Basic Facts — Ohioans to Protect Public Services

Ohio Property Taxes:
The Basics

A row of three houses on a quiet street during autumn. The house on the left is light blue with a red door, the middle house has a storefront style with large window, and the house on the right is red brick. The street has street lamps and trees with orange leaves, and the sky is clear.

Taxes levied on “real property” – land and buildings – are commonly known as property taxes. Property taxes are levied in all 50 states and are most often used to support local public services.

In Ohio, all property taxes are locally levied and all proceeds support local services. No property tax revenue goes to the state. The vast majority of all property taxes are from levies for specific purposes passed by a vote of the people in local jurisdictions.

Nearly two-thirds of all local tax revenue is from property taxes. Totaling more than $20 billion annually, property tax is the largest single tax revenue source in Ohio. Most property tax revenue goes to public schools, but many other vital services that Ohioans rely on every day are funded by property tax receipts.