Property tax in Rutherford County, Tennessee
In Rutherford County, the property tax bill comes from the Rutherford 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 Rutherford County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Rutherford County, Tennessee is $1,839 a year, which is about 0.48% of the county's median home value of $382,600. 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 Rutherford County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the Rutherford County Trustee. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the Rutherford 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's bill also carries city tax for the Town of Smyrna and the City of Eagleville, so owners there get one bill. The City of Murfreesboro and the City of La Vergne collect their own city property tax, so owners in those cities get a separate city bill. The county freeze covers county tax only; Murfreesboro, Smyrna and La Vergne each run their own city tax freeze. Card, online check and phone payments carry a convenience fee, and returned checks cost $25. The Trustee has offices in the Historic Courthouse in Murfreesboro and in Smyrna; the Smyrna office opens only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from April through August.
When are property taxes due in Rutherford County?
For the 2026 bill, Rutherford County has one due date: February 28, 2027. Taxes are due the first Monday in October (October 5, 2026) and can be paid through the last day of February 2027 without interest. Partial payments are accepted, and prepayment or monthly bank drafts can be arranged with the Trustee's office. February 28, 2027 is a Sunday, and both Trustee offices are open weekdays only. The county has not said whether a payment on Monday, March 1 counts as on time, and state law adds interest on March 1, so pay by Friday, February 26, 2027. Unpaid 2026 taxes become delinquent on March 1, 2027. Interest of 1.5% a month is added from the delinquency date, set by state law (Tenn. Code Ann. 67-5-2010). The county gives no discount for paying early.
From Rutherford 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 Rutherford County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Rutherford 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: $1,836 / year
Property tax in Rutherford County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,839 |
| Median home value | $382,600 |
| 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 Rutherford County compare in Tennessee?
Among Tennessee's 95 counties, Rutherford County has the 45th highest effective property-tax rate: 44 rank higher and 50 rank lower. That is near the middle for Tennessee. Nationally, it ranks 2710th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Tennessee county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Rutherford County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Rutherford County's 83,895 owner-occupied homes, 16.7% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 41.3% pay at least $2,000, and 6.4% pay under $800. Another 4.5% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 5,379 | 6.4% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 23,430 | 27.9% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 16,587 | 19.8% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 20,668 | 24.6% |
| $3,000 or more | 14,043 | 16.7% |
| No property tax paid | 3,788 | 4.5% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,850 and owners without one pay $1,806. That is within 10% either way, so in Rutherford County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Rutherford County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $1,839 is about 1.7% of the median income of Rutherford County homeowner households, $105,508 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 64.8% of Rutherford 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 Rutherford County?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,413 in 2015-2019 to $1,839 in 2020-2024, a 30.1% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 79.5%, from $213,200 to $382,600. 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 Rutherford County
Rutherford County borders 7 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davidson County, TN | 0.6% | $2,506 | $417,400 |
| Coffee County, TN | 0.57% | $1,407 | $246,800 |
| Bedford County, TN | 0.48% | $1,345 | $281,200 |
| Marshall County, TN | 0.48% | $1,346 | $279,800 |
| Rutherford County, TN (this county) | 0.48% | $1,839 | $382,600 |
| Cannon County, TN | 0.43% | $1,073 | $252,000 |
| Wilson County, TN | 0.42% | $1,787 | $428,000 |
| Williamson County, TN | 0.4% | $3,004 | $751,900 |
How is a home assessed in Rutherford County?
Tennessee assesses homes at 25% of market value in every county, Rutherford County included. How Tennessee assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Rutherford 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 Rutherford County. Tennessee's exemptions and relief programs in full.
On top of the Tennessee programs, Rutherford County runs its own:
- Rutherford County Senior Tax Freeze: A state-authorized local option Rutherford County adopted in 2008: homeowners 65 or older by December 31, 2026 whose combined 2025 income (applicant, spouse and all others on the deed) was $63,470 or less can freeze the county tax on their primary residence (up to five acres) at the amount for the year they qualify, reapplying every year by appointment with the Trustee's office. Apply by April 5, 2027.
How to appeal your Rutherford County property assessment
In Rutherford County you appeal to the Rutherford County Board of Equalization. The deadline: Start with an informal review by the Property Assessor's office, (615) 898-7750. For the 2026 tax year the County Board of Equalization reconvened on July 7, 2026 and accepted appeals only until Friday, August 7, 2026, so that window has closed. In a normal year the county hears board appeals in June, and the Assessor's office starts booking appointments the first week of May. If you do not appeal to the county board, the assessment becomes final. 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 board's notice was sent, whichever is later. How to file. Checked September 23, 2026 against the official appeal rules.
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 Rutherford 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 Rutherford County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Rutherford 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.