Property Tax in Madison County, Alabama
In Madison County, Alabama, the typical homeowner pays $1,081 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $267,800. 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 Madison County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Madison County pay more than $1,081, and half pay less. Your own bill is set by your home's assessed value, the exemptions you qualify for, and the local taxing districts your property sits in — so individual bills vary widely around the median.
Dividing the median tax by the median home value gives a derived effective rate of 0.40% for Madison County. It is an estimate built from two survey medians, not the county's official rate, but it is a fair way to compare the local tax burden with other counties where home values are very different.
Madison County by the numbers
| Measure | Madison County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $1,081 | $738 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $267,800 | $195,100 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.40% | 0.38% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $90 | $62 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Madison County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Alabama: #4 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Alabama: #3 of 67
- Population rank in Alabama: #3 of 67 (397,135 residents)
- Population density rank: #2 of 67 (495 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Alabama: #19 of 67 (801 sq mi, 1.6% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $90; per $1,000 of home value: $0.40
How Madison County compares
Set against its state, Madison County's median bill of $1,081 is about 46% higher than the Alabama median ($738). Against the country as a whole it is about 64% lower than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #4 of 67 Alabama counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Madison County's median home, at $267,800, ranks #3 by value in Alabama, while its derived rate of 0.40% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Madison County: the median bill works out to about $90 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $404 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 397,135 people — the #3 most populous county in Alabama, spread over 801 square miles, a density of about 495 people per square mile. Its median home value, $267,800, ranks #3 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Nationally, Madison County's median bill of $1,081 ranks #2261 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 72% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 7.9% of Alabama's population, its median home value is about 37% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 4.04% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Madison County to the most expensive county, Shelby County ($1,343), is $262 a year.
Counties nearest Madison County in the Alabama ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, AL | $1,340 | $224,900 | 0.60% |
| Lee County, AL | $1,183 | $238,700 | 0.50% |
| Baldwin County, AL | $881 | $287,000 | 0.31% |
| Mobile County, AL | $849 | $176,600 | 0.48% |
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Madison County's derived rate of 0.40%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $1,616 a year. That is only an illustration using the derived rate — a real bill is computed from the property's assessed value, its exemptions, and the combined rates of its specific taxing districts, so it can be higher or lower.
The usual sequence is: the local assessor values the property; exemptions are applied; the taxable value is multiplied by the combined local rates; and the county bills and collects the tax, distributing it to the schools, municipalities and districts that levied it.
Checking your assessment in Madison County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Madison 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Madison County, Alabama?
The median real estate tax paid in Madison County, Alabama is $1,081 per year, on a median home value of $267,800 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Madison County, Alabama?
Dividing Madison County's median tax bill ($1,081) by its median home value ($267,800) gives a derived effective rate of 0.40%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Madison County compare with the rest of Alabama?
By median taxes paid, Madison County stands at #4 among the 67 Alabama counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $1,081 median bill is about 46% higher than the state median ($738), and 3 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Madison 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 Madison County is $1,081 of tax on a $267,800 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Madison County, Alabama?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Madison County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.