4,406 | $4,406 |
Among the 2,314 U.S. places with at least 20,000 people, as of October 2026. The local mean property tax bill from the Census American Community Survey (the county’s figure when the place has fewer than 5,000 people). The mean is used because the published median tops out at $10,000. Housing gaps between places were smaller decades ago, and the older estimates narrow them accordingly.
| University Park, TX | $25,707 |
| Beverly Hills, CA | $25,279 |
| Harrison, NY | $25,139 |
| Los Altos, CA | $25,046 |
| Saratoga, CA | $22,099 |
| Dothan, AL | $828 |
| Prattville, AL | $855 |
| Gadsden, AL | $868 |
| West Memphis, AR | $877 |
| Pine Bluff, AR | $877 |
ATTOM annual property tax reports and Census data.
For cities: The local mean property tax bill from the Census American Community Survey (the county’s figure when the place has fewer than 5,000 people). The mean is used because the published median tops out at $10,000. Housing gaps between places were smaller decades ago, and the older estimates narrow them accordingly.
Each year shows the U.S. figure at midyear. Years marked ≈ fall between this series’ data points and are estimated by smooth interpolation between them. Today’s dollars use the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). How it works.
Median rent by yearMonthly mortgage payment by year
What everything cost in 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, 2020. All prices.