Are You Paying Too Much in Property Taxes? You Might Be—Here's How to Check
If you've ever felt like your property tax bill was a little high, you’re not alone—and you might actually be right. According to a recent report from Realtor.com®, over 40% of U.S. homes may be overassessed. That means nearly half of all homeowners could be paying more than they should in property taxes. And here’s the kicker: the median homeowner could potentially save $539 per year just by challenging their tax assessment!
Why This Matters to You
Many homeowners don’t realize they can protest their property tax bill—or that doing so could lead to real savings. Realtor.com® recently launched a new feature that helps make this process simpler, clearer, and more accessible. Whether you're in Central Massachusetts or somewhere else, this tool can help you check if your home’s assessment is fair—and if not, guide you through the steps to challenge it.
Where Homeowners Are Seeing the Biggest Savings
While overassessment can happen anywhere, some states are seeing it more often—and the savings add up fast:
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Texas – 51.2% of homes flagged | Median savings: $606.66
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South Dakota – 48.3% flagged | Median savings: $431.23
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California – 47.8% flagged | Median savings: $1,875.12
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Iowa – 47.3% flagged | Median savings: $368.91
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Illinois – 46.5% flagged | Median savings: $629.76
Even if you’re not in one of those states, it’s still worth checking. In places with high tax rates (like parts of New England), even a small correction could make a big difference over time.
Property Tax Changes: What’s Going Up (and Down)
The report also found that property tax burdens have increased dramatically in some areas. For instance, Georgia saw a 15.6% spike in 2024—even though home values only went up 4.8%. Other fast-climbing states include:
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Texas: +7.8% tax burden
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Maine: +5.9%
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New Hampshire: +5.6%
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Wisconsin: +5.5%
On the flip side, a few states actually saw tax burdens go down even while home values went up, like Nebraska and Michigan.
Here’s How to Check if You’re Overpaying
Realtor.com® now offers a free tool through the My Home dashboard that helps you find out if your home is overassessed. Here’s what you’ll get:
✅ Estimated Savings based on your location and property data
✅ Downloadable Evidence Packets that include assessed value, tax rate info, and comparable homes
✅ Access to Local Comps to support your protest or help you understand how your home stacks up
You can even connect with a local real estate agent (like me!) to help guide you through the process.
“Most homeowners don’t realize they can protest their property taxes, and even fewer know how,” says David Masters, Sr. Director of Product at Realtor.com®. “We built this resource to simplify what has traditionally been a confusing and intimidating process.”
The tool is available now on desktop, mobile web, iOS, and Android. Click here to check it out! https://www.realtor.com/myhome?tax=protest
