Rob Hartley

Founder, AppealDesk · February 25, 2026

2026 Property Tax Increases: What Homeowners Need to Know

Updated February 2026 · 11 min read

1. The Headline Numbers

In 2024, state and local governments collected $797 billion in property tax revenue, an 8.2% jump from the prior year (source: U.S. Census Bureau via the National Association of Home Builders, March 2025). That is not a one-year anomaly. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) found that property taxes surged 30% between 2019 and 2024, outpacing both wage growth and general inflation over the same period.

For individual homeowners, those billions translate to real monthly pain. According to ATTOM's 2024 Annual Property Tax Report, the average property tax on a U.S. single-family home rose to $4,300, up 5.8% from the previous year. The average effective tax rate was 0.86% nationally. With Zillow's Home Value Index pegging the typical U.S. home at roughly $359,078 in late 2025 (source: Zillow Research), that average bill is poised to keep climbing: Zillow forecasts home values will rise another 1.2% in 2026.

If your tax bill feels larger than it used to, you are not imagining it. The question is whether your share of that $797 billion is fair, or whether your assessment has outpaced the actual market value of your home. For the majority of homeowners, the answer is worth investigating. Our savings calculator can give you a quick estimate in seconds.

2. Why 2026 Is Hitting Harder

Many homeowners are asking why this year's tax bill feels especially steep. The answer lies in reassessment timing. Most counties reassess property values on a cycle: annually, biennially, or triennially (every one, two, or three years). That means the explosive home price gains of 2021 and 2022 are only now fully reflected in many homeowners' assessed values.

During the pandemic, home prices rose at historic rates. The typical home gained 30 to 40% in value between early 2020 and mid-2022, according to Zillow Research. But in jurisdictions that reassess every two to four years, those price spikes did not hit tax bills until 2024, 2025, or 2026. Homeowners in these areas are now receiving assessment notices that reflect peak pandemic pricing, even though the market has since cooled in many areas.

Cook County, Illinois is the poster child for this phenomenon. In 2025, the average Cook County homeowner saw a 16% increase on their second-installment property tax bill (source: Cook County Treasurer's Office). In some neighborhoods, the pain was far worse: West Garfield Park homeowners averaged a 133% increase. What happened? The Cook County Board of Review cut commercial property values by nearly 20%, shifting approximately $500 million in tax burden onto residential homeowners. If you own a home in Illinois, now is the time to review your assessment. See our Cook County appeal guide for detailed instructions.

The pattern repeats across the country. States with multi-year reassessment cycles (including New York, Illinois, and parts of Ohio and Georgia) are seeing the biggest single-year jumps because several years of appreciation get compressed into one reassessment. Even in states that reassess annually, assessors often lag the market by a year or more, meaning the 2021-2022 surge is still rippling through.

3. Hardest-Hit States

Property tax burdens vary enormously by state. ATTOM's 2024 data reveals which states have the highest effective tax rates and the steepest average bills. Here are the states where homeowners are feeling it most.

Highest Effective Property Tax Rates (2024)

Highest Average Tax Bills (2024)

Beyond the 2024 data, several states are projecting significant increases heading into 2026. The Minnesota Department of Revenue reports that preliminary 2026 property taxes could increase by $948.2 million over 2025, a 6.9% statewide jump. That is on top of increases already baked into 2025 bills.

If you live in a high-rate state, the stakes of an overassessment are amplified. A 15% overassessment in New Jersey costs far more in dollar terms than the same percentage overassessment in a low-rate state like Hawaii (0.31%). Our property tax appeal statistics page breaks down overassessment costs by state.

4. Relief Programs Available in 2026

Legislatures across the country are responding to constituent anger over rising property taxes. Several significant relief measures are now in effect or under consideration for 2026. Here is what is available, state by state.

New Laws and Proposals

Ongoing Relief Programs to Check

Beyond new legislation, most states offer standing programs that many homeowners never claim. These include:

• Homestead exemptions: Available in most states, these reduce the taxable value of your primary residence. See our complete exemptions guide.
• Senior and disability freezes: Many states freeze assessed values or tax bills for homeowners over 65 or those with qualifying disabilities. See our senior appeal guide.
• Circuit breaker credits: Income-based programs that cap property taxes as a percentage of household income. Common in states like Vermont, Maryland, and Michigan.
• Deferral programs: Some states allow seniors or low-income homeowners to defer property tax payments until the home is sold, preventing displacement from rising bills.

These programs vary significantly by state and county. Check your state's appeal page on AppealDesk for links to your county assessor's exemption application.

5. What You Can Do Right Now

Waiting does not help. Property tax appeal deadlines are strict, and most states give you only 30 to 90 days after your assessment notice arrives. Here are the three steps every homeowner should take this year.

6. The Assessment Ratio Trap

One of the most misunderstood aspects of property taxes is the assessment ratio (also called the assessment level or classification rate). Many states do not tax the full market value of your home. Instead, they apply a ratio that reduces the market value to a lower "assessed value." This makes your assessment look reasonable, even when it is significantly inflated.

Here is how it works in practice:

Seeing an assessed value of $100,000 on a home you know is worth $400,000 makes many Tennessee homeowners assume their assessment is a bargain. But the key question is not whether the assessed value looks low in absolute terms. The question is whether the implied market value (assessed value divided by the ratio) matches what your home would actually sell for. If Tennessee's assessment implies your home is worth $400,000 but comparable sales show it is worth $350,000, you are being overassessed by $12,500 in assessed value terms, which could easily cost you $200 to $500 per year depending on your local millage rate.

Colorado's 6.95% ratio is especially tricky. The assessed value on a $500,000 home is only $34,750, which sounds trivially small. But that $34,750 is multiplied by mill levies that often exceed 80 mills in the Denver metro area, producing a tax bill of $2,780 or more. If the implied market value is wrong by 15%, the homeowner is overpaying by roughly $417 per year. Over a decade, that is more than $4,000.

For a deeper dive into how assessment ratios work across all 50 states, see our assessment ratio by state guide and the assessment ratio glossary entry.

7. 2026 Filing Deadline Calendar

Missing your deadline means waiting an entire year (or longer) to appeal. Below are estimated 2026 filing windows for the 10 largest states by population. For a complete 50-state list with exact dates, see our property tax appeal deadlines page.

Important: These are estimated dates. Your exact deadline depends on when your county mails assessment notices and any local variations. Always verify the deadline with your county assessor's office or check your notice for the appeal filing date. Our full deadline guide covers all 50 states with more detail.

For a walkthrough of what to expect after filing, see how long a property tax appeal takes.

Data sources: U.S. Census Bureau Quarterly Tax Revenue, NAHB (March 2025), ATTOM 2024 Annual Property Tax Report, Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, Zillow Research ZHVI (late 2025), Minnesota Department of Revenue, Cook County Treasurer, National Taxpayers Union Foundation, Indiana General Assembly fiscal analysis, state legislative records.