The property tax paid by property owners in the US varies by County to County within each state, so there is no average rate to quote. Best idea is to consider a city/market then research the counties that comprise that city. For example, I live in Charlotte, North Carolina and there are approximately 13 counties that make up the Charlotte metro area and surrounding suburbs. The predominant county is Mecklenburg, where the property tax rate is $1.297 per $100 of property valuation. The county I live in is Union county, where the property tax rate is $0.74 per $100 of property valuation. Interestingly, the school district in Union is considered far more highly than that for Mecklenburg. So, as people move to Charlotte, they are picking Union County over Mecklenburg County for both the quality of the schools and the considerably cheaper property taxes.
So, in North Carolina, the property tax bills are sent out September 1st and are paid in one lump sum for that entire year. Interestingly, the County files a tax lien on the property on January 1st of that year. This lien takes precedence over all other liens, should the owner not pay.
The property valuation is done by the County based on size of the property, size of the house, building material and any additions/modifications to the house. With the property values declining, some people are contesting the tax value the County is placing on their property.
Property taxes are tax deductible at tax time.
Hope that helps.
David Karp