Georgia Property Tax Calculator

Georgia Property Taxes

If you’re thinking about buying a home in Georgia, it’s smart to get some idea of what your property taxes will be. In general, property taxes in the Peach State are relatively low. The median real estate tax payment in Georgia is $2,554 per year, which is significantly lower than the national median of $3,211. 

It’s important to keep in mind, though, that property taxes in Georgia vary greatly between locations. In Fulton County, the median property tax payment is $3,631, one of the highest in the state. But in Glynn County, the median property tax payment is just $1,481. Below, we’ll walk through how Georgia’s property tax system works and look at data on taxes in a number of Georgia counties.

Try to familiarize yourself with the details of getting a mortgage in Georgia if you plan on using one to purchase your new home. Our mortgage guide provides important information about mortgages in the Peach State to help you during the home buying process.

A financial advisor can help you understand how homeownership fits into your overall financial goals. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can have a free introductory call with your advisor matches to decide which one you feel is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.

Understanding Georgia Property Taxes

What you pay in property taxes in Georgia depends on the assessed value of your home, which is based on (but not equal to) your home’s market value. To determine assessed value, assessors in each county first appraise every home in the county in order to figure out the market value of each piece of real estate.

They typically do this through mass appraisals that determine the market value of a large number of homes based on factors such as property type and neighborhood. Once they determine the market value, they then apply the Georgia assessment ratio. Nearly every county and city in Georgia uses an assessment ratio of 40%. That means that if your home’s market value is $100,000, the assessed value is $40,000.

A select number of cities in Georgia use assessment ratios other than 40%, including Decatur, where the assessment ratio is 50%.

There are also a number of property tax exemptions in Georgia that can reduce your home's assessed value and, therefore, your taxes. These vary by county. The statewide exemption is $2,000, but it applies only to the statewide property tax, which is a relatively small slice of the overall property taxes in most areas.

Georgia Property Tax Rates

Property tax rates in Georgia can be described in mills, which are equal to $1 of taxes for every $1,000 in assessed value. In most counties, taxes for schools are the largest source of property taxes. They are typically between 15 and 20 mills.

Because millage rates apply to assessed value, which varies depending on the assessment ratio and the local exemptions offered, it can be difficult to compare millage rates between two locations. For an apples-to-apples comparison, it's useful to look at effective property tax rates. These are the median property taxes paid as a percentage of median home value. They give a good idea as to how much a new homeowner can expect to pay in property taxes.

The table below shows the effective property tax rate, median annual real estate tax payment and median home value for a number of counties in Georgia.

Looking to calculate your potential monthly mortgage payment? Check out our mortgage calculator.

Fulton County

Home to most of the city of Atlanta and some other cities like Sandy Springs, Fulton County is the most populous county in Georgia. Homeowners in Fulton County pay some of the highest property taxes in the state, with a median property tax payment of $4,310 per year. That means the typical homeowner in Fulton County pays 0.86% of their home value in property taxes per year. 

If you have questions about how property taxes can affect your overall financial plans, a financial advisor in Atlanta can help you out.

Gwinnett County

Located northeast of Atlanta is Gwinnett County. The county’s effective property tax rate is 0.92%, which comes in above both state and national medians.

Many homeowners in Gwinnett County may be able to reduce their property taxes by claiming property tax exemptions. For example, the homestead exemption is available on owner-occupied primary residences. It reduces the assessed value of a home by $10,000 for county taxes, $8,000 for school taxes and $7,000 for recreation taxes.

DeKalb County

DeKalb County contains about 10% of Atlanta's real estate, along with the city of Decatur. The typical homeowner in DeKalb County pays $3,586 annually in property taxes, which is higher than the $2,554 state median, but is still well below what the median homeowner pays in neighboring Fulton County.

Cobb County

With a population of around 766,000, Cobb County is one of the largest counties in Georgia. Property tax rates in Cobb County rank among the lowest in the state. The effective property tax rate is just 0.68%, below the statewide mark of 0.74%. At that rate, a homeowner whose home has a market value of $300,000 would pay just $2,040 annually in property taxes.

Chatham County

Chatham County sits on the Atlantic Coast and contains the city of Savannah. Property taxes in Chatham County are relatively low on a nationwide basis, but they're slightly higher than the state median. The median property tax payment here is $2,865, which is nearly $350 less than the $3,211 national mark.

Clayton County

Clayton County is a mostly suburban area that sits south of the city of Atlanta. The median home value in Clayton County is $264,900, significantly lower than the median values in other Atlanta-area counties like Fulton and DeKalb.

That means property tax payments are also generally lower, though. In fact, the county has a median annual payment of just $2,567.

However, the effective tax rate in Clayton County does follow the same pattern. At 0.97%, the effective rate in Clayton County is one of the highest in the state.

Cherokee County

The effective property tax rate in Cherokee County is 0.68%. Cherokee County offers a number of property tax exemptions to reduce the tax burden on some homeowners. There are exemptions available to elderly people, including the double homestead exemption. For eligible homeowners, this reduces the assessed value of a home by $5,000 for county taxes and $200,400 for school taxes.

Henry County

Henry County is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area and has a population of more than 250,000 residents. The effective property tax rate in Henry County is 0.91%, higher than most Georgia counties, while the typical property tax payment is $3,177.

Richmond County

Richmond County is virtually synonymous with the city of Augusta, as it's often referred to as Augusta-Richmond County or Augusta. Property tax payments in the county are relatively low. The typical homeowner in Richmond County pays a reasonable $1,608 in property taxes annually, which equals an effective tax rate of 0.79%.

Muscogee County

Of the 159 counties in Georgia, property tax rates in Muscogee County are sit about in the middle. The effective tax rate is 0.75%. The median property tax payment in Muscogee County is $1,608.