Kentucky · FIPS 21013 · ACS 2020–2024
Bell County, Kentucky property tax rate
Homeowners in Bell County paid a median of $723 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $89,000 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.57% of home value, 23% below the Kentucky rate of 0.74% and 39% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.57%Effective tax rate±0.11% margin · Kentucky: 0.74%
- $723Median tax per yearKentucky: $1,544 · U.S.: $3,119
- $89,000Median home valueKentucky: $205,600
- 5,847Owner-occupied homes59% of households own
| Measure | Bell County | Kentucky | U.S. | Bell County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.57% | 0.74% | 0.94% | 0.58% | −0.01 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $723 | $1,544 | $3,119 | $617 | +$106 (+17.2%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $1,128 | $1,798 | $3,489 | $1,048 | +$80 (+7.6%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $599 | $1,201 | $2,576 | $552 | +$47 (+8.5%) |
| Median home value | $89,000 | $205,600 | $332,700 | $83,000 | +$6,000 (+7.2%) |
| Total taxes paid | $4,362,500 | $2,343,946,100 | $360,573,527,500 | $4,064,600 |
How Bell County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $5.75 a year, against $7.45 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in Kentucky: 35 of 104 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 28% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.68% of value; homes without one: 0.49%. Median bills: $1,128 and $599.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (−0.01 pts) and the median tax changed +$106 (+17.2%). The two 5-year surveys share four years of responses, so year-to-year moves are small and partly noise.
- Margin of error: the effective rate is 0.57% ± 0.11% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 5,847 owner-occupied homes.
Kentucky counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | 0.57% | $792 | $120,200 |
| Lyon County | 0.57% | $1,196 | $189,500 |
| Bourbon County | 0.57% | $1,627 | $229,300 |
| Fleming County | 0.57% | $866 | $134,700 |
| Allen County | 0.57% | $1,046 | $192,300 |
| Whitley County | 0.57% | $849 | $131,800 |
| Larue County | 0.58% | $1,104 | $183,500 |
| Ohio County | 0.58% | $753 | $121,400 |
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table-based summary file: B25090 (aggregate real estate taxes), B25082 (aggregate home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes), B25077 (median home value) and B25003 (tenure); files dated January 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, same tables (files dated October 31, 2024), for the comparison column.
- Geography names: Census Bureau Geos20245YR.txt (file dated January 22, 2026).
Effective rate = total real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied homes ÷ their total value, as reported by owners to the Census Bureau. It is not a millage rate. Your bill depends on your assessed value, exemptions (such as homestead) and local levies.