What you actually pay when a property changes hands, in every state and Washington DC.
The number in the law is often not the number on your bill.
Washington’s statute says the first bracket ends at $500,000, but the Department of Revenue applies $525,000. Massachusetts law says $2.00 per $500, while the amount collected is $2.28. Philadelphia raised its rate in July 2025 and most guides still show the old one. Every page here checks the statute against what the revenue department currently applies, and says so when they disagree.
15 states charge nothing. Each page shows the statute or constitutional provision that proves it.
In many states the city or county charges more than the state does. These 216 pages add every layer together.
A real estate transfer tax is charged once, when a deed is recorded. Some states use a flat percentage, some charge a dollar amount per $500 or $100 of the price, and some use graduated brackets. A few states let cities and counties add their own layer on top, which is where the numbers get large. Pittsburgh reaches 5 percent and Philadelphia 4.578 percent, while Texas, Missouri and eleven other states charge nothing at all.
Who pays varies too. Most states put it on the seller, Tennessee and Vermont put it on the buyer, and New Hampshire charges both sides the full rate.
Estimates only. Your closing agent or the county recorder issues the final figure. This site does not collect or store anything you enter.