Tax sale atlas

Browse all 51 as a list

How tax-defaulted property is sold in every U.S. state and county — sale type, redemption period, investor return, and governing statute. 1,010counties have been individually researched with auction logistics, surviving-lien analysis, and quiet-title guidance; the rest inherit their state's defaults, and we label which is which on every page.

Tax Lien

The county sells a certificate representing the unpaid tax debt, not the property itself. The owner can redeem by paying the debt plus statutory interest; if they don't, the certificate holder can eventually apply for a deed.

Tax Deed

The county sells the property outright (subject to statutory process) once delinquency and any pre-sale redemption window have run. There is typically little or no redemption right after the sale.

Redeemable Deed

A deed is issued at auction, but the former owner keeps a statutory right to redeem for a fixed period by paying a penalty (not simple interest) to the purchaser.

Hybrid

The state (or its counties) uses more than one of the above mechanisms — which one applies can depend on the county, the property type, or the stage of the process.

Tax sale atlas

States