Property tax in Bell County, Kentucky
The median property tax bill in Bell County, Kentucky is $723 a year, which is about 0.81% of the county's median home value of $89,000. That effective rate is higher than the typical Kentucky county (0.68%) and about the same as 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 Bell County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Bell County's average effective rate of 0.81% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $721 / year
Property tax in Bell County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $723 |
| Median home value | $89,000 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.81% |
| Typical Kentucky county rate | 0.68% |
| 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 Bell County compare in Kentucky?
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Bell County has the 23rd highest effective property-tax rate: 22 rank higher and 97 rank lower. That is on the higher side for Kentucky. Nationally, it ranks 1554th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Kentucky county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Bell County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Bell County's 5,847 owner-occupied homes, 2% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 6.2% pay at least $2,000, and 44.9% pay under $800. Another 18.8% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 2,628 | 44.9% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 1,224 | 20.9% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 530 | 9.1% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 244 | 4.2% |
| $3,000 or more | 119 | 2% |
| No property tax paid | 1,102 | 18.8% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,128 and owners without one pay $599. 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 Bell County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $723 is about 1.5% of the median income of Bell County homeowner households, $47,628 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 58.8% of Bell 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 Bell County?
Yes. The median bill went from $472 in 2015-2019 to $723 in 2020-2024, a 53.2% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 48.8%, from $59,800 to $89,000.
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 Bell County
Bell County borders 7 counties, 2 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harlan County, KY | 0.99% | $732 | $73,700 |
| Leslie County, KY | 0.82% | $563 | $69,000 |
| Bell County, KY (this county) | 0.81% | $723 | $89,000 |
| Clay County, KY | 0.7% | $634 | $90,700 |
| Knox County, KY | 0.66% | $779 | $118,700 |
| Whitley County, KY | 0.64% | $849 | $131,800 |
| Lee County, VA | 0.6% | $595 | $98,900 |
| Claiborne County, TN | 0.49% | $777 | $159,900 |
How is a home assessed in Bell County?
Kentucky assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Bell County included. How Kentucky assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Bell County?
Only for older and disabled owners. Kentucky's homestead exemption is age and disability based; an owner-occupant under 65 who is not totally disabled gets none. That is the Kentucky rule, and it applies in Bell County. Kentucky's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Bell County?
One annual payment to the county sheriff, due by December 31. Pay by November 1 for a 2% discount, then face value through December 31. A 5% penalty applies in January and 10% plus a sheriff's fee after January 31. Unpaid bills move to the county clerk on April 15 and become a lien against the property.
That is the Kentucky rule. Bell County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Bell County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the County PVA conference, then the local Board of Assessment Appeals, then the Kentucky Board of Tax Appeals. The filing deadline is typically one working day after the tax roll inspection period closes, normally the third Tuesday in May. That is the Kentucky rule; Bell County sets the exact dates and forms. The Kentucky appeal process step by step.
Kentucky rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Kentucky 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 Bell 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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Kentucky income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Kentucky actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Bell County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Bell County, Kentucky: 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.