Columbus’s effective property tax rate moved from 2% in 2016 up to 2.2% in 2025, representing a 0.2 percentage point increase over 10 years, according to BlockShopper.com.
In Franklin County, the average effective property tax rate fell from 2.1% in 2016 to 1.6% in 2025, a shift of 0.5 percentage points during the same period. Columbus’s 2025 rate was above the county average.
Out of the 37 cities analyzed in Franklin County, Columbus logged the second smallest rise in effective property tax rates over that time frame.
In 2025, Columbus ranked fifth among Franklin County cities for its effective property tax rate of 2.2%.
This rate is 2.5 times higher than the 2024 national average effective property tax rate of 0.888%.
The national median home price reached around $447,000 in June 2025, according to Redfin, a 1.13% increase compared with a year before. Redfin data also noted a difference in supply and demand, with 36% more sellers than buyers—a gap of 508,715 homes. Redfin defines a balanced housing market as one with sellers and buyers within 10% of each other.
Homeowners may pay higher property taxes when home values increase, even if rates stay flat or decrease. Property taxes are based on both the rate and a property’s assessed value, so rising prices can expand the tax base and tax bills, even if local governments lower rates. The largest U.S. cities saw the average effective property tax rate on a median-priced home decline by over 5% from 2023 to 2024, according to a Lincoln Institute of Land Policy analysis.
Meanwhile, higher property values have expanded the tax base in many regions. Because property taxes are calculated using market value, elevated home prices can bring larger bills even if rates decrease or remain steady. Studies of U.S. housing markets indicate a 1% increase in median home value correlates with about a 0.71% drop in the effective tax rate, showing strong price growth may reduce rates while enabling governments to collect increased revenues.
| Year | Effective Property Tax Rate |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.2% |
| 2024 | 1.9% |
| 2023 | N/A |
| 2022 | N/A |
| 2021 | 1.3% |
| 2020 | N/A |
| 2019 | 1.7% |
| 2018 | 1.7% |
| 2017 | 1.9% |
| 2016 | 2% |
This report uses data from BlockShopper.com. The original data source is available here.
