DeKalb County property owners have experienced significant increases in their property tax bills in recent years. Population growth, increased housing demand, real estate supply shortages, and a commercial industry boom created the perfect storm for soaring property taxes in DeKalb County. Updates to state property tax policies have also contributed to higher Georgia property tax bills.
DeKalb is Georgia's fourth-largest county and home to multiple colleges and universities, the Centers for Disease Control, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and numerous Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, five major highways run through DeKalb County, attracting businesses eager to invest in the economy.
The county has one of the fastest-growing job and commercial real estate markets in Georgia, with over 18,000 businesses vying for employees. The resulting population growth has caused a housing affordability crisis. A lack of available residential properties, including affordable rentals, has sent property appraisal values and tax bills soaring.
2025 Property Tax Rates in DeKalb County
Local taxing entities set tax rates to fund services like schools, road maintenance, and emergency responders. Your effective property tax rate, which determines how much you owe each year, is based on a percentage of your assessed property value. The current effective median property tax rate in DeKalb County, GA, is 1.22%, and the median home value in the county is $260,700.
Example: A property valued at $260,700 with a 1.22% tax rate would have an annual tax bill of
$2,951 ($260,700 x 0.0122)
The tax rate applied to an assessed property value is known as the millage rate. One mill equals one dollar in taxes for every $1,000 of assessed property value.
Georgia law requires taxing bodies to calculate a rollback millage rate to generate the same revenue as the previous year when a property has not been reassessed.
Property taxes increase if the adopted millage rate is higher than the rollback rate. In 2024, DeKalb County officials proposed a property tax increase of 11.08% over the rollback millage rate, which resulted in higher tax bills than the previous year.
Property Assessment in DeKalb County
Regardless of whether millage rates change, higher property assessments result in higher tax bills. That's why ensuring that your property tax assessment is accurate is essential.
The property tax assessment process in DeKalb County, Georgia, begins with the Board of Assessors. The BOA is responsible for determining the fair market value of residential and commercial properties across the county. It uses appraisal software to analyze the sale prices of nearby properties and property characteristics and features to generate estimates.
Property assessments don't take into account depreciation due to an aging roof or a broken HVAC system, which can result in unfairly high assessments.
You have the right to appeal your assessment. Check out this in-depth guide on Georgia property taxes to learn more about how your taxes are figured, and find out if you can apply for a property tax appeal in Atlanta. We'll walk you through the residential and/or commercial property assessment appeals process.
Available Exemptions
Apply for homestead exemptions to reduce your residential property tax bill. Property tax exemptions lower the taxable value of your home. For example, a property with an assessed value of $260,000 with a $2,000 general statewide homestead exemption is only taxed on $258,000 of its value.
Exemptions can be stacked for additional savings. The following homestead exemptions are available to qualifying residents in DeKalb County:
General statewide homestead exemption: This would give you a $2,000 exemption from county and certain school taxes.
Senior citizen exemptions: Those over age 65 with a combined household income under $10,000 can apply for a $4,000 exemption. Those 62 and older may be eligible to receive an additional exemption from some school taxes when their annual household income is below $10,000.
Disabled veteran exemptions: Disabled veterans and their surviving spouses qualify for a $32,500 exemption or the maximum amount that can be granted to a disabled veteran, which in 2025 is $121,812. Any property value above that remains taxable.
Surviving spouse exemptions: As long as they remain unmarried, the spouses of U.S. military members killed in active duty receive a $60,000 exemption, plus another sum determined by an index rate set by the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Similarly, the spouses of firefighters and law enforcement officers killed on the job are exempt from paying taxes on the full value of their homestead if they continue to live in the home.
Floating homestead exemption: Georgia Amendment 1, passed in November 2024, created a new floating homestead exemption intended to cap property assessment increases at the rate of inflation and provide owners tax relief. A provision in the bill allowed local taxing entities to opt out, and many local governments in Georgia are doing so. However, DeKalb County authorities voted to opt into the statewide floating homestead exemption last February.
Managing Property Tax Payments
The DeKalb County Tax Commissioner mails property assessment notices in late May or early June each year. That office is responsible for collecting payments as well. Pay your property taxes yearly on or before September 30 to avoid late fees or penalties. You may also pay in two installments, with the first payment due September 30 and the second installment by November 15.
Payment Methods
You can pay your property taxes:
Online
Over the phone
In person
Via mail with cash, check, or money order
By debit or credit card
Deadlines and Penalties for Late Payments
Penalties and interest begin to accrue on late property taxes the day after the due date and continue accumulating on the principal amount each month until the bill is paid.
A 5% penalty is charged on the 120th day after each due date and continues to accrue 5% every 120 days until the property taxes are paid in full or the total penalty reaches a maximum of 20% of the bill.
If you appealed your property assessment, you may still be awaiting a decision when your tax bill comes due, but it's important to pay your property taxes on time during the assessment appeal process.
How to Appeal Your Property Tax Bill
Look your property tax bill over carefully. If you believe there are errors, file an appeal within 45 days of receiving your property assessment notice.
Step-by-Step Appeal Process
File a written appeal with the DeKalb County Board of Assessors (BOA).
Gather evidence that supports the claim that your property's value is too high.
The BOA will review your evidence and either change the property assessment value or schedule a formal hearing.
Attend the hearing and present your evidence.
Await the board's decision. If you disagree with the outcome, you have the right to protest before Georgia's Superior Court.
Navigating the Appeals Process with Local Authorities
Begin the informal appeals process with the BOA. If the BOA upholds its original assessment, your appeal will be forwarded to the Board of Equalization for review. The BOE schedules a formal hearing to listen to your case and then returns a decision.
The Appellant or the County Board of Tax Assessors is the final level of appeals in Georgia. File a notice of appeal within 30 days from the date on which the BOE decision was mailed.
Find out How to Lower Your Property Taxes with Ownwell
Following a successful appeal in Georgia, property taxes are frozen for three years. However, a failed property assessment appeal may result in property tax increases. Let the property tax professionals at Ownwell help you build a strong appeal. See how much you can save via a Georgia property tax appeal before your local deadline!
