Property tax in Chatham County, Georgia
The median property tax bill in Chatham County, Georgia is $2,541 a year, which is about 0.84% of the county's median home value of $302,700. That effective rate is lower than the typical Georgia county (0.86%) and higher than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Chatham County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Chatham County's average effective rate of 0.84% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $2,543 / year
Property tax in Chatham County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $2,541 |
| Median home value | $302,700 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.84% |
| Typical Georgia county rate | 0.86% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Chatham County compare in Georgia?
Among Georgia's 158 counties, Chatham County has the 87th highest effective property-tax rate: 86 rank higher and 71 rank lower. That is near the middle for Georgia. Nationally, it ranks 1474th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Georgia county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Chatham County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Chatham County's 68,319 owner-occupied homes, 38.7% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 55.6% pay at least $2,000, and 9.9% pay under $800. Another 7% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 6,782 | 9.9% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 10,643 | 15.6% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 8,077 | 11.8% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 11,577 | 16.9% |
| $3,000 or more | 26,455 | 38.7% |
| No property tax paid | 4,785 | 7% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $2,679 and owners without one pay $2,260. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.
How does the Chatham County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $2,541 is about 2.7% of the median income of Chatham County homeowner households, $92,515 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 56.8% of Chatham County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Chatham County?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,961 in 2015-2019 to $2,541 in 2020-2024, a 29.6% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 55.6%, from $194,500 to $302,700. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Chatham County
Chatham County borders 4 counties, 1 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty County, GA | 1.04% | $2,087 | $201,500 |
| Effingham County, GA | 0.9% | $2,495 | $276,000 |
| Chatham County, GA (this county) | 0.84% | $2,541 | $302,700 |
| Bryan County, GA | 0.78% | $2,677 | $343,200 |
| Jasper County, SC | 0.57% | $1,852 | $325,500 |
How is a home assessed in Chatham County?
Georgia assesses homes at 40% of market value in every county, Chatham County included. How Georgia assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Chatham County?
Yes. Georgia's standard homestead exemption deducts $2,000 from the assessed value of a resident's primary home. That is the Georgia rule, and it applies in Chatham County. Georgia's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Chatham County?
Georgia has no single statewide payment due date. Bills and due dates are set county by county. Note that the January 1 to April 1 window on the state site is the deadline to file a property tax return, not to pay the bill.
That is the Georgia rule. Chatham County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Chatham County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the County Board of Tax Assessors, then the county Board of Equalization. The filing deadline is typically 45 days after the assessment notice. That is the Georgia rule; Chatham County sets the exact dates and forms. The Georgia appeal process step by step.
Georgia rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Georgia page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Chatham County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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Georgia income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Georgia actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Chatham County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Chatham County, Georgia: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.