Property Tax in Houston County, Alabama
Homeowners in Houston County, Alabama pay a median of $534 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $178,000. Those are the Census Bureau's published medians for the county (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023) — the typical bill and the typical home value for owner-occupied households.
What the Houston County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $534 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Houston County, and $178,000 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 Houston County is 0.30% (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.
Houston County by the numbers
| Measure | Houston County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $534 | $738 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $178,000 | $195,100 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.30% | 0.38% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $44 | $62 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Houston County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Alabama: #22 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Alabama: #17 of 67
- Population rank in Alabama: #11 of 67 (107,628 residents)
- Population density rank: #11 of 67 (186 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Alabama: #58 of 67 (579 sq mi, 1.1% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $44; per $1,000 of home value: $0.30
How Houston County compares
The median tax bill in Houston County is about 28% lower than the state median ($738 for Alabama) and about 82% lower than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #22 out of 67 Alabama counties with published Census data — 21 counties in the state have a higher median bill.
Comparisons cut both ways: a county can have a modest rate but high bills because homes are expensive, or a high rate but modest bills because homes are cheaper. Houston County's derived rate of 0.30% sits below the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Houston County: the median bill works out to about $44 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $300 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 107,628 people — the #11 most populous county in Alabama, spread over 579 square miles, a density of about 186 people per square mile. Its median home value, $178,000, ranks #17 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 2975 record a higher median tax bill than Houston County — it sits in the top 95% nationally. The county holds roughly 2.1% of Alabama's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $178,000 versus $195,100), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.30% adds up to about 3.00% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Choctaw County, medians $199 — $335 less than Houston County per year.
Counties nearest Houston County in the Alabama ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autauga County, AL | $564 | $197,900 | 0.28% |
| Elmore County, AL | $563 | $213,600 | 0.26% |
| Talladega County, AL | $509 | $137,900 | 0.37% |
| Blount County, AL | $508 | $169,700 | 0.30% |
Houston County and its population peers
Population is a useful lens on these figures, so the table below sets Houston County beside the counties closest to it in population anywhere in the country — communities of a similar scale operating under different state and local tax systems. Ranked by median tax paid within this peer group of 9, Houston County's $534 bill is the lowest.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flathead County, MT | 108,445 | $2,867 | $467,700 | 0.61% |
| Yamhill County, OR | 108,122 | $3,318 | $442,700 | 0.75% |
| St. Lawrence County, NY | 107,796 | $2,735 | $119,800 | 2.28% |
| Navajo County, AZ | 107,744 | $1,126 | $186,100 | 0.60% |
| Limestone County, AL | 107,577 | $782 | $255,100 | 0.31% |
| Terrebonne Parish, LA | 107,362 | $852 | $189,100 | 0.45% |
| Kankakee County, IL | 106,833 | $4,125 | $185,700 | 2.22% |
| Monongalia County, WV | 106,520 | $1,232 | $254,200 | 0.48% |
The closest population match is Limestone County, Alabama (107,577 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $782 on a median home value of $255,100 — $248 less than Houston County pays.
Inside Alabama itself, the counties closest to Houston County in population are Morgan County (123,742 residents, median tax $674 on a median value of $193,000); Calhoun County (116,141 residents, median tax $610 on a median value of $149,500); Limestone County (107,577 residents, median tax $782 on a median value of $255,100); Etowah County (103,208 residents, median tax $585 on a median value of $160,600). 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 0.30%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $300 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $1,200. 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 Houston County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.30% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Houston 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 | $450 | $38 |
| $250,000 | $750 | $62 |
| $350,000 | $1,050 | $88 |
| $500,000 | $1,500 | $125 |
| $750,000 | $2,250 | $188 |
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 Houston County
If your bill looks wrong, work through these steps:
1. Get your property record card from the assessor and check the basics — living area, lot size, bedrooms, condition, and any exemptions you should have.
2. Compare your assessed value with recent sale prices of similar homes in Houston County.
3. Talk to the assessor's office informally first; clear errors are often fixed without a hearing.
4. If needed, file a formal appeal with the local review board before the deadline on your assessment notice, with your evidence attached.
5. Keep paying the bill as issued while the appeal runs, unless your notice says otherwise — unpaid taxes accrue penalties regardless of an appeal.
More Alabama counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Houston County, Alabama?
The median real estate tax paid in Houston County, Alabama is $534 per year, on a median home value of $178,000 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Houston County, Alabama?
Dividing Houston County's median tax bill ($534) by its median home value ($178,000) gives a derived effective rate of 0.30%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Houston County compare with the rest of Alabama?
By median taxes paid, Houston County stands at #22 among the 67 Alabama counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $534 median bill is about 28% lower than the state median ($738), and 21 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Houston 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 Houston County is $534 of tax on a $178,000 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Houston County, Alabama?
Yes. Request your property record card from the Houston 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.