Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Counties Where Utilities Cost More Than Property Tax in America
Property tax gets all the attention, but in much of the country the electricity and water bill is the larger line item. These are the counties where the gap is widest, using state residential electricity prices from the EIA.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
Top 100
| # | County | State | Utilities over tax | Effective rate | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Choctaw County | AL | $239 | 0.178% | $111,800 |
| 2 | Lamar County | AL | $235 | 0.217% | $112,700 |
| 3 | Bibb County | AL | $233 | 0.204% | $132,600 |
| 4 | Sumter County | AL | $231 | 0.353% | $84,100 |
| 5 | Coosa County | AL | $230 | 0.271% | $111,800 |
| 6 | Marion County | AL | $230 | 0.295% | $104,300 |
| 7 | Bullock County | AL | $230 | 0.389% | $79,400 |
| 8 | Wilcox County | AL | $230 | 0.367% | $84,200 |
| 9 | Perry County | AL | $228 | 0.371% | $87,700 |
| 10 | Clay County | AL | $228 | 0.225% | $144,700 |
| 11 | Conecuh County | AL | $228 | 0.324% | $101,300 |
| 12 | Lowndes County | AL | $228 | 0.408% | $80,600 |
| 13 | Butler County | AL | $227 | 0.343% | $99,700 |
| 14 | Fayette County | AL | $227 | 0.286% | $121,200 |
| 15 | Crenshaw County | AL | $227 | 0.320% | $108,400 |
| 16 | Pickens County | AL | $226 | 0.289% | $123,300 |
| 17 | Walker County | AL | $226 | 0.272% | $131,100 |
| 18 | Washington County | AL | $226 | 0.234% | $152,800 |
| 19 | Covington County | AL | $226 | 0.251% | $142,500 |
| 20 | Monroe County | AL | $225 | 0.315% | $114,900 |
| 21 | Winston County | AL | $225 | 0.329% | $110,500 |
| 22 | Geneva County | AL | $224 | 0.318% | $120,200 |
| 23 | Clarke County | AL | $223 | 0.307% | $126,400 |
| 24 | Marengo County | AL | $222 | 0.384% | $103,400 |
| 25 | Pike County | AL | $222 | 0.270% | $149,000 |
| 26 | Hale County | AL | $222 | 0.321% | $126,300 |
| 27 | Randolph County | AL | $221 | 0.224% | $184,000 |
| 28 | Dallas County | AL | $221 | 0.424% | $97,400 |
| 29 | Barbour County | AL | $221 | 0.378% | $109,900 |
| 30 | Cleburne County | AL | $221 | 0.289% | $144,200 |
| 31 | Greene County | AL | $220 | 0.488% | $86,400 |
| 32 | Dale County | AL | $220 | 0.330% | $129,100 |
| 33 | Franklin County | AL | $219 | 0.338% | $128,000 |
| 34 | Northwest Arctic Borough | AK | $218 | 0.122% | $162,500 |
| 35 | Kusilvak Census Area | AK | $218 | 0.274% | $72,700 |
| 36 | Jackson County | AL | $218 | 0.308% | $145,800 |
| 37 | Copper River Census Area | AK | $218 | 0.081% | $246,700 |
| 38 | Tallapoosa County | AL | $218 | 0.311% | $144,800 |
| 39 | Cullman County | AL | $217 | 0.253% | $180,500 |
| 40 | DeKalb County | AL | $217 | 0.338% | $135,500 |
| 41 | Lawrence County | AL | $217 | 0.305% | $150,700 |
| 42 | Macon County | AL | $216 | 0.489% | $95,700 |
| 43 | Chilton County | AL | $216 | 0.336% | $142,300 |
| 44 | Buchanan County | VA | $215 | 0.442% | $91,400 |
| 45 | Escambia County | AL | $215 | 0.395% | $122,700 |
| 46 | Chambers County | AL | $214 | 0.382% | $129,700 |
| 47 | Henry County | AL | $213 | 0.342% | $147,800 |
| 48 | Blount County | AL | $213 | 0.299% | $169,700 |
| 49 | Talladega County | AL | $213 | 0.369% | $137,900 |
| 50 | Houston County | AL | $211 | 0.300% | $178,000 |
| 51 | Issaquena County | MS | $210 | 0.346% | $90,700 |
| 52 | Elmore County | AL | $208 | 0.264% | $213,600 |
| 53 | Autauga County | AL | $208 | 0.285% | $197,900 |
| 54 | Dickenson County | VA | $207 | 0.498% | $101,100 |
| 55 | McDowell County | WV | $207 | 0.565% | $49,200 |
| 56 | Etowah County | AL | $207 | 0.364% | $160,600 |
| 57 | Montgomery County | AL | $206 | 0.374% | $160,100 |
| 58 | Colbert County | AL | $205 | 0.374% | $161,600 |
| 59 | Webster County | WV | $205 | 0.388% | $78,000 |
| 60 | Calhoun County | AL | $205 | 0.408% | $149,500 |
| 61 | West Carroll Parish | LA | $204 | 0.204% | $97,600 |
| 62 | Allen Parish | LA | $204 | 0.180% | $110,800 |
| 63 | Coffee County | AL | $204 | 0.341% | $180,300 |
| 64 | Oglala Lakota County | SD | $204 | 0.436% | $45,600 |
| 65 | Madison Parish | LA | $204 | 0.230% | $90,600 |
| 66 | Crockett County | TX | $203 | 0.333% | $140,000 |
| 67 | Russell County | AL | $203 | 0.414% | $152,300 |
| 68 | Cherokee County | AL | $202 | 0.388% | $165,900 |
| 69 | Tensas Parish | LA | $202 | 0.289% | $80,300 |
| 70 | Wyoming County | WV | $201 | 0.439% | $78,400 |
| 71 | Borden County | TX | $201 | 0.468% | $105,400 |
| 72 | Avoyelles Parish | LA | $201 | 0.203% | $120,200 |
| 73 | Lee County | VA | $200 | 0.594% | $98,700 |
| 74 | East Carroll Parish | LA | $200 | 0.287% | $87,400 |
| 75 | St. Clair County | AL | $200 | 0.305% | $218,500 |
| 76 | Amite County | MS | $200 | 0.484% | $89,800 |
| 77 | Catahoula Parish | LA | $199 | 0.292% | $88,000 |
| 78 | Morgan County | AL | $199 | 0.349% | $193,000 |
| 79 | Clay County | WV | $199 | 0.345% | $107,100 |
| 80 | Mingo County | WV | $199 | 0.437% | $85,600 |
| 81 | Henry County | VA | $199 | 0.502% | $120,300 |
| 82 | Summers County | WV | $198 | 0.305% | $126,100 |
| 83 | Lauderdale County | AL | $197 | 0.375% | $185,800 |
| 84 | Marion County | SC | $197 | 0.457% | $86,800 |
| 85 | Marshall County | AL | $197 | 0.381% | $183,400 |
| 86 | Claiborne County | MS | $197 | 0.582% | $80,800 |
| 87 | Choctaw County | MS | $197 | 0.452% | $104,500 |
| 88 | Covington city | VA | $197 | 0.784% | $80,200 |
| 89 | Lunenburg County | VA | $196 | 0.436% | $145,500 |
| 90 | Bienville Parish | LA | $196 | 0.319% | $93,600 |
| 91 | Wheeler County | GA | $196 | 0.753% | $74,600 |
| 92 | Claiborne Parish | LA | $196 | 0.369% | $82,400 |
| 93 | Russell County | VA | $195 | 0.538% | $119,600 |
| 94 | Dillon County | SC | $195 | 0.504% | $84,400 |
| 95 | Gilmer County | WV | $195 | 0.507% | $83,300 |
| 96 | Tallahatchie County | MS | $195 | 0.602% | $82,200 |
| 97 | Wise County | VA | $194 | 0.565% | $116,500 |
| 98 | Winn Parish | LA | $194 | 0.315% | $102,600 |
| 99 | Evangeline Parish | LA | $194 | 0.273% | $118,500 |
| 100 | East Feliciana Parish | LA | $194 | 0.153% | $213,700 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Counties Where Utilities Cost More Than Property Tax by state
The same ranking within a single state.
Alabama67Alaska26Arizona15Arkansas75California58Colorado64Florida67Georgia159Idaho44Illinois102Indiana92Iowa99Kansas105Kentucky120Louisiana64Maine16Maryland24Massachusetts14Michigan83Minnesota87Mississippi82Missouri115Montana56Nebraska93Nevada16New Jersey21New Mexico33New York62North Carolina100North Dakota53Ohio88Oklahoma77Oregon36Pennsylvania67South Carolina46South Dakota65Tennessee95Texas250Utah29Vermont14Virginia133Washington39West Virginia55Wisconsin72Wyoming23