Property tax in Wilkes County, Georgia
The median property tax bill in Wilkes County, Georgia is $1,292 a year, which is about 1.05% of the county's median home value of $122,700. That effective rate is higher 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 Wilkes County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Wilkes County's average effective rate of 1.05% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $1,288 / year
Property tax in Wilkes County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,292 |
| Median home value | $122,700 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.05% |
| 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 Wilkes County compare in Georgia?
Among Georgia's 158 counties, Wilkes County has the 27th highest effective property-tax rate: 26 rank higher and 131 rank lower. That is on the higher side for Georgia. Nationally, it ranks 992nd of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Georgia county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Wilkes County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Wilkes County's 2,731 owner-occupied homes, 18.5% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 29% pay at least $2,000, and 26.3% pay under $800. Another 13.4% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 718 | 26.3% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 689 | 25.2% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 166 | 6.1% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 286 | 10.5% |
| $3,000 or more | 505 | 18.5% |
| No property tax paid | 367 | 13.4% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,559 and owners without one pay $1,203. 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 Wilkes County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $1,292 is about 2.2% of the median income of Wilkes County homeowner households, $59,375 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 66.1% of Wilkes 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 Wilkes County?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,096 in 2015-2019 to $1,292 in 2020-2024, a 17.9% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 40.7%, from $87,200 to $122,700. 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 Wilkes County
Wilkes County borders 6 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taliaferro County, GA | 1.31% | $902 | $68,900 |
| Warren County, GA | 1.09% | $730 | $67,100 |
| Wilkes County, GA (this county) | 1.05% | $1,292 | $122,700 |
| Lincoln County, GA | 0.99% | $1,643 | $165,900 |
| Elbert County, GA | 0.91% | $1,298 | $142,000 |
| McDuffie County, GA | 0.82% | $1,391 | $170,200 |
| Oglethorpe County, GA | 0.75% | $1,733 | $231,600 |
How is a home assessed in Wilkes County?
Georgia assesses homes at 40% of market value in every county, Wilkes County included. How Georgia assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Wilkes 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 Wilkes County. Georgia's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Wilkes 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. Wilkes County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Wilkes 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; Wilkes 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 Wilkes 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 Wilkes County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Wilkes 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.