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Owning in Georgia

Data from January 2026

Property tax in Georgia

The typical owner in Georgia pays $2,341 a year, about 0.77% of the home’s value (0.94% nationwide). Here are the exemptions and discounts the state publishes, the deadlines to claim them or appeal, and every county’s figure.

The state's rulesProperty tax
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Typical tax
$2,341
per year, typical household
25% less than the U.S.
Effective rate
0.77%
tax ÷ value (estimate)
18% less than the U.S.
United States
0.94%
national effective rate
Exemptions and relief
3
published by the state, with the source

Source: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates Average 2020–2024 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates

The state's rules

Georgia's rules, in one table

The assessment cap, the homestead exemption, when to protest and when to pay, as Georgia's official source states them. Tap "What the source says" to read the exact text.

Property-tax rules in Georgia, with their source
Rule What Georgia says Source
Homestead exemption

If the home is your main residence and you owned it on Jan. 1, $2,000 comes off its assessed value (40% of market value in Georgia) for county and school taxes. You apply with your county by April 1, or until the end of the 45-day window to appeal your assessment notice. Many counties also have their own exemption or a value freeze.

What the source says· O.C.G.A. § 48-5-44
“The $2,000 is deducted from the 40% assessed value of the homestead. … A homeowner can file an application for homestead exemption for their home and land any time during the prior year up to the deadline for filing property tax returns (April 1). Taxpayers can now apply for the homestead exemption beyond the historic deadline of April 1st; they may apply up to the end of their 45-day window to appeal their notice of assessment.”
 Georgia Department of Revenue Verified November 5, 2026
Protest deadline One for the whole state

You can appeal within 45 days of the date the assessment notice was mailed. The appeal goes in writing to your county Board of Tax Assessors; the state has a uniform form. You can appeal on value, uniformity or a denied exemption.

What the source says
“Upon receipt of this Assessment Notice, the property owner desiring to appeal the assessment may do so within 45 days of the date the Assessment Notice was mailed. The taxpayer’s appeal may be based on taxability, value, uniformity, and/or the denial of an exemption. The written appeal is filed initially with the Board of Tax Assessors. The state of Georgia provides a uniform appeal form for use by property owners.”
 Georgia Department of Revenue Verified November 5, 2026
When to pay

The date is set by each county. In most counties taxes are normally due Dec. 20, but some have a different date. You always have 60 days from the billing date to pay. The county tax commissioner collects the county, school and state tax; ask that office about your bill.

What the source says
“Property taxes are normally due December 20 in most counties, but some counties may have a different due date. Taxpayers have 60 days from the date of billing to pay their property taxes. The county tax commissioner is responsible for collecting property taxes for the county, school and state. For questions about billing you should contact the county tax commissioner.”
 Georgia Department of Revenue Verified November 6, 2026

Not verified yet: Cap on your home, Cap on other property, What triggers a new assessment, Owners with a disability.

Did your assessment go up?

By place

Every county, with its figure

What the typical owner pays in each county of Georgia, with the typical home value and the effective rate. Highest tax first.

Effective rate: typical tax ÷ typical value, our estimate from two Census medians. Source: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates Average 2020–2024 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates

Exemptions

Which exemption fits you?

What Georgia publishes for each case. You have to apply for almost all of them: none is applied on its own.

  • If it is your main home

    If the home is your main residence and you owned it on Jan. 1, $2,000 comes off its assessed value (40% of market value in Georgia) for county and school taxes. You apply with your county by April 1, or until the end of the 45-day window to appeal your assessment notice. Many counties also have their own exemption or a value freeze.

    What the source says· O.C.G.A. § 48-5-44
    “The $2,000 is deducted from the 40% assessed value of the homestead. … A homeowner can file an application for homestead exemption for their home and land any time during the prior year up to the deadline for filing property tax returns (April 1). Taxpayers can now apply for the homestead exemption beyond the historic deadline of April 1st; they may apply up to the end of their 45-day window to appeal their notice of assessment.”

    Georgia Department of Revenue · Verified November 5, 2026

  • If you are an older owner

    At 65 or older with a prior-year income (with your spouse) of $10,000 or less, $4,000 comes off for county taxes (retirement and pension income is left out up to a limit). At 62 or older with household income up to $30,000, you can ask for a county exemption that keeps you from being taxed on your home's natural rise in value.

    What the source says· O.C.G.A. § 48-5-47, § 48-5-47.1
    “Individuals 65 years of age or over may claim a $4,000 exemption from all county ad valorem taxes if the income of that person and his spouse does not exceed $10,000 for the prior year. … Individuals 62 years of age or over may obtain a floating inflation-proof county homestead exemption, except for taxes to pay interest on and to retire bonded indebtedness, based on natural increases in the homestead's value.”

    Georgia Department of Revenue · Verified November 5, 2026

  • If you are a veteran

    A qualifying disabled veteran who is a Georgia citizen and resident gets a homestead exemption of $32,500 or the federal amount, whichever is greater ($121,812 for 2025), from all taxes. It continues for the unremarried surviving spouse or minor children while they live in the home.

    What the source says
    “Any qualifying disabled veteran who is a citizen and resident of Georgia is granted an exemption of the greater of $32,500.00 or the maximum amount which may be granted to a disabled veteran under Section 2102 of Title 38 of the United States Code, as amended, on his or her homestead which such veteran owns and actually occupies as a residence and homestead, such exemption being from all ad valorem taxation for state, county, municipal, and school purposes. The amount for 2025 is $121,812.”

    Georgia Department of Revenue · Verified November 5, 2026

How it works

Where your bill comes from

The local government puts a value on your home, subtracts the exemptions you apply for and applies the rate of each body that taxes it: the county, the city, the school district and others.

  1. The value assigned to your home
  2. The exemptions you apply for
  3. The rates of each taxing body (county, city, schools)
  4. Your yearly bill

The effective rate on this page is something else: our estimate (typical tax ÷ typical value, from Census data) for comparing places. It is not the rate your local government sets.

Buying or selling

Taxes on the sale

Some states charge a tax or fee when the deed is recorded. What the official source says:

  • State real estate transfer tax

    When the deed is recorded the tax is $1 on the first $1,000 of the price and 10 cents on each additional $100 (or fraction). The law makes the seller liable, though contracts often agree the buyer will pay.

    O.C.G.A. §48-6-1 · Georgia Department of Revenue · Verified October 23, 2026

Frequently asked questions

How much is property tax in Georgia?

The typical owner pays $2,341 a year, about 0.77% of the home’s value, per the Census (Average 2020–2024). Nationwide the effective rate is 0.94%. Your bill depends on your county, city, school district and the exemptions you claim.

What is the deadline to protest the assessment in Georgia?

You can appeal within 45 days of the date the assessment notice was mailed. The appeal goes in writing to your county Board of Tax Assessors; the state has a uniform form. You can appeal on value, uniformity or a denied exemption.

How do I apply for the homestead exemption in Georgia?

If the home is your main residence and you owned it on Jan. 1, $2,000 comes off its assessed value (40% of market value in Georgia) for county and school taxes. You apply with your county by April 1, or until the end of the 45-day window to appeal your assessment notice. Many counties also have their own exemption or a value freeze.

When is property tax paid in Georgia?

The date is set by each county. In most counties taxes are normally due Dec. 20, but some have a different date. You always have 60 days from the billing date to pay. The county tax commissioner collects the county, school and state tax; ask that office about your bill.

Which county in Georgia pays the most property tax?

By amount, the highest typical tax is in Fulton County ($4,033) and the lowest in Wheeler County ($554). By effective rate, the highest is Dougherty County (1.33%) and the lowest Fannin County (0.33%).

What is the effective rate?

The typical tax divided by the typical home value in the same place. It is our estimate from two Census medians, not the rate your local government sets; it is for comparing places.

More about owning a home