Property tax in Lake County, Tennessee
The median property tax bill in Lake County, Tennessee is $653 a year, which is about 0.67% of the county's median home value of $97,900. 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 Lake County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Lake County's average effective rate of 0.67% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $656 / year
Property tax in Lake County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $653 |
| Median home value | $97,900 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.67% |
| 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 Lake County compare in Tennessee?
Among Tennessee's 95 counties, Lake County has the 2nd highest effective property-tax rate: 1 rank higher and 93 rank lower. That places it among the most heavily taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 2012th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Tennessee county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Lake County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Lake County's 987 owner-occupied homes, 3.9% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 7.2% pay at least $2,000, and 63.4% pay under $800. Another 3.4% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 626 | 63.4% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 206 | 20.9% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 50 | 5.1% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 33 | 3.3% |
| $3,000 or more | 38 | 3.9% |
| No property tax paid | 34 | 3.4% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $687 and owners without one pay $643. That is within 10% either way, so in Lake County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Lake County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $653 is about 1.3% of the median income of Lake County homeowner households, $50,417 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 47.8% of Lake 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 Lake County?
The survey cannot tell. The median bill was $607 in 2015-2019 and $653 in 2020-2024, but that $46 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 Lake County
Lake County borders 5 counties, 3 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pemiscot County, MO | 0.95% | $925 | $97,000 |
| Fulton County, KY | 0.8% | $634 | $79,100 |
| New Madrid County, MO | 0.73% | $814 | $111,800 |
| Lake County, TN (this county) | 0.67% | $653 | $97,900 |
| Dyer County, TN | 0.63% | $1,047 | $166,400 |
| Obion County, TN | 0.52% | $690 | $133,600 |
How is a home assessed in Lake County?
Tennessee assesses homes at 25% of market value in every county, Lake County included. How Tennessee assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Lake 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 Lake County. Tennessee's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Lake 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. Lake County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Lake 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; Lake 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
-
How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Lake County's tax rate to hand.
-
Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
-
Tennessee income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Tennessee actually taxes.
-
Sales tax in Lake County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Lake 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.