Property tax in Clay County, Mississippi
The median property tax bill in Clay County, Mississippi is $810 a year, which is about 0.63% of the county's median home value of $129,100. That effective rate is lower than the typical Mississippi county (0.69%) 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 Clay County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Clay County's average effective rate of 0.63% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $813 / year
Property tax in Clay County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $810 |
| Median home value | $129,100 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.63% |
| Typical Mississippi county rate | 0.69% |
| 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 Clay County compare in Mississippi?
Among Mississippi's 81 counties, Clay County has the 58th highest effective property-tax rate: 57 rank higher and 23 rank lower. That is on the lower side for Mississippi. Nationally, it ranks 2145th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Mississippi county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Clay County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Clay County's 5,567 owner-occupied homes, 10% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 15.6% pay at least $2,000, and 36.6% pay under $800. Another 26.1% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 2,040 | 36.6% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 891 | 16% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 318 | 5.7% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 309 | 5.6% |
| $3,000 or more | 555 | 10% |
| No property tax paid | 1,454 | 26.1% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,075 and owners without one pay $632. 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 Clay County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $810 is about 1.5% of the median income of Clay County homeowner households, $54,457 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 71.3% of Clay 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 Clay County?
The survey cannot tell. The median bill was $664 in 2015-2019 and $810 in 2020-2024, but that $146 difference is inside the Census's own margin of error for a county this size, so it could be sampling noise rather than a real change.
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 Clay County
Clay County borders 5 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chickasaw County, MS | 0.73% | $800 | $109,800 |
| Oktibbeha County, MS | 0.71% | $1,691 | $237,700 |
| Monroe County, MS | 0.7% | $843 | $120,800 |
| Webster County, MS | 0.68% | $821 | $120,100 |
| Clay County, MS (this county) | 0.63% | $810 | $129,100 |
| Lowndes County, MS | 0.6% | $992 | $164,100 |
How is a home assessed in Clay County?
Mississippi assesses homes at 10% of market value in every county, Clay County included. How Mississippi assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Clay County?
Yes, as a credit off the bill. Mississippi's regular homestead credit tops out at $300, which almost every homeowner with a house worth roughly $74,000 or more receives. Apply with the county tax assessor between January 1 and April 1. That is the Mississippi rule, and it applies in Clay County. Mississippi's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Clay County?
Property is assessed to whoever owns it on January 1, the bill goes out that November or December, and the full amount is due by February 1. If February 1 falls on a weekend or holiday you can pay the next Monday without penalty. A county or self-collecting municipality may vote to accept partial payments, splitting the year into one half by February 1 and one quarter each by May 1 and July 1, but that is a local option rather than a statewide right.
That is the Mississippi rule. Clay County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Clay County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the the county Board of Supervisors. The filing deadline is typically the first Monday in August preceding the due date of the taxes. That is the Mississippi rule; Clay County sets the exact dates and forms. The Mississippi appeal process step by step.
Mississippi rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Mississippi 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 Clay 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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Mississippi income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Mississippi actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Clay County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Clay County, Mississippi: 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.