NH Property Taxes - Town by Town comparison

[Lance]

Long shot, but is anyone aware of a town-by-town compilation of the different property tax rates for NH towns? 

Thanks.

[toowm]

http://www.jacksonteamre.com/images/2008taxrates.pdf

[KBCraig]

It is very important to remember that tax rates don't tell the whole story, because the rates are applied to the valuations.

Town A has a rate of x; Town B has a rate of y, and x>y. But, because Town B's property values are much higher, the actual tax paid is higher, even though the rates are lower.

If you're directly comparing two properties with known values in different towns, the knowing the rate is valuable. Or, if you have a budget of n, and want to see which town would have more affordable taxes within that budget, the rate matters.

The taxes are relatively flat for similar properties in the same area, even though the rates and valuations might vary wildly.

But overall, the thing I've found is that many towns have lower rates because their property values are higher, and vice versa. What really matters is the taxes paid on each individual property, and that is usually noted in the real estate listings.

The net effect of all this, is that to get a lower rate, you sometimes have to pay a higher price. House prices are mortgaged, but tax bills aren't; I'd rather not pay inflated prices and interest to have a lower tax rate. I will happily take no mortgage, or a very low mortgage on short terms, and pay a higher rate for a property that is "worth" less.

[Lance]

Excellent.  Thanks very much. 

But I don't quite understand it.  For example, the number under "Total Tax" for Berlin is 29.82 but that can't be a percentage, can it?

[Fluff and Stuff]

I find city-data to be the best place to look.
http://www.city-data.com/city/New-Hampshire.html

Compare the property taxes paid.  Look at the year next to that. 

[mackler]

It is very important to remember that tax rates don't tell the whole story, because the rates are applied to the valuations.

Town A has a rate of x; Town B has a rate of y, and x>y. But, because Town B's property values are much higher, the actual tax paid is higher, even though the rates are lower.
...
But overall, the thing I've found is that many towns have lower rates because their property values are higher, and vice versa. What really matters is the taxes paid on each individual property, and that is usually noted in the real estate listings.

What does this mean: "their property values are higher?"  What is a town's "property value" and how do you measure it?  Do you mean the average value of all parcels in the city or something else?

I don't suppose you have a list of all NH towns and their attribute that you're calling "property value?"

[KBCraig]

What does this mean: "their property values are higher?"  What is a town's "property value" and how do you measure it?  Do you mean the average value of all parcels in the city or something else?

It means the average selling price (or, for tax purposes, the "valuations"). In real estate terms, the "comps" (comparisons).

Take a typical 100 year old 3/1.5 Cape on 0.1 acre with a single car garage in Town A, and an almost identical house in similar condition in Town B. Almost invariably, they will have different values. This can be because of the perceived desirability of living in either town, or the school reputation, or the relation to the value of surrounding properties (a $150k house in Berlin is top end; a $150k house in Lancaster is just in the solid middle; it's always good to be the the poorest house on the block, rather than the best.)

Values can also vary wildly, especially in southern NH, based on ease of access to commuter routes.

I don't suppose you have a list of all NH towns and their attribute that you're calling "property value?"

I think that citydata site has average property values.

[KBCraig]

...the number under "Total Tax" for Berlin is 29.82 but that can't be a percentage, can it?

That is the tax per $1,000 of assessed value. Total taxes on a $100,000 house in Berlin would be $2,982 per year.

[KBCraig]

Oh, and it's important to noted that assessed values and selling price, especially during these economic times, can differ wildly. You might only pay $100k for a house, but if it was assessed last year at $250k, you're going to pay taxes on the $250k valuation. You might be able to demand a revaluation or variance. If it's denied, you're stuck.

[Fluff and Stuff]

I don't suppose you have a list of all NH towns and their attribute that you're calling "property value?"

The city-data data lists that for towns, but not individual properties.

[AntonLee]

you lookin' in Berlin too Lance?

[Russell Kanning]

Excellent.  Thanks very much. 

But I don't quite understand it.  For example, the number under "Total Tax" for Berlin is 29.82 but that can't be a percentage, can it?

3%
what the people payed last year is the most helpp

[Lance]

you lookin' in Berlin too Lance?

Not especially, but most of the property that suits us seems to be up north.

Excellent.  Thanks very much. 

But I don't quite understand it.  For example, the number under "Total Tax" for Berlin is 29.82 but that can't be a percentage, can it?

3%
what the people payed last year is the most helpp

Thanks.

[lildog]

There are two other factors that come into play and could shift dynamics drastically from year to year.

The first is state funding.  Some towns get large amounts of funding for things like education from the state.  If the funding dries up the local taxes will skyrocket.  This was something we saw in Merrimack.  The town masked spending by getting more and more from the state but the state money dried up and suddenly the local taxes doubled and no one could figure out why.

The second factor is the value of business vs residential land.  Merrimack for instance is fairly even so 51% of the town budget is covered by taxes from Commercial and industry and the other 49% is by homes.  Even a slight shift in that balance can drive what home owners pay in property taxes up or down by quite a bit.

So depending on what you need this data for, there is quite a bit of information to consider.

If you simply want to see which towns are the most efficiently run / small government towns in the state then I would suggest a simply calculation.  Take the over all budget of each town and divide it by the number of people to find the per person spending.

[KBCraig]

Good points, lildog.