Property Tax in Fayette County, Kentucky
In Fayette County, Kentucky, the typical homeowner pays $2,425 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $272,100. 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 Fayette County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Fayette County homeowners pay more than $2,425 a year and half pay less. The exact bill for any one home depends on its assessed value, exemptions, and which school, municipal and special districts cover it.
Set against the median home value of $272,100, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 0.89%. That rate is an estimate computed from the two medians — no county publishes a rate calculated this way — but it adjusts for home prices, which makes comparisons between counties more meaningful.
Fayette County by the numbers
| Measure | Fayette County | Kentucky | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $2,425 | $1,472 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $272,100 | $192,300 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.89% | 0.77% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $202 | $123 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Fayette County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Kentucky: #3 of 120 counties
- Median home value rank in Kentucky: #4 of 120
- Population rank in Kentucky: #2 of 120 (321,122 residents)
- Population density rank: #2 of 120 (1,131 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Kentucky: #71 of 120 (283 sq mi, 0.7% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $202; per $1,000 of home value: $0.89
How Fayette County compares
Set against its state, Fayette County's median bill of $2,425 is about 65% higher than the Kentucky median ($1,472). Against the country as a whole it is about 18% lower than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #3 of 120 Kentucky counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Fayette County's median home, at $272,100, ranks #4 by value in Kentucky, while its derived rate of 0.89% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Fayette County: the median bill works out to about $202 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $891 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 321,122 people — the #2 most populous county in Kentucky, spread over 283 square miles, a density of about 1,131 people per square mile. Its median home value, $272,100, ranks #4 among the state's 120 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 748 record a higher median tax bill than Fayette County — it sits in the top 24% nationally. The county holds roughly 7.1% of Kentucky's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $272,100 versus $192,300), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.89% adds up to about 8.91% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Wolfe County, medians $391 — $2,034 less than Fayette County per year.
Counties nearest Fayette County in the Kentucky ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oldham County, KY | $3,454 | $375,000 | 0.92% |
| Campbell County, KY | $2,495 | $234,500 | 1.06% |
| Kenton County, KY | $2,284 | $227,500 | 1.00% |
| Boone County, KY | $2,273 | $253,200 | 0.90% |
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Fayette County's derived rate of 0.89%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $3,564 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 Fayette County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Fayette 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 Fayette County, Kentucky?
The median real estate tax paid in Fayette County, Kentucky is $2,425 per year, on a median home value of $272,100 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Fayette County, Kentucky?
On a derived basis, 0.89%: the county's median tax bill of $2,425 divided by its median home value of $272,100. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Fayette County compare with the rest of Kentucky?
Fayette County ranks #3 of 120 Kentucky counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $2,425 is about 65% higher than the Kentucky median of $1,472.
How are property taxes calculated in Fayette County, Kentucky?
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 Fayette County is $2,425 of tax on a $272,100 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Fayette County, Kentucky?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Fayette 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.