ABSTRACT
Real estate taxes—taxes that affect real estate values, income, and communities—are an important source of income to local governments for financing schools, police and fire protection, parks, and many social programs. The US Department of Agriculture maintains a data series on farm real estate taxes (FRET), by state and nationally, that dates from 1890/1909—1890 for taxes per acre and 1909 for total taxes and taxes per $100 of full market value. As of December 31, 1988, all 50 states had laws on preferential land-use assessment of farmland. The FRET data are estimates of real property taxes levied on farm and ranch land and buildings by state and local governments. The Census Bureau’s Agricultural Economics and Land Ownership Survey provide extensive data on farm real estate taxes. The bureau’s Census of Governments is a potential source of such data.
