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College towns · 2026
Property tax in major college town counties
For faculty, alumni considering retirement near their alma mater, and parents buying near where their kids go to school. 21 of America’s most-recognized university counties, ranked low to high by effective property tax rate.
| # | County | State | Anchor university | Effective rate | Median bill |
| 1 | Albany County | WY | University of Wyoming | 0.62% | $1,829 |
| 2 | Monroe County | IN | Indiana University Bloomington | 0.74% | $1,735 |
| 3 | Alameda County | CA | UC Berkeley | 0.80% | $8,725 |
| 4 | Whitman County | WA | Washington State University | 0.91% | $2,685 |
| 5 | Durham County | NC | Duke University | 0.99% | $4,110 |
| 6 | Leon County | FL | Florida State University | 1.00% | $2,650 |
| 7 | Alachua County | FL | University of Florida | 1.05% | $2,573 |
| 8 | Benton County | OR | Oregon State University | 1.05% | $4,463 |
| 9 | Middlesex County | MA | Harvard + MIT + Tufts | 1.13% | $7,345 |
| 10 | Brookings County | SD | South Dakota State University | 1.25% | $3,063 |
| 11 | Washtenaw County | MI | University of Michigan | 1.47% | $5,827 |
| 12 | Story County | IA | Iowa State University | 1.65% | $4,455 |
| 13 | Hampshire County | MA | UMass + Smith + Mt Holyoke + Amherst (Five Colleges) | 1.71% | $6,926 |
| 14 | Lubbock County | TX | Texas Tech University | 1.79% | $3,849 |
| 15 | Dane County | WI | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 1.80% | $4,149 |
| 16 | McLennan County | TX | Baylor University | 1.86% | $4,000 |
| 17 | Johnson County | IA | University of Iowa | 1.95% | $4,875 |
| 18 | Lancaster County | NE | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 1.97% | $4,827 |
| 19 | Travis County | TX | University of Texas at Austin | 2.10% | $10,815 |
| 20 | Champaign County | IL | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 2.40% | $4,320 |
| 21 | Albany County | NY | SUNY Albany | 2.45% | $6,615 |
The college-town tax dynamic
College town counties have a specific tax problem: roughly half their land is owned by tax-exempt institutions (the universities themselves, plus university-affiliated foundations, hospitals, and athletic facilities). That exempt land doesn’t contribute to the tax base — but the residents need municipal services anyway. The result: residents in classic college towns often pay above-average rates compared to similar-sized non-college counties.
Compounding the issue: faculty and staff are typically long-term homeowners who benefit from assessment caps and homestead exemptions, while students drive a substantial rental market that pays full non-homestead rates. The bill incidence shifts toward landlords (and indirectly, students paying higher rents).
For context: cheapest county in each metro, best states for retirees, or compare any two counties.
About this site's data and estimates. The Property Tax Almanac is an independent editorial reference. It is not affiliated with any government agency, tax assessor, or tax preparation service. The calculators and data on this site are informational and are not a substitute for advice from a qualified tax professional, attorney, or your official county assessor or appraisal district.
Accuracy, sources, and scope. Tax rate data is compiled from publicly available sources — including the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, the Illinois Department of Revenue, the Florida Department of Revenue, the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, the Arizona Department of Revenue, the North Carolina Department of Revenue, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, the Michigan Department of Treasury, the Iowa Department of Revenue and Iowa Department of Management, the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the California State Board of Equalization, individual county appraisal and assessor offices, and the US Census Bureau — and is believed to be accurate as of the "revised" date shown on each page. Rates change annually (and sometimes mid-year) through local budget adoptions, legislative action, and voter-approved measures. Rates displayed reflect the primary tax district of the county seat; rates in other cities, school districts, Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs), Emergency Services Districts (ESDs), Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts (CFDs), and special taxing units within the same county may be meaningfully higher or lower. Census population figures are from the 2020 Decennial Census and are rounded to the nearest 100.
How to use these estimates. The calculator produces a rough estimate based on the county seat's combined rate, statutory deductions and exemptions available statewide, and the value you enter. Your actual bill depends on your specific parcel's assessed or appraised value, the exact taxing entities covering your address, any local-option exemptions you qualify for, any assessment caps or circuit-breaker protections (e.g., Florida's Save Our Homes, Arizona's Prop 117 LPV cap, Indiana's 1% circuit breaker, North Carolina's Elderly/Disabled Exclusion, Wisconsin's Lottery & Gaming Credit, Michigan's Proposal A 5%/IRM cap, Iowa's residential rollback, Minnesota's Homestead Market Value Exclusion, California's Proposition 13 acquisition-value system and 2% annual cap), and any appeal or protest outcomes. For an authoritative figure, consult your county appraisal district (Texas), county assessor (Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Arizona, North Carolina, Iowa, Minnesota, California), county property appraiser (Florida), or municipal/township assessor (Wisconsin and Michigan — assessments are set at the city/village/township level rather than the county level; some Iowa and Minnesota cities also have city-level assessors). The contact information for the primary authority in each county is listed at the top of that county's page.
No legal or tax advice; no warranty. Nothing on this site constitutes legal, tax, financial, investment, or real estate advice. The Property Tax Almanac, its authors, and its publisher make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability of the content on this site. Any reliance you place on the information is strictly at your own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damage — including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage — arising from the use of this site or from decisions made based on its content.
Found an error? Property tax rules are complex and change often. If you spot an inaccuracy, please contact us — corrections help every reader who comes after you.
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