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It shouldn't come as any surprise that New York State has the 9th highest real estate property taxes in the United States.  In a new Wallethub analysis New York came in 43rd out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The study reports that the Real-Estate Tax on Median state home value is $5,157, 147.5% higher than the Real-Estate Tax on Median US home value.  new York is tied with 23 other states for having the lowest vehicle property tax rate - zero.

Experts say you should consider property taxes when deciding to move to a new community.  That is certainly true for retirees on a fixed income.  There is no point in buying a less expensive home if the annual taxes are a significant percentage of your income.

"Property taxes have the advantage of being somewhat more connected to the local services people get from their local governments, meaning people have more ability to control their property tax liabilities: people who don’t want to pay high property taxes can choose to live in communities with lower taxes but likely get less in public services too," says University of Chicago, Harris School of Public Policy Senior Lecturer and Academic Director Paula R. Worthington. "But property taxes can also be somewhat regressive, as the dollars people owe do not directly vary with their income, and existing 'circuit breakers' (income-based property tax credits) are not always strong enough to correct that regressivity. The problem is, other local tax options –  like sales taxes, personal income taxes, or utility taxes –  also have drawbacks in terms of fairness and efficiency. So, there is no one 'perfect' tax. Local governments should instead aim to rely on a mix of revenues, including a variety of taxes as well as distinct charges and fees for some of the local services (for example, water and sanitation services) they provide to their residents."

The analysis found that the median home value for the state is $302,200.  The median sale price for Tompkins County in 2018 was $268,341. 

Tax rates in the Town of Lansing last year were $1.539754 per $21,000 of assessed value  for the Town, $6.320793 for County taxes, $0.931082 for the Lansing Fire District, $0.214687 for the Lansing Community Library, and  $20.880327 for the Lansing School District.  Some Village of Lansing residents are in the Lansing School District, while many are in the Ithaca district.  The tax rate last year for Village of Lansing residents in the Ithaca School District was $16.8404, and Villagers also paid a Village tax at a $1.501723 tax rate.

The ten states with the highest property taxes are Rhode Island, New York, Nebraska, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin, Connecticut    , New Hampshire, Illinois, and  the highest, New Jersey with annual taxes on a $205K home reaching $5,064.

The ten with the lowest property taxes are Hawaii with only $560 annual property tax on a $205K house, Alabama, Colorado, Louisiana, District of Columbia, Delaware, South Carolina, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Arkansas.

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