Property tax in Johnson County, Tennessee

Updated

The median property tax bill in Johnson County, Tennessee is $710 a year, which is about 0.4% of the county's median home value of $178,600. That effective rate is lower 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 Johnson County

Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Johnson County's average effective rate of 0.4% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.


Estimated property tax: $714 / year

Property tax in Johnson County at a glance

Johnson County, Tennessee property tax (Census ACS, reviewed September 23, 2026)
MeasureValue
Median annual property tax$710
Median home value$178,600
Effective tax rate0.4%
Typical Tennessee county rate0.47%
National median county rate0.81%

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 Johnson County compare in Tennessee?

Among Tennessee's 95 counties, Johnson County has the 77th highest effective property-tax rate: 76 rank higher and 18 rank lower. That is on the lower side for Tennessee. Nationally, it ranks 2931st of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Tennessee county ranked.

How much do homeowners in Johnson County actually pay?

The median is only the middle bill. Across Johnson County's 5,655 owner-occupied homes, 2.1% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 7.1% pay at least $2,000, and 52.4% pay under $800. Another 8.8% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.

Annual property tax paid by Johnson County homeowners (Census ACS 2020-2024)
Annual billHomesShare
Under $8002,96452.4%
$800 to $1,4991,46325.9%
$1,500 to $1,9993325.9%
$2,000 to $2,9992805%
$3,000 or more1192.1%
No property tax paid4978.8%

Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $724 and owners without one pay $700. That is within 10% either way, so in Johnson County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.

How does the Johnson County property tax bill compare with local incomes?

The median property tax bill of $710 is about 1.2% of the median income of Johnson County homeowner households, $58,865 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 77.5% of Johnson 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 Johnson County?

Yes. The median bill went from $569 in 2015-2019 to $710 in 2020-2024, a 24.8% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 34.2%, from $133,100 to $178,600. 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 Johnson County

Johnson County borders 7 counties, 5 of them across the state line.

Johnson County and its neighbors, highest effective rate first (Census ACS 2020-2024)
CountyEffective rateMedian billMedian home value
Sullivan County, TN0.58%$1,234$213,300
Grayson County, VA0.56%$843$150,100
Carter County, TN0.51%$864$168,200
Washington County, VA0.5%$1,065$214,000
Ashe County, NC0.49%$1,190$243,100
Johnson County, TN (this county)0.4%$710$178,600
Watauga County, NC0.39%$1,386$358,900
Avery County, NC0.38%$1,010$265,800

How is a home assessed in Johnson County?

Tennessee assesses homes at 25% of market value in every county, Johnson County included. How Tennessee assesses and reappraises homes.

Is there a homestead exemption in Johnson 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 Johnson County. Tennessee's exemptions and relief programs in full.

When are property taxes due in Johnson 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. Johnson County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.

How to appeal your Johnson 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; Johnson 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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