Property Tax in Pima County, Arizona
The median real estate tax bill in Pima County, Arizona is $2,248 per year, and the median home is worth $286,900. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Pima County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $2,248 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Pima County, and $286,900 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 Pima County is 0.78% (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.
The key figures for Pima County
| Measure | Pima County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $2,248 |
| Median home value | $286,900 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.78% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $187 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $784 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $3,136 |
For context, the Arizona medians are $1,858 of tax on $358,900 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Pima County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Arizona: #1 of 15 counties
- Median home value rank in Arizona: #5 of 15
- Population rank in Arizona: #2 of 15 (1,049,947 residents)
- Population density rank: #2 of 15 (114 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Arizona: #6 of 15 (9,188 sq mi, 8.1% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $187; per $1,000 of home value: $0.78
How Pima County compares
Set against its state, Pima County's median bill of $2,248 is about 21% higher than the Arizona median ($1,858). Against the country as a whole it is about 24% lower than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #1 of 15 Arizona counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Pima County's median home, at $286,900, ranks #5 by value in Arizona, while its derived rate of 0.78% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Pima County: the median bill works out to about $187 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $784 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 1,049,947 people — the #2 most populous county in Arizona, spread over 9,188 square miles, a density of about 114 people per square mile. Its median home value, $286,900, ranks #5 among the state's 15 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 873 record a higher median tax bill than Pima County — it sits in the top 28% nationally. The county holds roughly 14.4% of Arizona's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $286,900 versus $358,900), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.78% adds up to about 7.84% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Greenlee County, medians $489 — $1,759 less than Pima County per year.
Counties nearest Pima County in the Arizona ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coconino County, AZ | $2,008 | $413,200 | 0.49% |
| Maricopa County, AZ | $1,965 | $414,700 | 0.47% |
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 0.78%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $784 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $3,136. 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 Pima County
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in Pima County; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
More Arizona counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Pima County, Arizona?
The median real estate tax paid in Pima County, Arizona is $2,248 per year, on a median home value of $286,900 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Pima County, Arizona?
Dividing Pima County's median tax bill ($2,248) by its median home value ($286,900) gives a derived effective rate of 0.78%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Pima County compare with the rest of Arizona?
Pima County ranks #1 of 15 Arizona counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $2,248 is about 21% higher than the Arizona median of $1,858.
How are property taxes calculated in Pima County, Arizona?
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 Pima County is $2,248 of tax on a $286,900 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Pima County, Arizona?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Pima 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.