How do Georgia’s taxes stack up against the rest of the nation?
Taxes are always top of mind for voters, whether it’s income, property or sales taxes, and lawmakers are constantly weighing how to balance rates with the revenue needed to fund government.
Georgia lawmakers this week opened debate on how to ease the state’s tax burden — with some calling for the full elimination of the income tax. The conversation reflects a national reality: Americans are voting with their feet, leaving high-tax states behind.
As that debate begins, it’s worth taking a broader look at Georgia’s overall tax competitiveness: how our system ranks nationally, where we’re strong and where there’s room to improve.
Over the past three years, state leaders have devoted significant energy to income tax reform. That makes sense, because economists generally agree that income taxes create the most economic distortions, and income taxes get the most attention from businesses and workers deciding where to relocate. How much money governments collect in taxes is important, but so is which kinds of taxes they rely on.
In this week’s commentary, we look at Georgia’s overall tax burden, and we look at how our incomes, sales and property taxes compare to other states. Of particular interest, we have a rundown of property taxes in every county in the state. More than millage rates, what are the effective rates and what does the average property owner pay each year?
Have a great weekend,
– Kyle Wingfield
Friday’s Freshest 🗞️
For nearly four decades, funding for Georgia public education has been provided by a program known as Quality Basic Education, and commonly referred to as QBE. QBE was introduced as a means to address inadequate and unequal funding across Georgia public education. Forty years later, how is it working?
In its inaugural year, the Georgia Promise Scholarship has lived up to its name—offering real promise to thousands of families across the state. Launched to give students trapped in low-performing public schools access to more customized, high-quality educational experiences, the program is already making a measurable impact.
Our new study, Short Supply: How Many More Homes Does Georgia Need?, finds that 94 of the state’s 159 counties face measurable housing shortages, with the average undersupplied county missing 3,879 units and the median county shortfall standing at 1,014 homes. The most acute deficit appears in Fulton County, where demand now outpaces supply by an estimated 75,152 units.
In this year’s legislative session, Georgia had an opportunity to address its ever-growing regulatory code and reduce regulatory burdens placed on its citizens and businesses. Although the “Red Tape Rollback Act” passed the Senate, it ultimately failed to become law in Georgia. Regulatory reform will have another chance next session, and for good reason.
Peach Picks 🍑
Georgia’s unemployment rate fell slightly to 3.4% last month, down from 3.5% in June. During the same time, Georgia’s labor force rose by 732 in July to nearly 5.4 million.
The metro Atlanta area gained approximately 64,000 new residents over the past year, with Forsyth and Cherokee counties leading the growth at a rate of 2.4%. This growth rate is significantly higher than the region’s overall growth rate of 1.2%, highlighting the counties’ appeal.
The statewide tourism director for the Georgia Department of Economic Development says the industry brings in $5 billion annually in state and local tax revenues to Georgia. A Senate Study Committee is currently looking at tourism in the state and ways to increase it.
The Atlanta Regional Commission is studying the potential of moving Atlanta’s Amtrak station to the downtown core. The existing facility along Peachtree Street in Buckhead has shown low ridership and is disconnected to economic opportunities and other transit options.
A new survey finds that microschool families are overwhelmingly happy with their educational choices. Families lauded the small class sizes, flexible schedules and personal attention. The Foundation recently released Microschools 101, which provides information for both those looking into microschools and those looking to start a microschool.
Off The Vine 🎯
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred recently made on-the-air comments that brought expansion back to the national baseball conversation, and with it, the idea of geographical realignment. Expansion could impact the Atlanta Braves as two cities in “Braves Country” have often been mentioned as possible homes for new teams – Nashville and Charlotte.
Quotes Of Note 🌟
“In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity. It’s often the struggle that shapes the strength to rise.” – Albert Einstein
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston Churchill
“The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own example. People follow what they see more than what they hear.” – John Wooden