College towns · 2026
Property tax in major college town counties
For faculty, alumni considering retirement near their alma mater, and parents buying near where their kids go to school. 21 of America’s most-recognized university counties, ranked low to high by effective property tax rate.
| # | County | State | Anchor university | Effective rate | Median bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany County | WY | University of Wyoming | 0.62% | $1,829 |
| 2 | Monroe County | IN | Indiana University Bloomington | 0.74% | $1,735 |
| 3 | Alameda County | CA | UC Berkeley | 0.80% | $8,725 |
| 4 | Whitman County | WA | Washington State University | 0.91% | $2,685 |
| 5 | Durham County | NC | Duke University | 0.99% | $4,110 |
| 6 | Leon County | FL | Florida State University | 1.00% | $2,650 |
| 7 | Alachua County | FL | University of Florida | 1.05% | $2,573 |
| 8 | Benton County | OR | Oregon State University | 1.05% | $4,463 |
| 9 | Middlesex County | MA | Harvard + MIT + Tufts | 1.13% | $7,345 |
| 10 | Brookings County | SD | South Dakota State University | 1.25% | $3,063 |
| 11 | Washtenaw County | MI | University of Michigan | 1.47% | $5,827 |
| 12 | Story County | IA | Iowa State University | 1.65% | $4,455 |
| 13 | Hampshire County | MA | UMass + Smith + Mt Holyoke + Amherst (Five Colleges) | 1.71% | $6,926 |
| 14 | Lubbock County | TX | Texas Tech University | 1.79% | $3,849 |
| 15 | Dane County | WI | University of Wisconsin-Madison | 1.80% | $4,149 |
| 16 | McLennan County | TX | Baylor University | 1.86% | $4,000 |
| 17 | Johnson County | IA | University of Iowa | 1.95% | $4,875 |
| 18 | Lancaster County | NE | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | 1.97% | $4,827 |
| 19 | Travis County | TX | University of Texas at Austin | 2.10% | $10,815 |
| 20 | Champaign County | IL | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 2.40% | $4,320 |
| 21 | Albany County | NY | SUNY Albany | 2.45% | $6,615 |
The college-town tax dynamic
College town counties have a specific tax problem: roughly half their land is owned by tax-exempt institutions (the universities themselves, plus university-affiliated foundations, hospitals, and athletic facilities). That exempt land doesn’t contribute to the tax base — but the residents need municipal services anyway. The result: residents in classic college towns often pay above-average rates compared to similar-sized non-college counties.
Compounding the issue: faculty and staff are typically long-term homeowners who benefit from assessment caps and homestead exemptions, while students drive a substantial rental market that pays full non-homestead rates. The bill incidence shifts toward landlords (and indirectly, students paying higher rents).
For context: cheapest county in each metro, property tax relief for retirees, or compare any two counties.