Property Tax in DeKalb County, Alabama
In DeKalb County, Alabama, the typical homeowner pays $458 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $135,500. The figures on this page are the Census Bureau's published medians (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023), shown exactly as released.
What the DeKalb County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $458 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in DeKalb County, and $135,500 is the middle home value. Neither figure describes a specific property — together they describe the typical homeowner's situation in the county.
The derived effective rate for DeKalb County is 0.34% (median tax ÷ median value). Treat it as an estimate for comparison only: it comes from survey medians of different households, not from the county's rate schedule.
DeKalb County by the numbers
| Measure | DeKalb County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $458 | $738 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $135,500 | $195,100 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.34% | 0.38% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $38 | $62 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
DeKalb County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Alabama: #31 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Alabama: #37 of 67
- Population rank in Alabama: #20 of 67 (71,946 residents)
- Population density rank: #22 of 67 (93 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Alabama: #23 of 67 (777 sq mi, 1.5% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $38; per $1,000 of home value: $0.34
How DeKalb County compares
Of the 67 Alabama counties with published data, 30 have a higher median property tax bill than DeKalb County's $458, putting the county at #31 in the state. Its bill is about 38% lower than the state median of $738 and about 85% lower than the national median of $2,969.
Rates and values pull in opposite directions: an expensive housing market can produce big bills at ordinary rates. Here the derived rate is 0.34%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #37 within Alabama.
Some extra context for DeKalb County: the median bill works out to about $38 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $338 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 71,946 people — the #20 most populous county in Alabama, spread over 777 square miles, a density of about 93 people per square mile. Its median home value, $135,500, ranks #37 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Nationally, DeKalb County's median bill of $458 ranks #3048 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 97% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 1.4% of Alabama's population, its median home value is about 31% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 3.38% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from DeKalb County to the most expensive county, Shelby County ($1,343), is $885 a year.
Counties nearest DeKalb County in the Alabama ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Macon County, AL | $468 | $95,700 | 0.49% |
| Lawrence County, AL | $459 | $150,700 | 0.30% |
| Cullman County, AL | $457 | $180,500 | 0.25% |
| Tallapoosa County, AL | $450 | $144,800 | 0.31% |
DeKalb County and its population peers
Counties of a similar size can tax very differently. The table below shows the counties closest to DeKalb County in population across the United States, with their median bills and home values. Within the group of 9, DeKalb County ($458) ranks the lowest by median tax paid.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creek County, OK | 72,353 | $1,261 | $170,900 | 0.74% |
| Morgan County, IN | 72,202 | $1,056 | $220,100 | 0.48% |
| Lauderdale County, MS | 71,984 | $1,223 | $124,500 | 0.98% |
| Franklin County, NC | 71,962 | $1,732 | $240,900 | 0.72% |
| Riley County, KS | 71,710 | $3,317 | $231,200 | 1.44% |
| Surry County, NC | 71,407 | $1,033 | $166,400 | 0.62% |
| McKinley County, NM | 71,172 | $1,362 | $72,100 | 1.89% |
| Franklin County, MA | 70,922 | $4,595 | $303,400 | 1.51% |
The closest population match is Franklin County, North Carolina (71,962 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $1,732 on a median home value of $240,900 — $1,274 less than DeKalb County pays.
Inside Alabama itself, the counties closest to DeKalb County in population are Elmore County (88,669 residents, median tax $563 on a median value of $213,600); Talladega County (81,170 residents, median tax $509 on a median value of $137,900); Walker County (64,886 residents, median tax $357 on a median value of $131,100); Blount County (59,292 residents, median tax $508 on a median value of $169,700). Same state, same broad tax framework — yet the median bills still differ, because assessed values and the mix of county, municipal and school-district rates are set locally.
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 0.34%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $338 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $1,352. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Illustrative bills in DeKalb County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.34% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for DeKalb County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 0.38% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $507 | $42 |
| $250,000 | $845 | $70 |
| $350,000 | $1,183 | $99 |
| $500,000 | $1,690 | $141 |
| $750,000 | $2,535 | $211 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in DeKalb County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the DeKalb County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
More Alabama counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in DeKalb County, Alabama?
The median real estate tax paid in DeKalb County, Alabama is $458 per year, on a median home value of $135,500 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in DeKalb County, Alabama?
Dividing DeKalb County's median tax bill ($458) by its median home value ($135,500) gives a derived effective rate of 0.34%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does DeKalb County compare with the rest of Alabama?
By median taxes paid, DeKalb County stands at #31 among the 67 Alabama counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $458 median bill is about 38% lower than the state median ($738), and 30 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in DeKalb County, Alabama?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in DeKalb County is $458 of tax on a $135,500 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in DeKalb County, Alabama?
Yes. Request your property record card from the DeKalb County assessor's office and check it for errors, then compare your assessed value with recent sales of similar homes. If it still looks too high, file a formal appeal with the local review board named on your assessment notice before the deadline printed on the notice — windows are short, often 30 to 90 days.