Bell County, Kentucky property tax
The median homeowner in Bell County, Kentucky pays $617 a year in property tax on a home worth $83,000, an effective rate of 0.74%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.74%, Bell County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. With a median home at $83,000, that produces a bill of $617. Somebody still funds the schools, so it is worth knowing what a low-tax county collects instead.
It ranks #42 of 116 Kentucky counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.77%, and #1,622 nationally. The state runs from 1.06% in Campbell County down to 0.48% in Rockcastle County.
The median home costs 2.56 times the median household income of $32,403, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 61.06% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. This is a small rural county of 23,878 people. Five-year survey estimates for places this size carry wide margins of error, so treat the figures as approximate.
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
| Bell County | Kentucky | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.74% | 0.77% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $617 | $1,472 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $83,000 | $192,300 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $617 | $933 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $32,403 | $62,417 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.56× | 3.08× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 22.85% | 17.94% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 61.06% | 68.28% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 23,878.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio County | 0.61% | $695 | $113,400 |
| Anderson County | 0.80% | $1,698 | $213,200 |
| Lincoln County | 0.73% | $1,020 | $139,300 |
| Rowan County | 0.55% | $862 | $155,900 |
| Mercer County | 0.82% | $1,553 | $189,700 |
Bell County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Bell County, Kentucky?
The effective rate is 0.74% of home value, from a median tax bill of $617 against a median home value of $83,000. That is 0.24 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Bell County?
Roughly $2,960 a year at the county effective rate of 0.74%.
Is Bell County expensive compared with the rest of Kentucky?
It ranks #42 of 116 Kentucky counties by effective property tax rate, and #1622 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.03 points below the Kentucky average of 0.77%.
What does housing cost in Bell County?
The median home is worth $83,000 and median gross rent is $617 a month. Median household income is $32,403, which puts the home at 2.56 times annual income and rent at 22.85% of it.