Property Tax in Mobile County, Alabama
In Mobile County, Alabama, the typical homeowner pays $849 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $176,600. 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 Mobile County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Mobile County pay more than $849, 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 0.48% for Mobile 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.
Mobile County by the numbers
| Measure | Mobile County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $849 | $738 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $176,600 | $195,100 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.48% | 0.38% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $71 | $62 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Mobile County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Alabama: #6 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Alabama: #18 of 67
- Population rank in Alabama: #2 of 67 (413,162 residents)
- Population density rank: #3 of 67 (336 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Alabama: #4 of 67 (1,229 sq mi, 2.4% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $71; per $1,000 of home value: $0.48
How Mobile County compares
Of the 67 Alabama counties with published data, 5 have a higher median property tax bill than Mobile County's $849, putting the county at #6 in the state. Its bill is about 15% higher than the state median of $738 and about 71% 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 0.48%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #18 within Alabama.
Some extra context for Mobile County: the median bill works out to about $71 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $481 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 413,162 people — the #2 most populous county in Alabama, spread over 1,229 square miles, a density of about 336 people per square mile. Its median home value, $176,600, ranks #18 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Nationally, Mobile County's median bill of $849 ranks #2585 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 83% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 8.2% of Alabama's population, its median home value is about 9% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 4.81% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Mobile County to the most expensive county, Shelby County ($1,343), is $494 a year.
Counties nearest Mobile County in the Alabama ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County, AL | $1,081 | $267,800 | 0.40% |
| Baldwin County, AL | $881 | $287,000 | 0.31% |
| Limestone County, AL | $782 | $255,100 | 0.31% |
| Tuscaloosa County, AL | $754 | $233,700 | 0.32% |
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 0.48%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $481 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $1,924. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Checking your assessment in Mobile 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 Mobile 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Mobile County, Alabama?
The median real estate tax paid in Mobile County, Alabama is $849 per year, on a median home value of $176,600 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Mobile County, Alabama?
On a derived basis, 0.48%: the county's median tax bill of $849 divided by its median home value of $176,600. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Mobile County compare with the rest of Alabama?
By median taxes paid, Mobile County stands at #6 among the 67 Alabama counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $849 median bill is about 15% higher than the state median ($738), and 5 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Mobile 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 Mobile County is $849 of tax on a $176,600 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Mobile County, Alabama?
Yes. Request your property record card from the Mobile 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.