Counties with the highest median home values
The county with the highest median home value is San Mateo County, California at $1,494,500, where the median property-tax bill is $9,167 (a 0.61% effective rate). Marin County, CA ($1,390,000) and Nantucket County, MA ($1,387,000) follow. Pricey homes drive big dollar tax bills even where the rate is modest. The top 50 are below.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-year estimates. Data as of June 2026.
Top 50 counties by median home value
| # | County | Median home value | Median tax/yr | Effective rate | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Mateo County, CA | $1,494,500 | $9,167 | 0.61% | 745,100 |
| 2 | Marin County, CA | $1,390,000 | $10,001 | 0.72% | 258,765 |
| 3 | Nantucket County, MA | $1,387,000 | $2,985 | 0.21% | 14,299 |
| 4 | Santa Clara County, CA | $1,382,800 | $9,766 | 0.71% | 1,903,297 |
| 5 | San Francisco County, CA | $1,380,500 | $9,412 | 0.68% | 836,321 |
| 6 | Teton County, WY | $1,371,900 | $5,462 | 0.40% | 23,358 |
| 7 | Pitkin County, CO | $1,131,200 | $4,450 | 0.39% | 17,119 |
| 8 | New York County, NY | $1,108,900 | $10,001 | 0.90% | 1,627,788 |
| 9 | Dukes County, MA | $1,104,100 | $5,503 | 0.50% | 20,751 |
| 10 | Alameda County, CA | $1,057,400 | $8,061 | 0.76% | 1,651,949 |
| 11 | Santa Cruz County, CA | $1,015,200 | $6,305 | 0.62% | 266,021 |
| 12 | Falls Church city, VA | $1,005,400 | $10,001 | 0.99% | 14,593 |
| 13 | Summit County, UT | $1,000,400 | $3,469 | 0.35% | 42,709 |
| 14 | Orange County, CA | $915,500 | $6,096 | 0.67% | 3,164,063 |
| 15 | Kings County, NY | $889,700 | $6,120 | 0.69% | 2,646,306 |
| 16 | Honolulu County, HI | $873,000 | $2,482 | 0.28% | 1,003,666 |
| 17 | Arlington County, VA | $864,800 | $7,774 | 0.90% | 235,463 |
| 18 | Maui County, HI | $858,600 | $1,442 | 0.17% | 164,632 |
| 19 | Summit County, CO | $850,700 | $2,641 | 0.31% | 30,857 |
| 20 | Napa County, CA | $838,800 | $5,840 | 0.70% | 136,070 |
| 21 | Contra Costa County, CA | $830,800 | $6,903 | 0.83% | 1,161,458 |
| 22 | Kauai County, HI | $817,900 | $1,840 | 0.23% | 73,610 |
| 23 | Eagle County, CO | $814,700 | $3,339 | 0.41% | 55,374 |
| 24 | King County, WA | $811,200 | $6,785 | 0.84% | 2,262,713 |
| 25 | San Diego County, CA | $791,600 | $5,542 | 0.70% | 3,282,782 |
| 26 | Los Angeles County, CA | $783,300 | $5,438 | 0.69% | 9,848,406 |
| 27 | Sonoma County, CA | $779,000 | $5,580 | 0.72% | 485,642 |
| 28 | San Luis Obispo County, CA | $777,200 | $5,475 | 0.70% | 281,486 |
| 29 | Ventura County, CA | $768,400 | $5,326 | 0.69% | 838,259 |
| 30 | Routt County, CO | $756,200 | $2,490 | 0.33% | 24,990 |
| 31 | San Benito County, CA | $751,500 | $6,078 | 0.81% | 66,056 |
| 32 | Santa Barbara County, CA | $735,700 | $4,870 | 0.66% | 443,975 |
| 33 | San Juan County, WA | $726,500 | $4,131 | 0.57% | 18,266 |
| 34 | District of Columbia, DC | $724,600 | $4,180 | 0.58% | 672,079 |
| 35 | Wasatch County, UT | $724,400 | $3,230 | 0.45% | 35,808 |
| 36 | Monroe County, FL | $723,800 | $3,943 | 0.55% | 81,840 |
| 37 | Monterey County, CA | $723,100 | $4,782 | 0.66% | 435,834 |
| 38 | Boulder County, CO | $713,900 | $3,821 | 0.54% | 328,317 |
| 39 | Loudoun County, VA | $701,000 | $6,186 | 0.88% | 427,082 |
| 40 | Fairfax County, VA | $699,700 | $7,072 | 1.01% | 1,144,474 |
| 41 | Queens County, NY | $699,200 | $6,130 | 0.88% | 2,330,124 |
| 42 | Alexandria city, VA | $696,800 | $6,879 | 0.99% | 156,788 |
| 43 | Middlesex County, MA | $687,200 | $7,240 | 1.05% | 1,622,896 |
| 44 | Suffolk County, MA | $680,700 | $4,533 | 0.67% | 782,172 |
| 45 | Fairfax city, VA | $677,400 | $6,392 | 0.94% | 24,478 |
| 46 | Douglas County, CO | $674,000 | $3,707 | 0.55% | 368,283 |
| 47 | Williamson County, TN | $673,700 | $2,891 | 0.43% | 254,609 |
| 48 | Ouray County, CO | $670,100 | $1,854 | 0.28% | 5,024 |
| 49 | Elbert County, CO | $664,600 | $2,981 | 0.45% | 27,152 |
| 50 | Blaine County, ID | $663,800 | $2,563 | 0.39% | 24,579 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-year estimates. Data as of June 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which county has the most expensive homes?
San Mateo County, California has the highest median home value at $1,494,500, with a property-tax bill of $9,167 (a 0.61% effective rate). Marin County, CA ($1,390,000) and Nantucket County, MA ($1,387,000) follow. Source: Census ACS 2019-2023 (ACS 2023 5-year).
Do expensive-home counties pay the most property tax?
Often, but not always. Their dollar bills are usually high because the base value is large, even when the effective rate is moderate or low. A high-value county with a low rate (common in the West) can pay less tax than a mid-value county with a high rate (common in the Northeast and Midwest).
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Last updated: 2026-06-20