Property tax in Houston County, Tennessee
The median property tax bill in Houston County, Tennessee is $929 a year, which is about 0.54% of the county's median home value of $172,700. That effective rate is higher than the typical Tennessee county (0.47%) 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 Houston County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Houston County's average effective rate of 0.54% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $933 / year
Property tax in Houston County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $929 |
| Median home value | $172,700 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.54% |
| Typical Tennessee county rate | 0.47% |
| 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 Houston County compare in Tennessee?
Among Tennessee's 95 counties, Houston County has the 20th highest effective property-tax rate: 19 rank higher and 75 rank lower. That is on the higher side for Tennessee. Nationally, it ranks 2508th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Tennessee county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Houston County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Houston County's 2,715 owner-occupied homes, 7.7% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 12.6% pay at least $2,000, and 39.2% pay under $800. Another 5.7% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 1,064 | 39.2% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 862 | 31.7% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 294 | 10.8% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 132 | 4.9% |
| $3,000 or more | 208 | 7.7% |
| No property tax paid | 155 | 5.7% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,105 and owners without one pay $781. 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 Houston County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $929 is about 1.4% of the median income of Houston County homeowner households, $64,402 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 81% of Houston 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 Houston County?
The survey cannot tell. The median bill was $827 in 2015-2019 and $929 in 2020-2024, but that $102 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 Houston County
Houston County borders 5 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County, TN | 0.61% | $1,697 | $280,200 |
| Houston County, TN (this county) | 0.54% | $929 | $172,700 |
| Benton County, TN | 0.48% | $738 | $153,600 |
| Humphreys County, TN | 0.48% | $921 | $193,400 |
| Dickson County, TN | 0.47% | $1,431 | $306,400 |
| Stewart County, TN | 0.46% | $939 | $204,700 |
How is a home assessed in Houston County?
Tennessee assesses homes at 25% of market value in every county, Houston County included. How Tennessee assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Houston County?
No. Tennessee has no general homestead exemption; relief comes through the state Tax Relief program and the local-option Tax Freeze. That is the Tennessee rule, and it applies in Houston County. Tennessee's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Houston County?
One annual bill from the county trustee, due the first Monday in October. You can pay without interest through the end of February; anything unpaid on March 1 is delinquent and accrues interest and penalty monthly.
That is the Tennessee rule. Houston County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Houston County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the County Board of Equalization, then the State Board of Equalization. The filing deadline is typically August 1, or 45 days after the county board's notice, whichever is later. That is the Tennessee rule; Houston County sets the exact dates and forms. The Tennessee appeal process step by step.
Tennessee rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Tennessee 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 Houston 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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Tennessee income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Tennessee actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Houston County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Houston County, Tennessee: 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.