Property Tax in Lake County, Ohio
In Lake County, Ohio, the typical homeowner pays $3,405 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $199,900. 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 Lake County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $3,405 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Lake County, and $199,900 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 Lake County is 1.70% (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 Lake County
| Measure | Lake County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $3,405 |
| Median home value | $199,900 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.70% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $284 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,703 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $6,812 |
For context, the Ohio medians are $2,712 of tax on $199,200 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Lake County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Ohio: #10 of 88 counties
- Median home value rank in Ohio: #25 of 88
- Population rank in Ohio: #11 of 88 (232,101 residents)
- Population density rank: #7 of 88 (1,012 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Ohio: #88 of 88 (229 sq mi, 0.6% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $284; per $1,000 of home value: $1.70
How Lake County compares
Set against its state, Lake County's median bill of $3,405 is about 26% higher than the Ohio median ($2,712). Against the country as a whole it is about 15% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #10 of 88 Ohio counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Lake County's median home, at $199,900, ranks #25 by value in Ohio, while its derived rate of 1.70% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Lake County: the median bill works out to about $284 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,703 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 232,101 people — the #11 most populous county in Ohio, spread over 229 square miles, a density of about 1,012 people per square mile. Its median home value, $199,900, ranks #25 among the state's 88 counties with data.
Nationally, Lake County's median bill of $3,405 ranks #333 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 11% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 2.0% of Ohio's population, its median home value is about 0% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 17.03% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Lake County to the most expensive county, Delaware County ($6,896), is $3,491 a year.
Counties nearest Lake County in the Ohio ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County, OH | $3,461 | $225,700 | 1.53% |
| Medina County, OH | $3,448 | $268,000 | 1.29% |
| Licking County, OH | $3,150 | $250,700 | 1.26% |
| Clermont County, OH | $3,141 | $245,600 | 1.28% |
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 1.70%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $1,703 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $6,812. 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 Lake 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 Lake 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 Lake County, Ohio?
The median real estate tax paid in Lake County, Ohio is $3,405 per year, on a median home value of $199,900 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Lake County, Ohio?
The derived effective rate is 1.70% — the median bill ($3,405) expressed as a share of the median home value ($199,900). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Lake County compare with the rest of Ohio?
Lake County ranks #10 of 88 Ohio counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $3,405 is about 26% higher than the Ohio median of $2,712.
How are property taxes calculated in Lake County, Ohio?
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 Lake County is $3,405 of tax on a $199,900 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Lake County, Ohio?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Lake 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.