An example is on a $300,000 home that rate translates into nearly $4,000 a year in property taxes before any levies. For many families, especially those on fixed incomes or modest wages, that’s a perennial strain on household budgets.
In Ohio, counties reappraise property values every three years, which can raise taxable values. In Southwest Ohio’s 2023 update cycle, residential values increased about 37% in Butler County, 31.9% in Clark County, 30% in Greene County, 28.8% in Miami County, 34% in Montgomery County and 27% in Warren County.
This dynamic means homeowners can see their property tax bills rise even if their income doesn’t. While the Ohio General Assembly has passed laws capping property tax growth to inflation following reappraisals, no legislation has been enacted that completely prevents tax bills from increasing when property values rise.
According to the Tax Foundation, Ohio’s tax system overall isn’t cheap. Ohio has: a graduated income tax from about 2.75% to 3.50%; a state sales tax of 5.75% with local additions bringing the average rate to 7.30%; property tax collections per capita at $1,600, and total state and local tax collections per capita at $5,741.
Taken together, Ohio’s mix of income, sales, and property taxes results in a system that many households feel acutely. A 2023 WalletHub study found Ohio’s overall tax burden to be among the top 10 in the nation.
Much of the tax burden falls on local governments to raise revenue through property taxes. Over the past several years, Ohio’s local tax burden has ranked among the highest in the nation when measured as a percentage of income. According to the Buckeye Institute, Ohio’s local tax burden is driven heavily by property taxes and ranked around 13th in the U.S. as of the last comprehensive federal data release..
Looking at long term trends, the burden on residential property has grown dramatically. Decades ago, commercial and business property bore a larger share of the tax load. According to the Ohio Legislative Commission, today residential property owners shoulder nearly three-quarters of school property tax revenue, compared with less than half in the 1970s.
The shift didn’t happen by accident but from a series of policy decisions that reduced the tax burden on business property while leaving homeowners to make up the difference. The result is a system hitting working families disproportionately hard.
The mounting frustration has led more Ohioans to ask a radical but increasingly serious question: Why not abolish property taxes altogether?
Supporters of abolition argue today’s economy needs a new approach: one that doesn’t tax the thing people live in, but rather bases public funding on broader economic activity, consumption, or more equitable income measures. Others point to replacement options such as enhanced state funding, low-income homeowner protection, or expanded homestead exemptions.
Opponents warn ending property taxes must be balanced against the reality that governments still need revenue for schools, fire, police and local services. Increasing resonance of abolition in public discussions is showing just how deeply Ohioans feel taxed.
Many point to policy alternatives from broader state revenue models that rely more on income or consumption taxes, to targeted tax credits and circuit breaker protections for low-income homeowners. However, these should be part of a broader reimagining of how Ohio funds itself without putting disproportionate weight on property owners.
Ohio is at a crossroads. Ohio homeowners are signaling the current tax structure isn’t working just not through casual complaints, but through organized reform efforts, ballot debates, and increasing civic engagement on the issue.
Ohio’s leaders should listen. It’s time for a serious, statewide conversation about taxes, government funding and spending.
Rob Scott, a Republican, is the Kettering Clerk of Court, attorney, and small business owner. Contact him at rob@robscott.us.
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