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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Shelby County, Tennessee

Shelby County has an effective property tax rate of 0.97%. On the median home value of $249,100, that's roughly $2,429 per year. Median household income is $63,767.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.97%
median tax $2,429 ÷ median home $249,100
Median Home Value1
$249,100
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$63,767
per-capita $39,083
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$2,429
at 0.97% 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.

MetricShelby CountyTennessee (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.97%0.47%
Median home value1$249,100—
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 Shelby County, TN

In Shelby County, home to Memphis, buyers face a median home value of $249,100 and a median annual property tax bill of $2,429, based on an effective rate of 0.975%. That rate sits well above Tennessee's statewide median of 0.467%, and it ranks first among the state's 95 counties, so property taxes here claim a larger share of home value than almost anywhere else in Tennessee. The national median effective rate of 0.794% is also lower. With median household income at $63,767 and per-capita income at $39,083, the tax bill amounts to roughly 3.8% of household earnings. For someone weighing a purchase, the county's home prices may look reasonable, but the tax rate itself adds a meaningful annual cost that buyers should factor into their budget before committing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Shelby County, TN?
The effective rate is 0.97% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.97% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($249,100), the estimated annual bill is about $2,429.
Is Shelby 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 Shelby 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 Shelby 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.