New data showed tax shock and confusion over appeals adding to affordability strain
A growing share of US homeowners has their budgets upended by property tax bills that rise faster than expected and remain poorly understood, according to a new national survey.
The poll of 2,500 homeowners, conducted in March 2026 for property tax appeal platform Ownwell, found 76% said their recent tax bills are higher than they budgeted, a 10‑point jump from 2025.
Some 64% reported being “surprised or shocked” by their latest bill, while 77% said their property taxes increased since moving in.
Tax stress meets opaque systems
Beyond the sticker shock, homeowners expressed deep unease with how those bills were set.
Eighty‑four percent agreed their local property tax process negatively affected them, with 22% saying the total bill was too high and unaffordable and 19% saying the valuation process felt unfair and arbitrary.
“These survey results highlight a significant need for broader education around homeowners’ property tax rights. Too many homeowners report that they have never appealed their property taxes, which means they may be missing out on meaningful savings that could make a real difference for their families,” said Colton Pace, founder and CEO of Ownwell.
Nationally, nearly three in four respondents, or 74%, never appealed their tax bill. Of those, 57% said they did not know they had the right to do so, up from 2025.
“While some homeowners preferred to manage their property tax matters on their own, the process can quickly become confusing and overwhelming,” Pace said.
Openness to third‑party help, tempered by privacy
The survey also probed attitudes toward outside assistance. Among those who appealed, “53% claim to have handled it entirely on their own, while 19% used a tax firm or online resource, and 17% hired a lawyer.”
Yet homeowners appeared broadly receptive to outside help. “Seventy‑three percent of homeowners express at least some trust in a third‑party service to handle an appeal on their behalf, with 12% describing themselves as ‘very trusting.’”
Among the 27% who were distrustful, “42% … said they simply prefer to handle property matters themselves,” 39% cited “data privacy and security concerns,” and “only 20% doubted that a third‑party service could achieve a better outcome.”
Part of a broader affordability squeeze
The findings came as multiple data sets pointed to persistent cost pressure on owners. Census Bureau figures showed median monthly owner costs for mortgaged homeowners climbed to $2,035 in 2024, up from $1,960 the year before, even after adjusting for inflation.
ATTOM data showed the average US property tax bill rose to $4,172 in 2024, a 2.7% annual increase, even as effective tax rates dipped slightly.
First American reported that 16.9 million US homeowners were spending more than 30% of their income on housing by 2023 – the highest burden in over a decade – with rising insurance premiums and property taxes cited as key drivers.
More recent analysis suggested the pandemic‑era spike in ownership costs might be easing, with property taxes, insurance and utilities rising 2.6% in 2024, the slowest pace since 2020, but still outpacing many incomes.
Against that backdrop, Ownwell’s survey suggested property taxes were nudging mobility decisions: 40% of respondents said they considered moving specifically because of high local tax bills.
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