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If you were looking to catch a break on your property taxes, there are certainly worse states to live in than Pennsylvania — but you could definitely do better elsewhere.

According to a recent report published by WalletHub, a personal finance website, the average American household pays $2,149 each year on property taxes.

However, a house in Pennsylvania valued at $179,000, the national median value as of 2015, is paying $2,725 each year, nearly $600 more than the national average.

WalletHub arranged the 50 states and the District of Columbia in order from the lowest property rate in the number one slot to the highest in the 51st slot.

With this model, Pennsylvania’s 1.53 percent tax rate on property values puts it in the 39th position.

Compare this with Hawaii, whose 0.27 percent tax rate makes it the lowest in the nation. Thanks to this low rate, a home of the national median value of $179,000 would only pay $487 dollars on property taxes.

Contrasted with that, Pennsylvania’s next-door neighbor, New Jersey, has the highest property tax rate in the nation, charging its citizens a rate of 2.35 percent. The national median home would be paying $4,189 annually, just shy of 10 times the amount paid in the island state of Hawaii.

But before you pack your bags to look for a state with lower property taxes, its worth noting that Pennsylvania is saving you some money as it is: Pennsylvania is one of 23 states, along with the District of Columbia, that charge no personal property tax on vehicle ownership.

Contrast this with Rhode Island’s 4.77 percent tax rate on vehicle ownership, the nation’s highest. WalletHub estimates this costs the owner of a 2016 Toyota Camry LE four-door sedan, the best-selling car of 2016, $1,100 annually.

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By Patrick Kernan

[email protected]

BY THE NUMBERS

Five lowest property tax rates:

1. Hawaii, 0.27 percent.

2. Alabama, 0.43 percent.

3. Louisiana, 0.49 percent.

4. Delaware, 0.54 percent.

5. District of Columbia, 0.56 percent.

Five highest property tax rates:

47. Wisconsin, 1.96 percent.

48. Connecticut, 1.97 percent.

49. New Hampshire, 2.15 percent.

50. Illinois, 2.30 percent.

51. New Jersey, 2.35 percent.

Reach Patrick Kernan at 570-991-6119.