Residential property owners are now paying 65 percent of the property taxes collected in Idaho, while commercial property owners are paying 27 percent, according to figures presented by Ada County Assessor Bob McQuade at the ATI conference today. That’s a shift from back in 1996, when commercial property owners paid 30 percent and residential property owners paid 54 percent.

“So we can see that the burden is shifting,” McQuade said.

That shift likely is not just due to exemptions, McQuade said. “Residential tends to appreciate much faster than commercial property does,” he said. “Also, we’ve had a lot of people moving into the state, which would really add to the value of residential property,” and could further drive the shift.