Property tax in Carter County, Kentucky
The median property tax bill in Carter County, Kentucky is $649 a year, which is about 0.49% of the county's median home value of $132,800. That effective rate is lower than the typical Kentucky county (0.68%) and lower 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 Carter County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Carter County's average effective rate of 0.49% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $651 / year
Property tax in Carter County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $649 |
| Median home value | $132,800 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.49% |
| 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 Carter County compare in Kentucky?
Among Kentucky's 120 counties, Carter County has the 119th highest effective property-tax rate: 118 rank higher and 1 rank lower. That places it among the least taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 2661st of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Kentucky county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Carter County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Carter County's 8,639 owner-occupied homes, 2.7% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 7.9% pay at least $2,000, and 48.2% pay under $800. Another 18.3% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 4,160 | 48.2% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 1,610 | 18.6% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 601 | 7% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 450 | 5.2% |
| $3,000 or more | 235 | 2.7% |
| No property tax paid | 1,583 | 18.3% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $989 and owners without one pay $443. 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 Carter County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $649 is about 1.1% of the median income of Carter County homeowner households, $58,592 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 80% of Carter 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 Carter County?
Yes. The median bill went from $483 in 2015-2019 to $649 in 2020-2024, a 34.4% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 39.8%, from $95,000 to $132,800. 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 Carter County
Carter County borders 6 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boyd County, KY | 0.88% | $1,156 | $130,700 |
| Greenup County, KY | 0.87% | $1,171 | $134,000 |
| Lawrence County, KY | 0.71% | $793 | $111,700 |
| Lewis County, KY | 0.64% | $617 | $96,000 |
| Elliott County, KY | 0.61% | $755 | $123,500 |
| Rowan County, KY | 0.55% | $885 | $161,800 |
| Carter County, KY (this county) | 0.49% | $649 | $132,800 |
How is a home assessed in Carter County?
Kentucky assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Carter County included. How Kentucky assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Carter 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 Carter County. Kentucky's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Carter 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. Carter County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Carter 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; Carter 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
-
How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Carter County's tax rate to hand.
-
Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
-
Kentucky income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Kentucky actually taxes.
-
Sales tax in Carter County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Carter 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.