In tax year 2026, the median Alabama homeowner paid $813 in property taxes, a median effective rate of 0.47% of market value, compared with 1.27% nationally. Rates range from 0.26% in Choctaw County to 0.69% in Jefferson County, because each county, city, and school district sets its own tax rate.
- Median Alabama effective property tax rate: 0.47%
- Median Alabama home value: $169,700
- Median Alabama property tax bill: $813
- Highest median bill: Shelby County $1,637
- Lowest median bill: Choctaw County $129
Last Updated October 26, 2026
How Property Taxes Work in Alabama
In Alabama, your county tax assessor estimates your home's value, and property is taxed at 10% of fair market value for owner-occupied homes. Your bill is that assessed value, minus any exemptions, multiplied by the combined tax rate of every local government that covers your property, usually your county, city, school district, and any special districts.
The Alabama Department of Revenue oversees property tax administration in Alabama and publishes guidance on assessments, exemptions, and appeals.
Our median effective property tax rate (tax bill ÷ assessor's market value) accounts for exemptions and deductions, making it more accurate than the general median tax rate, which is the midpoint of statutory rates before adjustments.
Median Alabama Effective Property Tax Rate
0.47%
Median Alabama Home Value
$169,700
Median Alabama Tax Bill
$813
Every property tax bill comes from three inputs:
Assessed Value
A local assessor or appraisal district estimates your home's market value. Many states then apply an assessment ratio. For example, Georgia taxes homes at 40% of market value, while Texas uses 100%. Some states, like California, cap how fast assessed values can rise for homestead properties.
Exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, and disability exemptions reduce the taxable value of qualifying homes, usually for a primary residence only.
Tax Rates
Each taxing authority that covers your property, typically a county, city, school district, and sometimes special districts, sets its own rate. Rates are usually expressed as millage (dollars per $1,000 of taxable value) or as a rate per $100 of value.
Your bill is your taxable value (assessed value minus exemptions) multiplied by the combined tax rate.
What is the Median Effective Property Tax Rate?
Our median effective property tax rate (tax bill ÷ assessor's market value) accounts for exemptions and deductions, making it more accurate than the general median tax rate, which is the midpoint of statutory rates before adjustments. Because states and counties assess property differently, the effective rate is the clearest way to compare bills across Alabama.
Counties With the Highest and Lowest Property Taxes
Five Highest Median Property Tax Bills
| Rank | County | Median Tax Bill |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Shelby County | $1,637 |
| 2. | Lee County | $1,422 |
| 3. | Madison County | $1,394 |
| 4. | Jefferson County | $1,328 |
| 5. | Baldwin County | $1,272 |
Five Lowest Median Property Tax Bills
| Rank | County | Median Tax Bill |
|---|---|---|
| 62. | Sumter County | $248 |
| 63. | Clay County | $238 |
| 64. | Washington County | $232 |
| 65. | Bibb County | $224 |
| 66. | Choctaw County | $129 |
0 of 67 Alabama counties have a median effective rate above the national 1.27%. Jefferson County has the highest median effective rate at 0.69%, and Choctaw County has the lowest at 0.26%.
Property Tax Rates and Bills by County
| Rank | County | Median Effective Tax Rate | Median Home Value | Median Tax Bill | 25th % Bill | 75th % Bill | 90th % Bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelby County | 0.54% | $299,330 | $1,637 | $1,191 | $2,427 | $3,416 |
| 2 | Lee County | 0.52% | $251,740 | $1,422 | $817 | $2,186 | $3,088 |
| 3 | Madison County | 0.56% | $256,400 | $1,394 | $864 | $2,204 | $3,275 |
| 4 | Jefferson County | 0.69% | $178,300 | $1,328 | $779 | $2,383 | $4,357 |
| 5 | Baldwin County | 0.33% | $330,200 | $1,272 | $744 | $2,323 | $4,135 |
| 6 | Limestone County | 0.33% | $271,900 | $931 | $540 | $1,650 | $3,020 |
| 7 | Lauderdale County | 0.41% | $201,230 | $911 | $573 | $1,414 | $2,145 |
| 8 | Mobile County | 0.59% | $134,800 | $864 | $531 | $1,355 | $2,055 |
| 9 | Montgomery County | 0.48% | $143,900 | $848 | $468 | $1,432 | $2,304 |
| 10 | St. Clair County | 0.39% | $203,325 | $828 | $433 | $1,270 | $1,813 |
| 11 | Tuscaloosa County | 0.45% | $169,200 | $751 | $426 | $1,264 | $2,090 |
| 12 | Morgan County | 0.39% | $157,900 | $716 | $447 | $1,058 | $1,505 |
| 13 | Coffee County | 0.43% | $158,400 | $710 | $390 | $1,139 | $1,592 |
| 14 | Marshall County | 0.42% | $144,100 | $685 | $411 | $1,117 | $1,773 |
| 15 | Russell County | 0.55% | $131,200 | $682 | $323 | $1,170 | $1,728 |
| 16 | Elmore County | 0.26% | $220,900 | $656 | $472 | $933 | $1,372 |
| 17 | Autauga County | 0.29% | $207,900 | $647 | $403 | $962 | $1,374 |
| 18 | Colbert County | 0.40% | $149,900 | $632 | $383 | $1,004 | $1,585 |
| 19 | Cherokee County | 0.42% | $133,100 | $627 | $302 | $1,096 | $1,735 |
| 20 | Calhoun County | 0.44% | $126,820 | $606 | $383 | $926 | $1,360 |
| 21 | Etowah County | 0.42% | $129,300 | $592 | $305 | $950 | $1,476 |
| 22 | Houston County | 0.34% | $148,250 | $589 | $341 | $910 | $1,358 |
| 23 | Lowndes County | 0.45% | $116,555 | $577 | $344 | $930 | $1,439 |
| 24 | Henry County | 0.37% | $131,343 | $575 | $278 | $966 | $1,419 |
| 25 | Blount County | 0.31% | $172,860 | $569 | $329 | $883 | $1,287 |
| 26 | Dale County | 0.42% | $127,840 | $567 | $354 | $874 | $1,255 |
| 27 | Chilton County | 0.37% | $144,500 | $542 | $248 | $933 | $1,483 |
| 28 | Cullman County | 0.26% | $177,600 | $532 | $299 | $927 | $1,507 |
| 29 | Talladega County | 0.39% | $118,800 | $510 | $249 | $901 | $1,432 |
| 30 | Macon County | 0.53% | $79,600 | $505 | $261 | $878 | $1,469 |
| 31 | Lawrence County | 0.29% | $149,500 | $491 | $294 | $751 | $1,096 |
| 32 | DeKalb County | 0.37% | $120,660 | $470 | $217 | $821 | $1,296 |
| 33 | Cleburne County | 0.37% | $117,135 | $453 | $258 | $765 | $1,207 |
| 34 | Pike County | 0.33% | $126,430 | $447 | $202 | $792 | $1,149 |
| 35 | Covington County | 0.33% | $126,270 | $445 | $265 | $704 | $1,074 |
| 36 | Geneva County | 0.36% | $117,900 | $444 | $238 | $744 | $1,106 |
| 37 | Chambers County | 0.43% | $84,610 | $443 | $247 | $729 | $1,136 |
| 38 | Pickens County | 0.37% | $106,280 | $434 | $258 | $711 | $1,022 |
| 38 | Tallapoosa County | 0.33% | $112,800 | $434 | $203 | $1,075 | $2,077 |
| 40 | Escambia County | 0.44% | $96,570 | $424 | $211 | $702 | $1,032 |
| 41 | Randolph County | 0.32% | $111,494 | $413 | $219 | $797 | $1,371 |
| 42 | Winston County | 0.28% | $116,750 | $392 | $169 | $952 | $1,984 |
| 43 | Crenshaw County | 0.35% | $101,920 | $388 | $215 | $670 | $1,046 |
| 44 | Barbour County | 0.40% | $85,500 | $381 | $176 | $746 | $1,259 |
| 45 | Jackson County | 0.31% | $105,200 | $373 | $189 | $649 | $1,098 |
| 46 | Marengo County | 0.40% | $86,720 | $358 | $156 | $714 | $1,190 |
| 47 | Dallas County | 0.54% | $64,100 | $349 | $146 | $610 | $960 |
| 48 | Wilcox County | 0.36% | $100,405 | $342 | $180 | $620 | $984 |
| 49 | Monroe County | 0.32% | $93,660 | $340 | $176 | $575 | $873 |
| 50 | Conecuh County | 0.33% | $93,020 | $338 | $179 | $560 | $902 |
| 50 | Perry County | 0.45% | $75,010 | $338 | $157 | $647 | $1,050 |
| 52 | Hale County | 0.33% | $87,360 | $332 | $141 | $620 | $1,009 |
| 53 | Fayette County | 0.31% | $94,800 | $329 | $150 | $593 | $939 |
| 54 | Marion County | 0.31% | $95,115 | $327 | $180 | $551 | $865 |
| 55 | Walker County | 0.31% | $103,400 | $316 | $149 | $629 | $1,143 |
| 56 | Clarke County | 0.34% | $88,300 | $313 | $150 | $530 | $813 |
| 57 | Greene County | 0.45% | $66,100 | $294 | $141 | $627 | $1,084 |
| 58 | Bullock County | 0.49% | $53,340 | $292 | $137 | $568 | $1,047 |
| 59 | Coosa County | 0.27% | $90,100 | $288 | $157 | $578 | $1,543 |
| 60 | Butler County | 0.30% | $85,600 | $284 | $154 | $493 | $787 |
| 61 | Lamar County | 0.28% | $86,200 | $257 | $118 | $475 | $717 |
| 62 | Sumter County | 0.37% | $62,200 | $248 | $105 | $505 | $878 |
| 63 | Clay County | 0.29% | $82,680 | $238 | $120 | $412 | $668 |
| 64 | Washington County | 0.30% | $90,900 | $232 | $122 | $436 | $662 |
| 65 | Bibb County | 0.26% | $87,700 | $224 | $112 | $411 | $639 |
| 66 | Choctaw County | 0.26% | $58,205 | $129 | $57 | $262 | $438 |
| — | Franklin County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: Ownwell
How Ownwell Can Help in Alabama
The below services are dependent on where you live in the United States. Not all products or services are available to every property owner or homeowner.
Appeal packet
Ownwell's appeal packet gives you the evidence and filing guidance you need to appeal your assessment yourself.
Exemption filing
Ownwell checks whether you're missing any property tax exemptions and helps you apply for the ones you qualify for.
Bill reduction
Ownwell can also help lower your other recurring household bills.