Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Monday, May 13, 2013
(UNDATED) - Homeowners can compare their property tax bills to the rest of the state and nation — courtesy of a Pennsylvania college student.
Jonathan Weber was a freshman at East Stroudsburg University when he became frustrated by the difficulty of comparing his tax bill to other locations. He looked up the information and posted it at www.tax-rates.org. As the site gains popularity, he's expanded it to cover other taxes and all 50 states.
Weber calculates the average Hoosier pays a net property tax rate of 85 cents for every $100 of assessed value. That's almost exactly in the middle of the pack nationally -- but because housing costs are lower, the median yearly bill of $1,041 is the 11th-lowest in the nation.
State tax officials say they can't confirm Weber's numbers, but Weber says CPA's and tax lawyers double-check his figures -- he's also had people tell him the tax calculator he added to the site predicted their income tax bill nearly to the dollar.
Marion County's typical bill, according to Weber, is $1,408, the ninth-highest in the state. Hamilton County tops the charts at $2,274. Lake County has the second-highest bills, but by far the highest tax rate at 1.37%.
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