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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Knox County, Tennessee

Knox County has an effective property tax rate of 0.43%. On the median home value of $320,900, that's roughly $1,367 per year. Median household income is $74,222.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.43%
median tax $1,367 ÷ median home $320,900
Median Home Value1
$320,900
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$74,222
per-capita $43,351
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$1,367
at 0.43% 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.

MetricKnox CountyTennessee (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.43%0.47%
Median home value1$320,900—
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 Knox County, TN

Knox County offers a fairly affordable path into homeownership, especially for buyers weighing tax costs alongside purchase prices. The median home value here is $320,900, and the median annual property tax bill comes to $1,367, based on an effective rate of 0.426%. That rate sits below Tennessee's statewide median of 0.467%, and within the state Knox County ranks 69th out of 95 counties, placing it among the lower-taxed half. Compare that with the national median effective rate of 0.794%, and the difference is substantial. Households earning the median income of $74,222 would owe roughly 1.8% of that in annual property taxes. Knoxville, the county's largest city, anchors the region. With per-capita income at $43,351, buyers considering Corryton or Lenoir City too will find that home prices and tax bills together demand a smaller share of earnings than in many metro areas.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Knox County, TN?
The effective rate is 0.43% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.43% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($320,900), the estimated annual bill is about $1,367.
Is Knox 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 Knox 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 Knox 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.