Property Tax in Marshall County, Alabama
Homeowners in Marshall County, Alabama pay a median of $699 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $183,400. 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 Marshall County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Marshall County pay more than $699, 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 0.38% for Marshall 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.
Marshall County by the numbers
| Measure | Marshall County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $699 | $738 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $183,400 | $195,100 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.38% | 0.38% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $58 | $62 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Marshall County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Alabama: #9 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Alabama: #14 of 67
- Population rank in Alabama: #14 of 67 (98,712 residents)
- Population density rank: #13 of 67 (174 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Alabama: #61 of 67 (565 sq mi, 1.1% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $58; per $1,000 of home value: $0.38
How Marshall County compares
Set against its state, Marshall County's median bill of $699 is about 5% lower than the Alabama median ($738). Against the country as a whole it is about 76% lower than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #9 of 67 Alabama counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Marshall County's median home, at $183,400, ranks #14 by value in Alabama, while its derived rate of 0.38% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Marshall County: the median bill works out to about $58 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $381 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 98,712 people — the #14 most populous county in Alabama, spread over 565 square miles, a density of about 174 people per square mile. Its median home value, $183,400, ranks #14 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Nationally, Marshall County's median bill of $699 ranks #2791 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 89% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 2.0% of Alabama's population, its median home value is about 6% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 3.81% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Marshall County to the most expensive county, Shelby County ($1,343), is $644 a year.
Counties nearest Marshall County in the Alabama ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limestone County, AL | $782 | $255,100 | 0.31% |
| Tuscaloosa County, AL | $754 | $233,700 | 0.32% |
| Lauderdale County, AL | $697 | $185,800 | 0.38% |
| Morgan County, AL | $674 | $193,000 | 0.35% |
Marshall County and its population peers
For a like-for-like sense of scale, compare Marshall County with its national population peers: the counties nearest to its 98,712 residents, listed in the table below with their own Census medians. Of the 9 counties in that group, Marshall County's median bill of $699 is the lowest.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubuque County, IA | 98,948 | $2,848 | $226,100 | 1.26% |
| Madison County, TN | 98,845 | $1,161 | $189,700 | 0.61% |
| Lenawee County, MI | 98,823 | $2,412 | $181,100 | 1.33% |
| Sevier County, TN | 98,802 | $815 | $259,500 | 0.31% |
| Roanoke city, VA | 98,677 | $1,828 | $180,500 | 1.01% |
| Story County, IA | 98,592 | $3,586 | $243,600 | 1.47% |
| Liberty County, TX | 97,993 | $2,091 | $167,100 | 1.25% |
| Putnam County, NY | 97,988 | $10,001 | $448,000 | 2.23% |
The closest population match is Roanoke city, Virginia (98,677 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $1,828 on a median home value of $180,500 — $1,129 less than Marshall County pays.
Marshall County's nearest population neighbours within Alabama are 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); Lauderdale County (95,037 residents, median tax $697 on a median value of $185,800); St. Clair County (92,903 residents, median tax $666 on a median value of $218,500). Comparing them is a reminder that even inside one state's rules, the bill follows local home values and local district rates more than anything decided at the state level.
How the tax is worked out
Think of the final bill as three ingredients: the assessed value of the property, the exemptions subtracted from it, and the combined rate of every district the property sits in. Marshall County's medians imply a derived rate of 0.38%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $1,524 a year, or around $127 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Illustrative bills in Marshall County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.38% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Marshall 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 | $572 | $48 |
| $250,000 | $952 | $79 |
| $350,000 | $1,334 | $111 |
| $500,000 | $1,905 | $159 |
| $750,000 | $2,858 | $238 |
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 Marshall County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Marshall 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 Marshall County, Alabama?
The median real estate tax paid in Marshall County, Alabama is $699 per year, on a median home value of $183,400 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Marshall County, Alabama?
Dividing Marshall County's median tax bill ($699) by its median home value ($183,400) gives a derived effective rate of 0.38%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Marshall County compare with the rest of Alabama?
Marshall County ranks #9 of 67 Alabama counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $699 is about 5% lower than the Alabama median of $738.
How are property taxes calculated in Marshall 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 Marshall County is $699 of tax on a $183,400 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Marshall County, Alabama?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Marshall County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.