Property Tax Relief on the Ballot in 7 States: What Homeowners Should Know
With housing costs remaining high, key midterm election ballot measures offer some voters a chance to rein in property taxes.
As we approach the 2026 midterm elections on November 3, affordability is a major concern for many voters across the United States.
People already worry about rising grocery and housing costs, insurance premiums, utility bills, and gas prices. Meanwhile, homeowners, in particular, are also concerned about another expense that keeps climbing: property taxes.
The average property tax bill on a single-family home reached $4,427 last year, up 3% from the year before, according to real estate data firm ATTOM. For households already feeling squeezed, that bill adds to the cost of staying in a home they may have already spent years paying for.
Some potentially good news? Some states are responding. This November, voters in seven states will decide on various property tax measures designed to provide some relief. Here’s what you need to know before you vote.
2026 ballot measures related to property taxes
Some of the following measures would cut bills for qualifying homeowners. Others would slow how quickly property tax assessments can grow, expand exemptions for specific groups, or limit what the state can do in the future.
Florida: Property tax Amendment 3 bigger homestead exemption
Florida voters will weigh two property-tax measures on the November ballot.
Amendment 3 would raise the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, then adjust it for inflation.
It would also cut the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5% for non-school taxes, let local governments expand exemptions further, and limit how they spend property-tax revenue.
Residents who weren’t in Florida on December 31, 2026, would get the larger exemption starting in their fifth qualifying year.
Amendment 2 would exempt farm equipment and other tangible personal property used for agriculture or agritourism beginning in 2027.
Supporters say larger exemptions mean immediate savings for homeowners and farmers. Critics warn that lost local revenue could squeeze police, fire, and other services, or shift costs onto other taxpayers.
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Wyoming: New exemption for primary residences
Wyoming’s Initiative 1 would exempt 50% of the assessed value of a qualifying primary residence.
- The exemption would cover the structure, not the land beneath it, and would have no value cap.
- Owners would need one year of Wyoming residency and six months of occupancy in the prior tax year.
- It would stack on a 2025 exemption covering 25% of the first $1 million in value for owner-occupied single-family homes.
Proponents say the measure offers broad relief to people who live in their homes year-round. Opponents argue that, without a cap, the biggest dollar savings would go to owners of the priciest homes, while counties and schools could face shortfalls.
Oklahoma: Tighter limits on property tax assessment increases
Oklahoma’s State Question 847 would slow how fast a property’s taxable value can rise.
- Current caps of 5% for most locally assessed real property and 3% for homestead and agricultural land would fall to 4% and 1.75% beginning in 2027.
- The full value freeze for eligible older adults age 65 and older would become income-based limits.
- Older adults with the lowest income would keep a zero-increase limit. Others in Oklahoma would face caps of up to 1.75%.
Supporters say tighter caps bring predictability when housing markets heat up. Critics note that caps limit increases in value (but not in bills), since local governments can still raise rates, and some seniors now protected by a full freeze could lose that certainty.
North Carolina: Capping local property tax increases
North Carolina voters will decide whether to amend the constitution to limit increases in local property tax levies.
- The property tax levy amendment doesn't set a specific percentage. Lawmakers would write the limits later and could allow exceptions.
- A cap on the state government’s overall levy doesn’t necessarily mean an individual bill cannot rise.
Supporters say a constitutional check would restrain local spending and give taxpayers certainty. Critics say the open-ended wording leaves key details to future legislators and could hamper growing communities’ ability to fund schools and services.
Louisiana: Five property tax measures
Louisiana has the longest ballot when it comes to property taxes, with measures generally falling into three categories: help for specific homeowners, changes to local rate-setting, and incentives to fix up neglected property.
- Amendment 1: Lets the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran with a service-connected disability transfer a homestead exemption to a new home one time.
- Amendment 6: Adds an exemption for homeowners 65 and older who already qualify for the income-based assessment freeze. It rises with age to $30,000 in assessed value at 81 and older, with local approval required.
- Amendment 9: Raises that freeze’s income limit from $100,000 to $150,000, with inflation adjustments starting in tax year 2028.
- Amendment 2: Lets taxing authorities that have levied below their maximum raise rates toward a rate authorized in a prior year after reassessments.
- Amendment 10: Allows local exemptions for rehabilitated blighted or derelict properties.
Supporters call the first three targeted help for people on fixed incomes, while critics note they benefit only those who qualify and can reduce local revenue. Additionally, some backers say Amendment 2 gives local governments flexibility, and Amendment 10 revives neighborhoods.
But some opponents fear higher tax rates and short-term revenue losses with some of the measures.
Georgia: More land eligible for preferential tax treatment
Georgia’s Amendment 1 would double the maximum acreage one owner can enroll in the Conservation Use Valuation Assessment program, from 2,000 to 4,000 acres.
- The program taxes qualifying agricultural, timber, and conservation land on its current-use value rather than its market value.
- Owners must commit to keeping the land in eligible use. Georgia homeowners generally wouldn’t be affected.
Supporters say the change helps large farms and timber operations stay in business and keeps working land from being sold for development. Critics argue it shifts more of the tax burden onto other owners and mainly benefits large landholders.
Tennessee: Amendment 2 constitutional ban on a state property tax
Tennessee’s Amendment 2 would prohibit the Legislature from imposing a statewide property tax on real, personal, or mixed property.
- Notably, Tennessee has no such tax today, so the amendment wouldn't change current bills.
- Local property taxes levied by counties and cities would stay as they are.
Supporters see a permanent safeguard against a future tax increase. Critics say it ties lawmakers’ hands for a tool they might not use.
Property tax: What to know before voting
Property tax measures offer relief in different ways, and the details determine who benefits.
- Homestead exemptions reduce the portion of a primary residence’s value subject to tax.
- Assessment caps limit how quickly taxable value can rise, but don’t necessarily cap the bill.
- Senior exemptions and freezes often depend on age, income, and residency.
- Limits on local levies restrict how much a government can raise overall, with no guarantee of a lower bill for every homeowner.
- Agricultural and other targeted exemptions mostly benefit qualifying property owners, not homeowners across the board.
Before casting your ballot, make sure you know who qualifies for each measure, when the new rules take effect, and how a measure could affect your home’s taxable value.
It's also important to consider how or whether a measure might affect your bottom line in the near term or further down the road.
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