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.
Top 100
| # | County | State | Utilities over tax | Effective rate | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii County | HI | $420 | 0.286% | $486,400 |
| 2 | Maui County | HI | $415 | 0.168% | $858,600 |
| 3 | Kauai County | HI | $382 | 0.225% | $817,900 |
| 4 | Honolulu County | HI | $329 | 0.284% | $873,000 |
| 5 | Northwest Arctic Borough | AK | $305 | 0.122% | $162,500 |
| 6 | Kusilvak Census Area | AK | $305 | 0.274% | $72,700 |
| 7 | Copper River Census Area | AK | $305 | 0.081% | $246,700 |
| 8 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | AK | $259 | 0.862% | $87,800 |
| 9 | Modoc County | CA | $246 | 0.682% | $212,000 |
| 10 | Prince of Wales-Hyder Census Area | AK | $235 | 0.470% | $221,800 |
| 11 | Pulaski County | IL | $227 | 0.825% | $81,000 |
| 12 | Hoonah-Angoon Census Area | AK | $225 | 0.416% | $278,300 |
| 13 | Trinity County | CA | $219 | 0.539% | $329,000 |
| 14 | Lassen County | CA | $211 | 0.720% | $259,500 |
| 15 | Del Norte County | CA | $211 | 0.586% | $319,600 |
| 16 | Siskiyou County | CA | $210 | 0.661% | $284,500 |
| 17 | Yakutat City and Borough | AK | $204 | 0.762% | $185,000 |
| 18 | Choctaw County | AL | $202 | 0.178% | $111,800 |
| 19 | Alexander County | IL | $202 | 1.646% | $58,700 |
| 20 | Piscataquis County | ME | $201 | 0.970% | $153,300 |
| 21 | Tehama County | CA | $201 | 0.632% | $315,600 |
| 22 | Skagway Municipality | AK | $199 | 0.342% | $430,000 |
| 23 | Lamar County | AL | $198 | 0.217% | $112,700 |
| 24 | Bibb County | AL | $196 | 0.204% | $132,600 |
| 25 | McDowell County | WV | $196 | 0.565% | $49,200 |
| 26 | Sumter County | AL | $194 | 0.353% | $84,100 |
| 27 | Webster County | WV | $194 | 0.388% | $78,000 |
| 28 | Coosa County | AL | $194 | 0.271% | $111,800 |
| 29 | Marion County | AL | $193 | 0.295% | $104,300 |
| 30 | Bullock County | AL | $193 | 0.389% | $79,400 |
| 31 | Wilcox County | AL | $193 | 0.367% | $84,200 |
| 32 | Oglala Lakota County | SD | $193 | 0.436% | $45,600 |
| 33 | Buchanan County | VA | $193 | 0.442% | $91,400 |
| 34 | Hardin County | IL | $193 | 1.176% | $91,700 |
| 35 | Perry County | AL | $192 | 0.371% | $87,700 |
| 36 | Clay County | AL | $192 | 0.225% | $144,700 |
| 37 | Conecuh County | AL | $191 | 0.324% | $101,300 |
| 38 | Lowndes County | AL | $191 | 0.408% | $80,600 |
| 39 | Aroostook County | ME | $191 | 1.223% | $131,700 |
| 40 | Wyoming County | WV | $190 | 0.439% | $78,400 |
| 41 | Butler County | AL | $190 | 0.343% | $99,700 |
| 42 | Fayette County | AL | $190 | 0.286% | $121,200 |
| 43 | Crenshaw County | AL | $190 | 0.320% | $108,400 |
| 44 | Pickens County | AL | $189 | 0.289% | $123,300 |
| 45 | Walker County | AL | $189 | 0.272% | $131,100 |
| 46 | Washington County | AL | $189 | 0.234% | $152,800 |
| 47 | Covington County | AL | $189 | 0.251% | $142,500 |
| 48 | Monroe County | AL | $189 | 0.315% | $114,900 |
| 49 | Winston County | AL | $188 | 0.329% | $110,500 |
| 50 | Clay County | WV | $188 | 0.345% | $107,100 |
| 51 | Mingo County | WV | $188 | 0.437% | $85,600 |
| 52 | Washington County | ME | $188 | 1.124% | $147,100 |
| 53 | Issaquena County | MS | $187 | 0.346% | $90,700 |
| 54 | Summers County | WV | $187 | 0.305% | $126,100 |
| 55 | Geneva County | AL | $187 | 0.318% | $120,200 |
| 56 | Clarke County | AL | $186 | 0.307% | $126,400 |
| 57 | Lawrence County | IL | $186 | 1.210% | $95,500 |
| 58 | Marengo County | AL | $186 | 0.384% | $103,400 |
| 59 | Pike County | AL | $185 | 0.270% | $149,000 |
| 60 | Hale County | AL | $185 | 0.321% | $126,300 |
| 61 | Glenn County | CA | $184 | 0.647% | $338,400 |
| 62 | Randolph County | AL | $184 | 0.224% | $184,000 |
| 63 | Dickenson County | VA | $184 | 0.498% | $101,100 |
| 64 | Dallas County | AL | $184 | 0.424% | $97,400 |
| 65 | Barbour County | AL | $184 | 0.378% | $109,900 |
| 66 | Cleburne County | AL | $184 | 0.289% | $144,200 |
| 67 | Gilmer County | WV | $184 | 0.507% | $83,300 |
| 68 | Greene County | AL | $184 | 0.488% | $86,400 |
| 69 | Dale County | AL | $183 | 0.330% | $129,100 |
| 70 | Franklin County | AL | $183 | 0.338% | $128,000 |
| 71 | Tulare County | CA | $183 | 0.730% | $303,000 |
| 72 | Pocahontas County | WV | $182 | 0.315% | $139,400 |
| 73 | Calhoun County | WV | $182 | 0.397% | $111,200 |
| 74 | Clay County | IN | $182 | 0.457% | $128,900 |
| 75 | Jackson County | AL | $181 | 0.308% | $145,800 |
| 76 | Tallapoosa County | AL | $181 | 0.311% | $144,800 |
| 77 | Cullman County | AL | $181 | 0.253% | $180,500 |
| 78 | DeKalb County | AL | $181 | 0.338% | $135,500 |
| 79 | Lawrence County | AL | $180 | 0.305% | $150,700 |
| 80 | Marion County | SC | $180 | 0.457% | $86,800 |
| 81 | Macon County | AL | $180 | 0.489% | $95,700 |
| 82 | Braxton County | WV | $179 | 0.450% | $106,400 |
| 83 | Chilton County | AL | $179 | 0.336% | $142,300 |
| 84 | West Carroll Parish | LA | $179 | 0.204% | $97,600 |
| 85 | Allen Parish | LA | $179 | 0.180% | $110,800 |
| 86 | Escambia County | AL | $178 | 0.395% | $122,700 |
| 87 | Dillon County | SC | $178 | 0.504% | $84,400 |
| 88 | Lincoln County | WV | $178 | 0.478% | $103,400 |
| 89 | Madison Parish | LA | $178 | 0.230% | $90,600 |
| 90 | Chambers County | AL | $177 | 0.382% | $129,700 |
| 91 | Lee County | VA | $177 | 0.594% | $98,700 |
| 92 | Pulaski County | IN | $177 | 0.480% | $134,600 |
| 93 | Amite County | MS | $177 | 0.484% | $89,800 |
| 94 | Crockett County | TX | $177 | 0.333% | $140,000 |
| 95 | Henry County | AL | $177 | 0.342% | $147,800 |
| 96 | Blount County | AL | $176 | 0.299% | $169,700 |
| 97 | Tucker County | WV | $176 | 0.353% | $144,700 |
| 98 | Talladega County | AL | $176 | 0.369% | $137,900 |
| 99 | Gallatin County | IL | $176 | 1.506% | $84,700 |
| 100 | Henry County | VA | $176 | 0.502% | $120,300 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 6.66%. 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.