Seller closing costs by state
A seller's title and closing costs, not counting agent fees or the payoff, commonly run from under half a percent of the price to over four percent, and almost all of the difference is where the home is: whether the state charges a transfer tax and who pays it, and whether local custom puts the owner's title policy on the seller.
Pick a state on its first question and the title-and-closing line and the tax credit are built from what is customary there.
Free. Nothing you type leaves your browser.Part 1 of 4
What moves a seller's closing costs
Two things, mostly. First, whether the state or the county charges a tax on the transfer and who customarily pays it: 14 states charge none at all, most charge under one percent, and a few charge the seller two percent or more. Second, whether local custom puts the owner's title policy on the seller, which is a few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on the price. Behind those, the settlement or attorney's fee, recording, and the property-tax proration, which in most states is a credit from the seller to the buyer and in three runs the other way.
Commonly about 0.3% to 0.8% of the price: no or little transfer tax, and the owner's policy often on the buyer. Commonly about 0.8% to 1.8% of the price, where most of the country sits. Commonly about 1.8% to 4% of the price or more, driven by a transfer tax the seller pays.
Part 2 of 4
Every state, in one table
Customary defaults, from the research. "Rate not carried" means a tax exists but the research does not state its rate; the calculator uses the state's band instead. Confidence is the research's own: high where it rests on a statute, low where title custom is thinly documented.
| State | Transfer tax | Owner's policy | Who closes | Tax proration | Tax rate | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama · low confidence | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 0.37% | Not placed |
| Alaska | None | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.94% | Not placed |
| Arizona | None | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.48% | Moderate |
| Arkansas · low confidence | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.56% | Not placed |
| California | Yes, 0.11% and up, the seller's | Varies | Title or escrow | Paid in advance | 0.70% | Not placed |
| Colorado | Yes, 0.01% and up, the seller's | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.50% | Low |
| Connecticut | Yes, 0.75% and up, the seller's | Buyer | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 1.54% | High |
| Delaware | Yes, split (seller about 2.00%) | Buyer | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 0.54% | High |
| District of Columbia | Yes, rate not carried | Buyer | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 0.60% | High |
| Florida | Yes, 0.70% and up, the seller's | Seller | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.78% | Moderate |
| Georgia | Yes, 0.10% and up, the seller's | Varies | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 0.79% | Moderate |
| Hawaii | Yes, 0.10% and up, the seller's | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.29% | Not placed |
| Idaho | None | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.50% | Not placed |
| Illinois | Yes, 0.15% and up, the seller's | Varies | By region | Deep arrears | 1.88% | Not placed |
| Indiana | None | Varies | Title or escrow | Deep arrears | 0.76% | Low |
| Iowa | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 1.33% | Not placed |
| Kansas | None | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 1.21% | Low |
| Kentucky | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 0.74% | Low |
| Louisiana | None | Varies | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 0.55% | Low |
| Maine | Yes, rate not carried | Buyer | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.98% | Not placed |
| Maryland | Yes, split (seller about 0.75%) | Buyer | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 0.92% | High |
| Massachusetts | Yes, rate not carried | Buyer | Attorney | Paid in advance | 1.00% | Not placed |
| Michigan | Yes, 0.86% and up, the seller's | Varies | Title or escrow | Paid in advance | 1.19% | Moderate |
| Minnesota | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 1.00% | Moderate |
| Mississippi · low confidence | None | Varies | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 0.58% | Low |
| Missouri | None | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.89% | Low |
| Montana | None | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.61% | Low |
| Nebraska | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 1.44% | Not placed |
| Nevada | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.50% | Not placed |
| New Hampshire | Yes, split (seller about 0.75%) | Buyer | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 1.50% | Not placed |
| New Jersey | Yes, 0.85% and up, the seller's | Buyer | By region | Depends on the bill and what was paid through the closing. | 1.88% | High |
| New Mexico | None | Seller | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.63% | Not placed |
| New York | Yes, 0.40% and up, the seller's | Buyer | Attorney | Depends on the bill and what was paid through the closing. | 1.30% | High |
| North Carolina | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 0.66% | Moderate |
| North Dakota · low confidence | None | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.92% | Low |
| Ohio | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 1.36% | Moderate |
| Oklahoma | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.79% | Not placed |
| Oregon | None | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.81% | Not placed |
| Pennsylvania | Yes, split (seller about 1.00%) | Buyer | By region | Depends on the bill and what was paid through the closing. | 1.26% | High |
| Rhode Island | Yes, 0.75% and up, the seller's | Buyer | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 1.12% | Not placed |
| South Carolina | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 0.49% | Not placed |
| South Dakota · low confidence | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | Not carried | Not placed |
| Tennessee | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.52% | Moderate |
| Texas | None | Seller | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 1.40% | Moderate |
| Utah | None | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.47% | Low |
| Vermont | Yes, the buyer's | Buyer | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 1.51% | Not placed |
| Virginia | Yes, rate not carried | Buyer | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 0.78% | Moderate |
| Washington | Yes, 1.10% and up, the seller's | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.75% | High |
| West Virginia · low confidence | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Attorney | Billed in arrears | 0.51% | Not placed |
| Wisconsin | Yes, rate not carried | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 1.32% | Moderate |
| Wyoming | None | Varies | Title or escrow | Billed in arrears | 0.53% | Low |
Tax rate: property taxes paid as a share of owner-occupied home value, Tax Foundation, "Property Taxes by State and County, 2026" (2024 ACS). A state's name links to the paperwork its sale commonly touches, where the library has that state.
Part 3 of 4
The states with something to know
Where the research found a rule, a recent change, or a withholding on an out-of-state seller. Each is dated in the data and rechecked in January 2027.
| State | What the research found |
|---|---|
| California | A county documentary transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 (0.11%), customarily the seller's. Many cities add their own transfer tax on top, and in Los Angeles (Measure ULA), San Francisco and Oakland the city's tax can dwarf the county's. Nonresident seller: 3.33% of the gross sale price for a nonresident seller (Form 593), or an elective gain-based amount at 12.3%. |
| Colorado | A documentary fee of $0.01 per $100 (0.01%), which is negligible. Nonresident seller: 2% on sales over $100,000 for a nonresident seller. |
| Delaware | 4% combined in most areas (2.5% state and 1.5% county), customarily split half and half, so the seller's share is commonly 2%. Some areas are 3.5%, and Arden, Ardentown and Ardencroft are 3%. |
| Florida | A documentary stamp tax on the deed of $0.70 per $100 (0.70%), customarily the seller's. Miami-Dade is $0.60 per $100 plus a surtax. The HOA estoppel certificate fee is capped ($299 standard, up to $597 stacked, DBPR figures); the next inflation adjustment is expected in 2027. |
| Georgia | $1.00 on the first $1,000 and $0.10 per $100 after that (0.10%), the seller's. Nonresident seller: About 3% of the gain for a nonresident seller on sales over $20,000. |
| Hawaii | A graduated conveyance tax the seller pays: 0.10% on the first $600,000 of an owner-occupied home, scaling to 1.25% on $10 million and above for a home that is not owner-occupied. Nonresident seller: HARPTA: 7.25% of the amount realized for a nonresident seller. |
| Indiana | Statutory recording fees are $25 for a deed and $55 for a mortgage (Ind. Code 36-2-7-10). |
| Maine | Nonresident seller: 2.5% on sales over $50,000 for a nonresident seller. |
| Maryland | A state transfer tax of 0.5%, customarily split (the seller's share about 0.25%), plus a state recordation tax of about $4.95 per $500 and a county transfer tax of 0% to 1.5% (Baltimore City 1.5%, Prince George's 1.4%, Montgomery 1%), commonly split. For a first-time buyer the seller pays the recordation and county transfer tax. Nonresident seller: About 8% of the gain for a nonresident individual (8.25% for an entity); the rate is set annually. |
| Mississippi | Nonresident seller: 5% on sales over $100,000 for a nonresident seller. |
| New Jersey | A graduated Realty Transfer Fee of $2.00 to $6.05 per $500, the seller's, which blends to roughly 0.4% to 1% at ordinary prices. On homes over $1 million, for contracts fully executed on or after July 10, 2025, the seller also pays a Graduated Percent Fee on the entire price: 1% from $1 million to $2 million, 2% to $2.5 million, 2.5% to $3 million, 3% to $3.5 million, and 3.5% above that (P.L. 2025 c.69, N.J.S.A. 46:15-7.2). The former 1% buyer-paid mansion tax was replaced by the seller-paid Graduated Percent Fee for contracts executed on or after July 10, 2025. Nonresident seller: GIT/REP: an estimated 2% for a nonresident seller. |
| New York | A state transfer tax of 0.4% (0.65% on residential sales of $3 million and up), the seller's. New York City adds its own transfer tax of 1.0% on residential sales up to $500,000 and 1.425% above, also the seller's, so a city seller's combined share is commonly about 1.4% to 2.1%. The mansion tax on $1 million and up is the buyer's. Nonresident seller: IT-2663: estimated tax on the gain at the top rate, currently up to about 10.9% of the gain, for a nonresident seller. |
| North Carolina | Nonresident seller: 4% for a nonresident seller. |
| Oregon | Nonresident seller: Oregon withholds on a nonresident seller; the research does not carry the current rate. |
| Pennsylvania | 1% state plus typically 1% local, 2% in total, customarily split, so the seller's share is commonly 1%. Philadelphia is 4.578% in total (3.578% city plus 1% state) from July 1, 2025; Pittsburgh 5%; Reading 5%; Allentown 2.5% from January 1, 2026. Grantor and grantee are jointly liable and split by custom. Philadelphia raised its city transfer tax from 3.278% to 3.578% effective July 1, 2025 (Bill No. 250211). |
| Rhode Island | A conveyance tax of $3.75 per $500 (0.75%) from October 1, 2025, up from $2.30, the seller's, plus a second $3.75 per $500 on the part of a residential price over $800,000 (indexed from January 1, 2026, about $824,000). The conveyance tax rose from $2.30 to $3.75 per $500 on October 1, 2025 (H5076 Sub A). Nonresident seller: About 6% to 9% for a nonresident seller. |
| South Carolina | Nonresident seller: 7% of the gain for a nonresident individual. |
| Texas | Promulgated title premiums fall 6.2% on March 1, 2026 (TDI Order No. 2025-9697). A separate 10% cut ordered in early 2025 was blocked by a court and never took effect. |
| Vermont | A property transfer tax of 0.5% on the first $100,000 of a principal residence and 1.25% above, which the buyer typically pays. Nonresident seller: 2.5% for a nonresident seller. |
| Washington | A graduated real estate excise tax the seller pays: 1.10% up to $525,000, 1.28% from there to $1,525,000, 2.75% to $3,025,000, and 3% above (RCW 82.45.060, thresholds from January 1, 2023), plus a local 0.25% to 0.50% (higher in Seattle). About 1.6% to 2.1% on a typical home. The excise-tax thresholds are adjusted every four years. |
| West Virginia | Nonresident seller: West Virginia withholds on a nonresident seller; the research does not carry the current rate. |
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where this comes from, and what it is not
Compiled by Keighbor Research from state statutes and revenue pages, promulgated title schedules (Florida's Rule 69O-186.003, Texas's TDI orders), the Iowa Title Guaranty, and the Tax Foundation's 2026 property-tax table, with the material 2025 and 2026 changes flagged: New Jersey's seller-paid fee on sales over one million, Rhode Island's higher conveyance tax, Philadelphia's city rate, Texas's title-premium cut. The widely quoted "average closing cost" studies bundle the lender's side and often commissions; none of that is here.
Custom is not law. Who pays the title policy, the transfer tax and the settlement fee is negotiable in almost every state, and a contract can move any of it. County and city overlays dominate in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Illinois, New York, Washington, Ohio, Missouri, Nevada and California. A title company or a closing attorney in the county produces the real numbers.
Reference, not a quote
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · checked September 5, 2026 · how we research and check what we publish
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