Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
Alabama has America's second lowest average property tax rates
Alabama isn't the state with the lowest average property tax rates - that distinction goes to Hawaii with a rate of .32 percent - but Alabama does come in second with an average rate of .48 percent.Others on the Low Five Listinclude Colorado, Tennessee and Delaware.
But, when the discussion turns to property taxes, Exhibit A is usually New Jersey. The state has the highest property taxes in the nationand aneffective tax rate of 2.31 percent and an average tax bill of $8,477. The other top property tax states, according to the survey, are Illinois(2.13 and $4,845) New Hampshire (2.03 and $5,935), Texas ($2.13 and $4,660) and Vermont (2.02 and $5,150).
In Alabama, we enjoy.50 percent rates and $700 tax bills. Here are the 20 Alabama counties with the biggest residential property tax bills.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 20: St. Clair County
Compared to states like New Jersey and Illinois, no Alabama counties pay high property taxes. But compared to each other, some do pay more than others. Using a 2016 property tax database compiled by ATTOM Data Solutions,here are the top 20 property tax-paying counties in Alabama, based on average 2016 payments. Counting down, the list starts with No. 20: St. Clair County. St. Clair County has a very low tax rate of .29 percent, but its 20,106 single family homes generate an average of $526 per year. That's because the average market value of a home there is $184, 435.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 19: Montgomery County
No. 19: Montgomery County. Montgomery homeowners paid an average property tax bill of $529 in 2016 on property with an average market value of $132,917. The tax rate is .40 percent, and Montgomery has 69,623 single-family homes.
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No. 18: Barbour County
Barbour County, home of Eufaula and its beautiful antebellum homes, makes the Top 20 list despite a low property tax rate of .34 percent. But with its 6,629 homes averaging $162,084 in market value, that's an average tax bill of $556.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 17: Morgan County
Counting down, Morgan County comes in at No. 17. The average Morgan County tax bill is $559 per year. Morgan County's tax rate is .41 percent, and the average market value of a home there is $134,804. There are 37,602 single-family homes in Morgan County.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 16: Marshall County
The home of Lake Guntersville is No. 16 spot on the property tax list with an average tax bill of $598. Marshall County's average tax bill is $598 with a tax rate of .50 percent. The 28,857 single-family homes in Marshall County have an average market value of $140,593.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 15: Washington County
Home of a frequent Alabama high school football power, Washington County comes in at No. 15 in the property tax rankings. Washington County homeowners pay a .52 percent tax rate on homes with a $115,739 average value. There are 3,475 of them, and the average property tax on them is $603.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 14: Coffee County
No. 14 on the property tax list is Coffee County. Coffee County's tax rate is only .39 percent, but the average market value of the county's 15,500 single-family homes is $156,014. That gives Coffee Countians an average property tax bill of $606 a year.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 13: Cherokee County
There aren't many single-family homes in Cherokee County - only 7,184 - but they have a healthy average value of $157,912 and a property tax rate of .41 percent. That translates to an average tax bill of $647 a year.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 13: Lauderdale County
The beautiful Natchez Trace passes through Lauderdale County, and it's just one of the desirable natural features that make the area attractive. The county has a property tax rate of .49 percent, and the average value of a home is $131,843. There are 32,081 of them, and the average property tax bill is is $647 a year. That's a tie with Cherokee County.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 11: Russell County
Russell County homeowners - there are 16,422 of them - pay an average of $677 a year in property taxes. Their homes have an average market value of $154,808, and they pay a property tax rate of .44 percent.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 10: Tallapoosa County
Tallapoosa County, home to natural attractions like Coon Creek Park, has an extremely low property tax rate of .28 percent. But the average value of its 14,651 single-family homes is $251,085. That means an average yearly property tax of $692.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 9: Limestone County
Limestone County also has a low property tax rate of .39 percent, but the survey says its homeowners have a high average market value of $182,622. The survey only shows 1,469 single-family homes in Limestone County, which doesn't seem right, but the average property tax of $704 is what you'd get with that rate and market value.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 8: Baldwin County
Baldwin County is booming, and one thing that doesn't hurt is its low property taxes. The tax rate here is .34 percent, but the average value of the county's 58,787 single-family homes (including condos) is $215,245. That leads to an an average annual property tax bill of $722.
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VASHA HUNT
No. 7: Tuscaloosa County
Tuscaloosa County, home of the University of Alabama and the Crimson Tide, is another county in Alabama 700 Club - property taxes in the $700 range. Tuscaloosa County has 43,830 single-family homes with an average market value of $185,913. With a tax rate of .39 percent, that's an average property tax bill in T-town of $725.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 6: Bullock County
Bullock County, home of the beautiful Enron Plantation, has only 2,666 single-family homes, according to the survey, but their average value is $192,643. The tax rate is .38 percent, but that still translates to an average annual property tax of $728 - another member of the 700 Club.
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Tim Ard
No. 5: Mobile County
Beautiful Mobile County has 134,011 single-family homes with an average value of $137,002, the survey says. And with a healthy (for Alabama) tax rate of .60 percent, that leads to an average property tax bill of $827.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 4: Madison County
Madison County, home of Space Camp and the Rocket City of Huntsville, comes it at No. 4 on the property tax list with an average annual tax of $928. That's based on 107,062 single-family homes with an average value of $185,517 and a property tax rate of .50 percent. The tax jumps are getting larger closer to the top.
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Dave Martin
No. 3: Lee County
Lee County is the home of Auburn University, and that means an educated populace with good homes. The property tax rate is .50 percent, but Lee County has 33,747 single-family homes with an average value of $210,049. That means an average tax bill of $1,015.
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STEVE BARNETTE
No. 2: Shelby County
Shelby County south of Birmingham is the home of a lot of really nice homes. The bedroom community of Birmingham has 58,267 of them with an average market value of $255,226. Even at a tax rate of only .52 percent, that's an average tax bill of $1,334.
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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com
No. 1: Jefferson County
The county with the most homes and one of Alabama's highest property tax rates comes it at No. 1 on the list. Jefferson County's 237,423 single-family homes have an average market value of $172,219. At a property tax rate of .82, that means an average tax bill of $1,414.
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