County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Russell County, Alabama

Russell County has an effective property tax rate of 0.38%. On the median home value of $165,700, that's roughly $629 per year. Median household income is $51,197.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.38%
median tax $629 ÷ median home $165,700
Median Home Value1
$165,700
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$51,197
per-capita $28,243
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$629
at 0.38% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricRussell CountyAlabama (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.38%0.32%
Median home value1$165,700
State income tax3top rate 5.00%top rate 5.00%
State sales tax39.46% combined9.46% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Russell County, AL

Someone weighing a move to Russell County, Alabama, will find home prices here well below the national picture, with the median dwelling valued at $165,700. Property taxes add roughly $629 a year, based on an effective rate of 0.380 percent — higher than Alabama's statewide median of 0.324 percent, and ranking 21st among the state's 67 counties. Even so, that annual bill equals a little over one percent of the county's median household income of $51,197, and per-capita income stands at $28,243. Against the national median effective rate of 0.794 percent, Russell County's levy looks considerably lighter. Buyers considering Cottonton, Fort Mitchell, or Hatchechubbee can expect ownership costs shaped mainly by the low purchase prices rather than by taxation.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Russell County, AL?
The effective rate is 0.38% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.38% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($165,700), the estimated annual bill is about $629.
Is Russell County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 0.32% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Russell County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Russell County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.