Beach & coastal · 2026
Property tax in beach & coastal counties
For vacation-home buyers, retirees relocating to the coast, and second-home investors. 25 of America’s most popular oceanfront counties — from Florida beach towns to the Outer Banks to the California coast — ranked by effective property tax rate.
| # | County | State | Beaches / coast | Effective rate | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baldwin County | AL | Gulf Shores · Orange Beach · Fort Morgan | 0.35% | $345,000 |
| 2 | Kent County | DE | Bowers Beach · Slaughter Beach | 0.42% | $280,000 |
| 3 | Sussex County | DE | Rehoboth · Bethany · Dewey | 0.45% | $397,800 |
| 4 | Horry County | SC | Myrtle Beach · North Myrtle Beach | 0.45% | $310,000 |
| 5 | Beaufort County | SC | Hilton Head · Bluffton | 0.45% | $420,000 |
| 6 | Charleston County | SC | Folly Beach · Sullivan's Island | 0.55% | $420,000 |
| 7 | San Diego County | CA | La Jolla · Coronado · Del Mar | 0.65% | $914,700 |
| 8 | Orange County | CA | Newport · Laguna · Huntington | 0.69% | $1,200,000 |
| 9 | Collier County | FL | Naples · Marco Island | 0.71% | $685,000 |
| 10 | Santa Cruz County | CA | Santa Cruz · Capitola | 0.71% | $1,100,000 |
| 11 | San Luis Obispo County | CA | Pismo Beach · Morro Bay | 0.74% | $850,000 |
| 12 | Marin County | CA | Sausalito · Stinson · Bolinas | 0.81% | $1,450,000 |
| 13 | Sarasota County | FL | Siesta Key · Lido Key | 0.86% | $425,000 |
| 14 | Brevard County | FL | Cocoa Beach · Cape Canaveral | 0.89% | $315,000 |
| 15 | Pinellas County | FL | Clearwater · St. Pete Beach | 0.92% | $345,000 |
| 16 | Manatee County | FL | Anna Maria Island | 1.05% | $415,000 |
| 17 | Volusia County | FL | Daytona Beach · New Smyrna | 1.05% | $270,000 |
| 18 | Cape May County | NJ | Cape May · Wildwood · Stone Harbor | 1.06% | $460,000 |
| 19 | Monterey County | CA | Carmel · Big Sur · Monterey Bay | 1.10% | $770,000 |
| 20 | St. Lucie County | FL | Hutchinson Island · Treasure Coast | 1.16% | $345,000 |
| 21 | Monmouth County | NJ | Asbury Park · Belmar · Sea Bright | 1.48% | $674,100 |
| 22 | Ocean County | NJ | LBI · Seaside Heights · Point Pleasant | 1.70% | $364,500 |
| 23 | Nueces County | TX | Padre Island · Port Aransas | 1.81% | $215,000 |
| 24 | Cameron County | TX | South Padre Island · Brownsville | 1.85% | $165,000 |
| 25 | Galveston County | TX | Galveston Island · Crystal Beach | 2.01% | $280,000 |
The vacation-home tax problem
Beach properties pay disproportionately into local tax bases. Most coastal counties have substantial year-round populations that need municipal services (schools, roads, fire, EMS, beach renourishment), but population swells 5-20x during summer — and second-home owners who only visit a few weeks a year still need their pipes drained, beach access maintained, and storm response on standby.
The structural result: second-home owners typically pay full effective rates without homestead exemptions. A Florida vacation home pays the full 1%+ rate; a primary residence in the same county would benefit from the $50K homestead exemption + Save Our Homes 3% AV cap. On a $500K beach condo, that’s easily $1,500-2,500/year extra for non-homestead status.
For deeper analysis: browse Florida counties, California coastal, or compare any two counties directly.