CLEVELAND, Ohio - Five Ohio counties are home to the 20 districts in the state with the lowest property tax rates - all under $970 in taxes per $100,000 of home value. And none of them are in Greater Cleveland.
Once again, and like most years, the lowest tax rate is in Middle Bass Island, part of the multi-island Put-in-Bay township. Northwest of Sandusky, taxes amounts to $810 per year for every $100,000 of home value, a $2 decrease from the previous year.
This is followed by neighboring Kelleys Island with tax rates amounting to $891, and the portion of Hamilton Township (Rock Hill schools) in Lawrence County at $916.
* See earlier story: Where are the 20 highest property taxes in Ohio?
Lawrence County at the southern tip of Ohio has the most places among the 20 lowest taxed places, with 12. Other counties places among the low 20 are Monroe (4), Noble (2), Erie and Ottawa (1).
Property taxes are split up by school districts and towns or townships and other government bodies such as libraries and park systems. The Clinton-Massie school district, for instance, includes Washington, Massie, Harlan, and Wayne townships - all below $970.
A common trend with property taxes is that the more populated the county, the higher the property tax is likely to be. The data shows more than half of Ohio’s taxing districts have rates below $1,500. Townships aren’t required to provide police departments, don’t have the same responsibilities as cities to maintain streets and traffic signals, and often don’t have other services such as recreation programs.
Below are the 20 districts where rates are below $970 per $100,000 in home values for the 2022 taxes being billed in 2023, according to a cleveland.com analysis of Ohio Department of Taxation data.
| Rank | City/Township | Tax Rate per $100k |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Put-in-Bay Township, Middle Bass/Middle Bass schools) | $810 |
| 2 | Kelleys Island villege (Kelleys Island schools) | $891 |
| 3 | Hamilton Township (Rock Hill schools) | $916 |
| 4 | Union Township (Fairland schools) | $930 |
| 5 | Rome Township (Fairland schools) | $938 |
| 6 | Hamilton Township, Hanging Rock (Rock Hill schools) | $943 |
| 7 | Mason Township (Symmes Valley schools) | $945 |
| 8 | Adams Township (Switzerland of Ohio schools) | $950 |
| 9 | Sunsbury Township (East Jerusalem) | $950 |
| 10 | Symmes Township (Rock Hill schools) | $951 |
| 11 | Jefferson Township (Switzerland of Ohio schools) | $953 |
| 12 | Jefferson Township (Fort Fyre schools) | $955 |
| 13 | Decatur Township (Rock Hill schools) | $956 |
| 14 | Symmes Township (Oak Hill Schools) | $957 |
| 15 | Symmes Township (Symmes Valley Schools) | $958 |
| 16 | Upper Township (Rock Hill schools) | $961 |
| 17 | Elizabeth Township (Rock Hill schools) | $961 |
| 18 | Union Township (Chesapeake schools) | $961 |
| 19 | Franklin Township (Noble schools) | $965 |
| 20 | Franklin Township (Switzerland of Ohio schools) | $965 |
Some mobile users may need to use this link to view the complete list.
Zachary Smith is the data reporter for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. See previous stories at this link.
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