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We've been through this before but you continue to
ignore the response. Property taxes, as opposed to income taxes, sales taxes,
and specifically capital gains taxes are viewed as the most unkind of all
because it eats away at the corpus of the investment. So while someone can limit
sales tax (less consumption), and can in many ways shield income taxes (tax
deferred accounts, as well as the progressive income tax limiting the blow to
lower wage earners), and capital gains taxes can often be deferred for many
years; property taxes are inescapable for the average homeowner who occupies
their home.
People can also choose where to live and what kind of home to buy. They don't have to buy huge, expensive homes with higher tax rates. I paid less than $1,000 a year in property taxes when I lived in Columbus and had a house there.
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So while cost of living may be marginally higher (4% higher in Charlotte than
Columbus) most people likely feel they are at least getting something tangible
for the higher expenditure such as a home.
Then I wonder why cities, as well as the state of NC overall, are now sending more people to Columbus and Ohio than Ohio and Columbus are sending to NC? Since economics is the #1 reason people relocate region to region, there has to be something behind that.
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And the question remains, just what is it that Central Ohioans are receiving for
all these layered property taxes? And how is it other communities manage to fund
similar or even superior services without excessive property taxation?
One of the fastest-growing median incomes, one of the lowest unemployment rates, strong infrastructure, falling crime rates... And yet even with higher property tax rates, still one of the most affordable places to live nationally.
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PS: Bizjetpilot is correct in his/her $6,000 approximation. I have a coworker
who lives off W Beaumont in Clintonville. House is 2450 sq ft and property taxes
are a couple hundred dollars shy of 6k/yr.
Average home prices in Clintonville are high. I just looked up homes for sale in Clintonville and the only ones I could find at around 2400 sf that had property taxes in the $5K-$6K range were $350K and up, usually closer to $400K. The average Columbus home sale price is about $135K, and generally those houses have taxes around $2K or less. When I was back in town, I actually did some house hunting for a friend, and looked at a nearly 3,000sf home in Olde Towne East. Property taxes for it were about $1,500 a year.
Why the exclusive focus on property taxes, anyway? Cost of living is lower in Columbus than just about anywhere in North or South Carolina. It's like people think that the only thing they'll ever spend money on is the annual tax of a house.
And I also call nonsense on your math. $6K taxes are like maybe Bexley or a few outer suburbs. Columbus city taxes on 2400sf would be nowhere near $6,000 unless we're talking a minimum $500,000 home in a highly desirable area of the urban core. What's the current value of your home?
Not just focused on property taxes but taxes overall (state income, gasoline, etc.). And my $6k estimate is not off the mark. My sister has a 1300-1500SF house in Clintonville and her taxes run in the $5ks. Brother who is in Worthington SD pays well over $6 and he routinely fights to get them reduced. My daughter has a 1500SF condo near Blendon Woods pays around $2700/year which is $700 more than I pay for a much larger and nicer home in SC. Insurance is also cheaper in SC.
I just filled my tank the other day with $2.17/gal gas (SC cheaper than NC). How about you? Point is, I think the higher COL difference between SC and OH is largely made up by taxation.
Not just focused on property taxes but taxes overall (state income, gasoline, etc.). And my $6k estimate is not off the mark. My sister has a 1300-1500SF house in Clintonville and her taxes run in the $5ks. Brother who is in Worthington SD pays well over $6 and he routinely fights to get them reduced. My daughter has a 1500SF condo near Blendon Woods pays around $2700/year which is $700 more than I pay for a much larger and nicer home in SC. Insurance is also cheaper in SC.
I just filled my tank the other day with $2.17/gal gas (SC cheaper than NC). How about you? Point is, I think the higher COL difference between SC and OH is largely made up by taxation.
How can you live in a place with high taxes and $hi**y weather? Wow! I keep telling my cousin to get the hell out of there and move on down to Houston with me. God bless Texas.
Are you kidding me? Texas is a miserable state. They don't have a good suburban school system other than maybe Sugarland, the place is as conservative as heck, there's an immigration issue down there, the weather is terrible during the summer in Texas, and the environment down there in general is a gross mix between the west and east. It's so bipolar and gross, environmentally.
Anyway back to the subject. I, for one, am happy that Ohio charges higher taxes. It's good for the school system, and the more you pay in taxes in Ohio, the better they take care of your community for sure. They do a great job of it in the Columbus suburbs. Now if you live in rural Ohio, and pay lower taxes ($1.5-2K), you end up with pothole township roads, and terrible schools. In Hilliard and Dublin, for example, different story (school and road wise) , but you do pay more taxes. Plus, I would rather pay $6K in property taxes than pay $760,000 for a two-story home in Compton, CA, but have lower taxes. The California unified school districts are downright stupid. You can buy a nice home in Ohio for $400,000 that you would pay $1.1M for in CA, but oh wait, lower property taxes. I've said enough.
Are you kidding me? Texas is a miserable state. They don't have a good suburban school system other than maybe Sugarland, the place is as conservative as heck, there's an immigration issue down there, the weather is terrible during the summer in Texas, and the environment down there in general is a gross mix between the west and east. It's so bipolar and gross, environmentally.
Anyway back to the subject. I, for one, am happy that Ohio charges higher taxes. It's good for the school system, and the more you pay in taxes in Ohio, the better they take care of your community for sure. They do a great job of it in the Columbus suburbs. Now if you live in rural Ohio, and pay lower taxes ($1.5-2K), you end up with pothole township roads, and terrible schools. In Hilliard and Dublin, for example, different story (school and road wise) , but you do pay more taxes. Plus, I would rather pay $6K in property taxes than pay $760,000 for a two-story home in Compton, CA, but have lower taxes. The California unified school districts are downright stupid. You can buy a nice home in Ohio for $400,000 that you would pay $1.1M for in CA, but oh wait, lower property taxes. I've said enough.
One thing you will notice is that for all the talk of lower taxes in Southern states, you don't really hear anything about what those taxes accomplish there (or don't accomplish). Why does the South have terrible upward mobility rates? Why does the South have the highest unemployment rate as a region? Why is the cost of living generally equal to or higher than it is in the Midwest? Why is poverty the highest of any region? Why are education levels generally worse than any other region? Why is infrastructure generally in worse shape? Why are obesity levels the highest? Etc. etc. Are the property tax rates high in Columbus? Yeah, they are. Does that make Columbus actually an expensive place to live overall? Not at all. Ohio cities, including Columbus, are regularly on lists of the cheapest places to live nationally. And the overall quality of life tends to be higher there.
One thing you will notice is that for all the talk of lower taxes in Southern states, you don't really hear anything about what those taxes accomplish there (or don't accomplish). Why does the South have terrible upward mobility rates? Why does the South have the highest unemployment rate as a region? Why is the cost of living generally equal to or higher than it is in the Midwest? Why is poverty the highest of any region? Why are education levels generally worse than any other region? Why is infrastructure generally in worse shape? Why are obesity levels the highest? Etc. etc. Are the property tax rates high in Columbus? Yeah, they are. Does that make Columbus actually an expensive place to live overall? Not at all. Ohio cities, including Columbus, are regularly on lists of the cheapest places to live nationally. And the overall quality of life tends to be higher there.
One contributor to lower cost of living is lower real estate values. One input in to real estate values is demand. Ohio is one of the slowest growing states in terms of population in the union. So while it may cost a little more to buy a house in some Southern metros the demand side of the equation may be what is elevating prices above Ohio levels.
One contributor to lower cost of living is lower real estate values. One input in to real estate values is demand. Ohio is one of the slowest growing states in terms of population in the union. So while it may cost a little more to buy a house in some Southern metros the demand side of the equation may be what is elevating prices above Ohio levels.
Actually, Ohio is starting to turn around in terms of growth. Columbus obviously is a big part of that, but the rest of the state seems to be doing better as well.
So while Ohio was near the bottom coming out of the recession years, it was in the top half the last few years. So not booming, but no longer near last place.
As far as recent improvement, I suspect a few reasons. The 3-Cs are doing better economically, as is the state with unemployment rates well below the national average. Ohio's cities have gotten a lot of good national press recently. There's also the shale boom to some degree, though I'm not sure how much of an effect that's had. Now, if you are referring to % growth instead of total, that might be different. Given that Ohio is the 7th most populous state, its % growth tends to be pretty low.
Whatever the cause, it's now more expensive to live in most Southern states than it is in Ohio. The South's boom has an end. Economics will guarantee that. And even so, quality of life is clearly better in a wide variety of metrics in most Northern states. All that growth hasn't translated to a difference.
One thing you will notice is that for all the talk of lower taxes in Southern states, you don't really hear anything about what those taxes accomplish there (or don't accomplish). Why does the South have terrible upward mobility rates? Why does the South have the highest unemployment rate as a region? Why is the cost of living generally equal to or higher than it is in the Midwest? Why is poverty the highest of any region? Why are education levels generally worse than any other region? Why is infrastructure generally in worse shape? Why are obesity levels the highest? Etc. etc. Are the property tax rates high in Columbus? Yeah, they are. Does that make Columbus actually an expensive place to live overall? Not at all. Ohio cities, including Columbus, are regularly on lists of the cheapest places to live nationally. And the overall quality of life tends to be higher there.
There are virtually millions of factors that would related to disparities between the South and Midwest (or North), and tax and tax burden is the least of them... One would point out historical reasons: South => slave + plantation + low social mobility + low entreprenueral spirit + etc + etc; North => Industrial Power House that made the US the largest economy at the world in the turn of the last century. Why, instead of creating confusing, don't we compare Ohio with Indiana for that matter.
How come when I ask why taxes are high people come back that the cost of living is low? Or how great it is?
The question is why the taxes are so high, for example a city tax.
Is it really necessary to make up the low cost of living with higher taxes?
If everyone is moving to wonderful Columbus and making more money then the tax base should be increasing. There is very little dense infrastructure. If anything these counter points should lead to a lower or non existent city tax. Most other places do it that way.
The most notable places that do have a city income tax do so because of high poverty rates and a decreasing populous, like Philly or Detroit.
Property taxes in Ohio are really higher than most states. It is ridiculous considering that we do not get much for what we pay. There is also municipal income tax, sales tax, and state tax. Little Columbus should not have such high taxes.
I do agree with the poster that said that Columbus is not a hot bed of tech talent. Cities like Silicon Valley and Austin have completely different priorities from Columbus. All we seem to care about is the Buckeye football team and muscles not brains. I don't believe that degrees correlates to fostering tech giants such as Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. I don't think those guys obsess about football every second of the day.
I wish that Columbus would be a major player in the tech sector and have lower taxes. It would help all of us.
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I've said enough.
