Property tax in Putnam County, Tennessee
In Putnam County, the property tax bill comes from the Putnam County Trustee. The 2026 bill is due February 28, 2027. You can look up and pay the bill on the county's own payment page. Taken from Putnam County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Putnam County, Tennessee is $1,363 a year, which is about 0.48% of the county's median home value of $282,500. 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.
Who sends the property tax bill in Putnam County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the Putnam County Trustee. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the Putnam County Property Assessor, which is who to ask if the value looks wrong. For how to look up and pay the bill, go to the county's own payment information.
The Trustee collects county taxes only. If you live in Cookeville, Algood, Baxter or Monterey, your city sets its own property tax. The City of Cookeville bills and collects its tax separately, payable from October 5, 2026 through February 28, 2027, so Cookeville owners get two bills. Online payments run through the Trustee's payment processor, which charges 2.5% for cards and $1.25 for electronic checks; the county keeps none of the fees. Current-year bills can also be paid with the tax notice at some bank branches in Baxter and Monterey.
When are property taxes due in Putnam County?
For the 2026 bill, Putnam County has one due date: February 28, 2027. Notices are mailed in October, and taxes are payable without interest from the first Monday in October (October 5, 2026) through the last day of February 2027. February 28, 2027 is a Sunday, and the Trustee's office is open only Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The county has not said whether a payment on Monday, March 1 counts as on time, and interest starts March 1, so pay by Friday, February 26, 2027. Partial payments are allowed after signing a written agreement: up to five payments, with the fifth paying the bill in full. A night drop box is on the Broad Street side of the Old Courthouse. Interest of 1.5% a month starts on March 1, 2027 and increases by 1.5% on the first of each month after that. Unpaid taxes stay with the Trustee until March 31 of the following year, when they are turned over to Chancery Court under state law.
From Putnam County's published schedule, checked September 23, 2026. If a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the county's own rules on the next business day apply.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Putnam County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Putnam County's average effective rate of 0.48% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $1,356 / year
Property tax in Putnam County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,363 |
| Median home value | $282,500 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.48% |
| 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 Putnam County compare in Tennessee?
Among Tennessee's 95 counties, Putnam County has the 44th highest effective property-tax rate: 43 rank higher and 51 rank lower. That is near the middle for Tennessee. Nationally, it ranks 2709th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Tennessee county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Putnam County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Putnam County's 20,562 owner-occupied homes, 10.1% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 24.9% pay at least $2,000, and 18.8% pay under $800. Another 2.9% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 3,868 | 18.8% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 7,628 | 37.1% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 3,359 | 16.3% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 3,035 | 14.8% |
| $3,000 or more | 2,071 | 10.1% |
| No property tax paid | 601 | 2.9% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,388 and owners without one pay $1,332. That is within 10% either way, so in Putnam County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Putnam County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $1,363 is about 1.7% of the median income of Putnam County homeowner households, $81,646 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 61.2% of Putnam 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 Putnam County?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,069 in 2015-2019 to $1,363 in 2020-2024, a 27.5% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 77%, from $159,600 to $282,500. 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 Putnam County
Putnam County borders 7 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County, TN (this county) | 0.48% | $1,363 | $282,500 |
| Smith County, TN | 0.47% | $1,136 | $243,800 |
| Jackson County, TN | 0.46% | $710 | $155,500 |
| White County, TN | 0.4% | $838 | $207,200 |
| Overton County, TN | 0.39% | $669 | $173,200 |
| DeKalb County, TN | 0.35% | $824 | $235,500 |
| Fentress County, TN | 0.32% | $535 | $168,200 |
| Cumberland County, TN | 0.29% | $730 | $250,500 |
How is a home assessed in Putnam County?
Tennessee assesses homes at 25% of market value in every county, Putnam County included. How Tennessee assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Putnam 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 Putnam County. Tennessee's exemptions and relief programs in full.
On top of the Tennessee programs, Putnam County runs its own:
- Putnam County Property Tax Freeze: A state-authorized local option Putnam County adopted in 2024: homeowners 65 or older by December 31, 2026 whose total household income (including a spouse and anyone else on the deed) is $42,200 or less can freeze the county tax on their home at the amount for the year they first qualify. It covers county tax only; none of the cities in the county has adopted the freeze. Apply by April 5, 2027.
How to appeal your Putnam County property assessment
In Putnam County you appeal to the Putnam County Board of Equalization. The deadline: First call the Property Assessor's office at 931-528-8428 for an informal review with an appraiser. If that does not settle it, call before June 1 to schedule a hearing with the county board, which by state law convenes June 1 each year (the next business day if June 1 falls on a weekend); the next session opens June 1, 2027. Bring evidence of market value, such as recent sales of similar properties or an appraisal, because the amount of tax is not a basis for appeal. A county board decision can be appealed to the Tennessee State Board of Equalization by August 1 of the tax year or within 45 days of the date the county board's notice was sent, whichever is later. How to file. Checked September 23, 2026 against state law, because Putnam County does not restate them on its own pages.
How Tennessee's appeal process works, including the next level if the first one turns you down.
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 Putnam 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 Putnam County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Putnam 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.