Property Tax in Montgomery County, Alabama
Homeowners in Montgomery County, Alabama pay a median of $598 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $160,100. 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 Montgomery County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Montgomery County pay more than $598, 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 0.37% for Montgomery 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.
Montgomery County by the numbers
| Measure | Montgomery County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $598 | $738 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $160,100 | $195,100 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.37% | 0.38% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $50 | $62 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Montgomery County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Alabama: #18 of 67 counties
- Median home value rank in Alabama: #23 of 67
- Population rank in Alabama: #6 of 67 (227,197 residents)
- Population density rank: #5 of 67 (289 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Alabama: #22 of 67 (785 sq mi, 1.6% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $50; per $1,000 of home value: $0.37
How Montgomery County compares
Of the 67 Alabama counties with published data, 17 have a higher median property tax bill than Montgomery County's $598, putting the county at #18 in the state. Its bill is about 19% lower than the state median of $738 and about 80% 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 0.37%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #23 within Alabama.
Some extra context for Montgomery County: the median bill works out to about $50 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $374 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 227,197 people — the #6 most populous county in Alabama, spread over 785 square miles, a density of about 289 people per square mile. Its median home value, $160,100, ranks #23 among the state's 67 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 2901 record a higher median tax bill than Montgomery County — it sits in the top 93% nationally. The county holds roughly 4.5% of Alabama's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $160,100 versus $195,100), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.37% adds up to about 3.74% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Choctaw County, medians $199 — $399 less than Montgomery County per year.
Counties nearest Montgomery County in the Alabama ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County, AL | $610 | $149,500 | 0.41% |
| Colbert County, AL | $604 | $161,600 | 0.37% |
| Etowah County, AL | $585 | $160,600 | 0.36% |
| Autauga County, AL | $564 | $197,900 | 0.28% |
Montgomery County and its population peers
Counties of a similar size can tax very differently. The table below shows the counties closest to Montgomery County in population across the United States, with their median bills and home values. Within the group of 9, Montgomery County ($598) ranks the lowest by median tax paid.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whatcom County, WA | 228,432 | $3,819 | $536,100 | 0.71% |
| Jefferson County, MO | 228,227 | $1,835 | $218,800 | 0.84% |
| Montgomery County, TN | 227,957 | $1,671 | $248,300 | 0.67% |
| Richmond city, VA | 227,595 | $2,834 | $328,100 | 0.86% |
| Mahoning County, OH | 227,063 | $1,975 | $141,100 | 1.40% |
| Shelby County, AL | 226,955 | $1,343 | $298,700 | 0.45% |
| Johnston County, NC | 226,623 | $1,840 | $267,600 | 0.69% |
| Clay County, FL | 223,436 | $2,080 | $281,500 | 0.74% |
The closest population match is Mahoning County, Ohio (227,063 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $1,975 on a median home value of $141,100 — $1,377 less than Montgomery County pays.
Montgomery County's nearest population neighbours within Alabama are Baldwin County (239,945 residents, median tax $881 on a median value of $287,000); Tuscaloosa County (234,036 residents, median tax $754 on a median value of $233,700); Shelby County (226,955 residents, median tax $1,343 on a median value of $298,700); Lee County (177,663 residents, median tax $1,183 on a median value of $238,700). 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
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 0.37%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $374 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $1,496. 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 Montgomery County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.37% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Montgomery 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 | $561 | $47 |
| $250,000 | $935 | $78 |
| $350,000 | $1,309 | $109 |
| $500,000 | $1,870 | $156 |
| $750,000 | $2,805 | $234 |
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 Montgomery County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Montgomery 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 Montgomery County, Alabama?
The median real estate tax paid in Montgomery County, Alabama is $598 per year, on a median home value of $160,100 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Montgomery County, Alabama?
Dividing Montgomery County's median tax bill ($598) by its median home value ($160,100) gives a derived effective rate of 0.37%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Montgomery County compare with the rest of Alabama?
Montgomery County ranks #18 of 67 Alabama counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $598 is about 19% lower than the Alabama median of $738.
How are property taxes calculated in Montgomery 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 Montgomery County is $598 of tax on a $160,100 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Montgomery County, Alabama?
Yes. Request your property record card from the Montgomery 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.