Property Tax in Kenton County, Kentucky
In Kenton County, Kentucky, the typical homeowner pays $2,284 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $227,500. 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 Kenton County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $2,284 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Kenton County, and $227,500 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 Kenton County is 1.00% (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.
Kenton County by the numbers
| Measure | Kenton County | Kentucky | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $2,284 | $1,472 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $227,500 | $192,300 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.00% | 0.77% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $190 | $123 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Kenton County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Kentucky: #4 of 120 counties
- Median home value rank in Kentucky: #13 of 120
- Population rank in Kentucky: #3 of 120 (169,817 residents)
- Population density rank: #3 of 120 (1,059 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Kentucky: #114 of 120 (160 sq mi, 0.4% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $190; per $1,000 of home value: $1.00
How Kenton County compares
The median tax bill in Kenton County is about 55% higher than the state median ($1,472 for Kentucky) and about 23% lower than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #4 out of 120 Kentucky counties with published Census data — 3 counties in the state have a higher median bill.
Comparisons cut both ways: a county can have a modest rate but high bills because homes are expensive, or a high rate but modest bills because homes are cheaper. Kenton County's derived rate of 1.00% sits above the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Kenton County: the median bill works out to about $190 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,004 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 169,817 people — the #3 most populous county in Kentucky, spread over 160 square miles, a density of about 1,059 people per square mile. Its median home value, $227,500, ranks #13 among the state's 120 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 844 record a higher median tax bill than Kenton County — it sits in the top 27% nationally. The county holds roughly 3.8% of Kentucky's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $227,500 versus $192,300), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.00% adds up to about 10.04% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Wolfe County, medians $391 — $1,893 less than Kenton County per year.
Counties nearest Kenton County in the Kentucky ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell County, KY | $2,495 | $234,500 | 1.06% |
| Fayette County, KY | $2,425 | $272,100 | 0.89% |
| Boone County, KY | $2,273 | $253,200 | 0.90% |
| Shelby County, KY | $2,248 | $277,500 | 0.81% |
Kenton County and its population peers
For a like-for-like sense of scale, compare Kenton County with its national population peers: the counties nearest to its 169,817 residents, listed in the table below with their own Census medians. Of the 9 counties in that group, Kenton County's median bill of $2,284 is #7 of 9.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnebago County, WI | 171,357 | $3,573 | $208,600 | 1.71% |
| Davidson County, NC | 171,063 | $1,262 | $200,100 | 0.63% |
| McLean County, IL | 170,882 | $4,503 | $198,300 | 2.27% |
| Kent County, RI | 170,658 | $4,903 | $333,900 | 1.47% |
| Chittenden County, VT | 168,831 | $6,527 | $404,500 | 1.61% |
| Pueblo County, CO | 168,726 | $1,382 | $271,800 | 0.51% |
| Charles County, MD | 168,710 | $4,179 | $402,300 | 1.04% |
| Greene County, OH | 168,531 | $4,021 | $238,000 | 1.69% |
The closest population match is Kent County, Rhode Island (170,658 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $4,903 on a median home value of $333,900 — $2,619 less than Kenton County pays.
Staying within Kentucky, the counties nearest Kenton County by population are Jefferson County (777,392 residents, median tax $2,023 on a median value of $237,200); Fayette County (321,122 residents, median tax $2,425 on a median value of $272,100); Boone County (137,676 residents, median tax $2,273 on a median value of $253,200); Warren County (137,549 residents, median tax $1,558 on a median value of $242,600). The spread in their median bills — all under the same state framework — shows how much of the property tax burden is decided county by county and district by district.
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Kenton County's derived rate of 1.00%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $4,016 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.
Illustrative bills in Kenton County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 1.00% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Kenton County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 0.77% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $1,506 | $126 |
| $250,000 | $2,510 | $209 |
| $350,000 | $3,514 | $293 |
| $500,000 | $5,020 | $418 |
| $750,000 | $7,530 | $628 |
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 Kenton 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 Kenton 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 Kenton County, Kentucky?
The median real estate tax paid in Kenton County, Kentucky is $2,284 per year, on a median home value of $227,500 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Kenton County, Kentucky?
The derived effective rate is 1.00% — the median bill ($2,284) expressed as a share of the median home value ($227,500). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Kenton County compare with the rest of Kentucky?
By median taxes paid, Kenton County stands at #4 among the 120 Kentucky counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $2,284 median bill is about 55% higher than the state median ($1,472), and 3 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Kenton 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 Kenton County is $2,284 of tax on a $227,500 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Kenton County, Kentucky?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Kenton 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.