More than three-quarters of Americans 50 and older say they want to remain in their homes after they retire, but sharp increases in property taxes have made aging in place unaffordable.
Unlike income taxes, which often decline in retirement, property taxes are based on the value of your home — and in many parts of the country, assessed values have skyrocketed in recent years. Median property taxes rose by an average of 10.4% between 2021 and 2023, according to an analysis of the latest data available by LendingTree, an online marketplace for consumer loans. The median property tax in 2023 was nearly $3,000 ($2,969), but median property taxes in 50 metropolitan areas ranged from $1,091 to nearly $10,000, according to LendingTree.
Before writing a check for your next property tax bill, make sure you take full advantage of property tax relief programs offered by your state or locality. While more than 9 million Americans likely qualify for property tax relief, only about 8% apply for it, according to the AARP. “Many aren’t aware these programs exist or assume they’re not going to qualify,” says Nicole Heckman, vice president of well-being for the AARP Foundation.
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The types of property tax relief available vary, not only by state but by individual counties and jurisdictions. Many states and jurisdictions offer expanded relief to homeowners who are 65 or older; some offer breaks to homeowners who are 61 and older. Veterans and residents with disabilities may also qualify for a reduction in their property taxes. While eligibility is often income-based, the income thresholds “can be pretty expansive,” Heckman says, so don’t assume you earn too much to qualify. In New Jersey, for example, homeowners with incomes of up to $500,000 are eligible for reimbursement of a portion of their property tax bill.
Tax relief isn’t automatic. In most cases, you must fill out an application and file it by a deadline set by your locality or state. Some jurisdictions require you to apply in person. Other states and localities allow you to apply online, but that can be challenging for older adults who don’t have broadband internet, Heckman says.
The AARP Foundation’s Property Tax Aide program, now in its fifth year, allows homeowners to research more than 140 programs in 50 states and Washington, D.C. Users can find details on eligibility, deadlines and where to get help. The average amount of relief provided through the program is $400, but some users have saved up to $1,000, Heckman says. Many states allow eligible homeowners to apply for up to three years of back tax relief, she says. “That can be a significant credit or refund.”
Some types of relief states and localities offer homeowners:
1. Tax credits and refunds
More than a dozen states offer property tax credits or refunds to eligible older adults in amounts ranging from $250 to $2,730. Pennsylvania provides rebates ranging from $380 to $1,000 for eligible older and disabled residents. Tennessee refunds all or a portion of property taxes paid by eligible residents.
Minnesota provides two types of property tax refunds: one based on homeowners’ income and the amount of their property taxes, and another based on how much residents’ property taxes have increased. (Some residents qualify for both, and the program isn’t limited to older adults.) Cindy Rieck, 68, of Pequot Lakes, Minn., whose home has nearly doubled in value since she purchased it in 2007, says she received a refund of $1,200 in 2024.
2. Expanded homestead exemption
Property taxes are based on the assessed value of your home, which may differ from its appraised or market value. A homestead exemption lowers the assessment, thus reducing your property tax bill. Most states offer some kind of homestead exemption for residents, but many states provide an additional homestead exemption for older adults.
Florida, for example, allows residents to exempt up to $50,000 of their home’s assessed value from property taxes (which will increase with the rate of inflation starting in 2025), but jurisdictions in the state have the option of providing an additional $50,000 exemption to eligible homeowners 65 and older.
Texas recently increased its homestead exemption to $140,000 for all residents. The state provides an additional $60,000 exemption for residents age 65 or older, for a total combined homestead exemption of $200,000. Texas now allows individual jurisdictions to add $3,000 to that amount.
3. Assessment freeze
In Arizona, homeowners ages 65 or older who have lived in their primary home for at least two years and meet income limits can have their property’s valuation frozen for three years. New Jersey has a “senior freeze” program that reimburses property tax increases for eligible residents who have owned their homes for at least three years.
4. Tax deferral
Illinois allows eligible homeowners 65 and older to defer up to $7,500 of property taxes on their principal residence. California, Maine, Minnesota, Vermont and Washington also allow eligible older adults to defer property taxes.
If you sign up for deferral, the state or locality will place a lien on your home; the taxes must be paid, usually with interest, after you die or sell the home. That’s important to consider when planning your estate. If your heirs sell the home, the back taxes will reduce the amount they’ll receive from the proceeds, and if they want to keep it, they’ll be on the hook for the taxes you deferred. “If you can afford it, you may decide you’d rather pay the tax now and not have something your heirs will have to worry about when they sell the property,” says Jared Walczak, vice president of state projects at the Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C., a tax-policy research organization.
Other options to cut your tax bill
Applying for property tax relief is just one way to lower your tax bill. Other options that may be available to you:
Claim a deduction
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in July, allows homeowners to deduct up to $40,000 in state and local taxes, up from a cap of $10,000. The provision takes effect in 2025 and expires in 2029. The legislation also expanded the standard deduction for eligible taxpayers 65 and older, so for many older adults, claiming the standard deduction will still provide the lower tax bill. However, if you live in a high-tax state and have other deductible expenses — large charitable contributions, for example — it’s worth running the numbers with your tax preparer or on a tax software program to determine whether you should itemize on your 2025 tax return.
Challenge your property tax bill
If you believe your assessment was inaccurate or outdated, you may be able to lower it by filing an appeal. Review your property’s record card, usually available on your locality’s website or by request. If you find an obvious error — four bedrooms instead of two, for example — your assessor may agree to lower the assessment on the spot.
If the information on your property’s record card is correct but you believe your assessment was higher than those for comparable homes in your neighborhood, you can use that information to file an appeal. Check your local government’s website for deadlines and procedures. Realtor.com offers a tool that will provide you with an estimate of the market value of your home, along with estimated values of other homes in your neighborhood. The tool is free but you must create an account to use it.
Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger Retirement Report, our popular monthly periodical that covers key concerns of affluent older Americans who are retired or preparing for retirement. Subscribe for retirement advice that’s right on the money.
