Ohio Property Tax Calculator

Ohio Property Taxes

Homeowners in the Buckeye State pay property tax rates that are higher than the national average but lower than those of several other Midwestern states. The effective property tax rate in Ohio is 1.22%, meaning the typical homeowner's annual property tax bill is equal to 1.22% of the median home value. 

However, tax rates vary significantly between Ohio counties and cities. The highest rates are in Cuyahoga County, where the average effective rate is 1.80%. Some counties, meanwhile, have effective rates below 1%. 

High property tax rates belie the fact that Ohio is an affordable place to buy and own a home. The state's median property tax payment ($2,937) and median home value ($239,800) are both below the national medians ($3,211 and $360,600, respectively). 

If you’re looking to move to the Buckeye State despite the slightly high property taxes, check out our guide to mortgages in Ohio. This will inform you about the rates and details about refinancing or getting a mortgage in each of the counties of Ohio.

A financial advisor can help you understand how homeownership fits into your overall financial goals. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

How Ohio Property Taxes Work

Property taxes in Ohio pay for important local services like schools, police departments and parks. They’re also a major source of revenue for city and county governments. Every county has a county auditor who is responsible for determining the assessed value of each home in the county, on which property taxes are based.

Property appraisals follow a six-year cycle in Ohio. Counties conduct full appraisals once every six years, and values are updated based on market conditions in the third year after the appraisal. Appraised values should equal 100% of market value.

However, assessed values in Ohio, the amounts on which property taxes are based, are calculated at 35% of appraised value. So, for example, if your property is worth $100,000, your assessed value should be $35,000.

Since counties all have their own appraisal methods, assessed values can vary from one county to the next. For this reason, the state of Ohio annually publishes “sales ratios” which represent the assessed value in a county as a percentage of actual value. Ideally, this value would be 35%, but in many places it is closer to 30%.

Ohio Property Tax Rates

Property tax rates in Ohio are expressed as millage rates. One mill is equal to $1 of tax for every $1,000 in assessed value. Rates vary by school district, city and county.

Because of the differences in assessed value described above, millage rates in one county cannot be directly compared to another. For this reason, it is useful to look at effective tax rates. The  effective tax rate is calculated as the median annual property tax as a percentage of the median home value in a county.

The table below presents average effective tax rates, median real estate tax payments and median home values for every Ohio county with data available:

Looking to calculate your potential monthly mortgage payment? Check out our mortgage calculator.

Cuyahoga County

Ohio’s largest county by population also has the highest property taxes in the state. The effective property tax rate in Cuyahoga County is 1.80%, which ranks highest in Ohio. For a home worth $212,700, you could expect to pay a property tax bill of roughly $3,822.

Franklin County

Franklin County is located in central Ohio and contains the state capital, Columbus. The county's effective property tax rate is 1.40%. The last countywide reappraisal in Franklin County was in 2017.

If you have questions about how property taxes can affect your overall financial plans, a financial advisor in Columbus can help you out.

Hamilton County

Situated along the Ohio River in southwest Ohio, Hamilton County has property tax rates higher than both state and national averages. The county’s effective property tax rate is 1.44%. The median home value there is $270,900, while the median tax bill is $3,898.

Summit County

The median annual property tax paid by homeowners in Summit County is $3,328. With a median home value of $229,300, the county's effective property tax rate is 1.45%.

Montgomery County

This western Ohio county has among the highest property tax rates in the state. The county’s effective property tax rate is 1.58%, among the highest in the state. The median annual property tax payment is $3,226.

Lucas County

Situated along the Michigan border and Lake Erie in northern Ohio, Lucas County has property tax rates that are higher than both state and national averages. The Lucas County effective property tax rate is 1.55%. At that rate, taxes on a home worth $175,200 would be $2,722 annually.

Stark County

Located in central Ohio, Stark County has property taxes far lower than most of Ohio’s other urban counties. In fact, the county’s effective property tax rate is just 1.16%. That's higher than the state average (1.22%) and but still below the rate in neighboring Summit County (1.45%).

Butler County

Butler County is located in southwest Ohio, just to the north of Cincinnati. Property values in Butler County were last reappraised in 2020. The county’s effective property tax of 1.18% ranks as one of the highest rates in the state.

Lorain County

Located on Lake Erie in northern Ohio, Lorain County is part of the greater Cleveland metropolitan area. The county’s effective property tax rate of 1.22%, which is the same as the statewide mark.

Mahoning County

The median home value in eastern Ohio’s Mahoning County is $171,400, which is among the lowest markets in the state. That's part of the reason homeowners in Mahoning County pay relatively low property taxes, as the median annual property tax payment here is $2,204.