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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in DeKalb County, Tennessee

DeKalb County has an effective property tax rate of 0.35%. On the median home value of $235,500, that's roughly $824 per year. Median household income is $53,153.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.35%
median tax $824 ÷ median home $235,500
Median Home Value1
$235,500
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$53,153
per-capita $30,133
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$824
at 0.35% 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.

MetricDeKalb CountyTennessee (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.35%0.47%
Median home value1$235,500—
State income tax3No state income taxNo state income tax
State sales tax39.61% combined9.61% 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 DeKalb County, TN

Someone shopping for a home in DeKalb County, Tennessee, will find property taxes running at an effective rate of 0.350%, well beneath the statewide median of 0.467% and less than half the national figure of 0.794%. That gap matters over time: a house valued at the county's median of $235,500 carries an annual tax bill of roughly $824. Households here earn a median of $53,153, with per-capita income at $30,133, so the tax line stays small against yearly earnings. Among Tennessee's 95 counties, DeKalb ranks 89th for property tax rate, placing it near the cheapest end of the state. Buyers eyeing Baxter, Alexandria, or Dowelltown should weigh these figures alongside the area's home prices, which sit below many markets elsewhere.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in DeKalb County, TN?
The effective rate is 0.35% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.35% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($235,500), the estimated annual bill is about $824.
Is DeKalb County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 0.47% 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 DeKalb 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 DeKalb 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.