Property Taxes in New Hampshire Confuse Residents and Lawmakers Alike

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New Hampshire Real Estate

By Katie ⋅ April 21, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

In the last 35 years, southern New Hampshire’s population has surged, perhaps due to a low percentage of total tax collections as a percentage of personal income. According to Concord, NH’s Director of Real Estate Assessments Kathryn Temchack, the average value of a residential property within the city limits is approximately $270,000. In 2007, the property tax on this average property would be $5,300.

Other states such as Vermont have much lower property taxes, and while both states also have sizable taxes in other areas such as income, registration fees, and cigarette taxes, New Hampshire relies more heavily on property taxes than income taxes. However, New Hampshire’s higher taxes are causing a dilemma for lawmakers and citizens alike. Many believe the tax structure needs to be altered in order to improve educational funding and/or help younger and elderly homeowners.

While the state wants to keep it’s low overall taxes, the changes to tax structure needed are more obvious to some than to others. One thing is clear - the state would make some extra cash if they were to re-institute their $0.25 poultry tax, among other long-forgotten taxes.