Shelby County, Alabama property tax
The median homeowner in Shelby County, Alabama pays $1,343 a year in property tax on a home worth $298,700, an effective rate of 0.45%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.45%, Shelby County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. With a median home at $298,700, that produces a bill of $1,343. Somebody still funds the schools, so it is worth knowing what a low-tax county collects instead.
It ranks #6 of 67 Alabama counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.38%, and #2,551 nationally. The state runs from 0.60% in Jefferson County down to 0.18% in Choctaw County.
The median home costs 3.19 times the median household income of $93,543, close to the national 3.86. Incomes here run above the national median, which is what keeps that ratio ordinary despite the house prices. The county has 226,955 residents, which is small enough that the medians describe a reasonably coherent market.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Shelby County | Alabama | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.45% | 0.38% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $1,343 | $738 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $298,700 | $195,100 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,348 | $963 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $93,543 | $62,027 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.19× | 3.15× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 17.29% | 18.63% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 81.26% | 69.93% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 226,955.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | 0.37% | $598 | $160,100 |
| Tuscaloosa County | 0.32% | $754 | $233,700 |
| Baldwin County | 0.31% | $881 | $287,000 |
| Lee County | 0.50% | $1,183 | $238,700 |
| Morgan County | 0.35% | $674 | $193,000 |
Shelby County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Shelby County, Alabama?
The effective rate is 0.45% of home value, from a median tax bill of $1,343 against a median home value of $298,700. That is 0.53 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Shelby County?
Roughly $1,800 a year at the county effective rate of 0.45%.
Is Shelby County expensive compared with the rest of Alabama?
It ranks #6 of 67 Alabama counties by effective property tax rate, and #2551 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.07 points above the Alabama average of 0.38%.
What does housing cost in Shelby County?
The median home is worth $298,700 and median gross rent is $1,348 a month. Median household income is $93,543, which puts the home at 3.19 times annual income and rent at 17.29% of it.