Harlan County, Kentucky property tax
The median homeowner in Harlan County, Kentucky pays $722 a year in property tax on a home worth $73,100, an effective rate of 0.99%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
Harlan County taxes property at 0.99%, within a rounding error of the national 0.98%. With the rate close to typical, the $722 bill is driven by what housing is worth here rather than by how hard it is taxed.
Inside Kentucky it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #3 of 116, against a statewide 0.77%. At the other end of the same state, Rockcastle County charges 0.48%. A spread that wide inside one state is normal, because school districts, not states, set most of the levy.
The median home costs 1.97 times the median household income of $37,198, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 70.83% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. With 26,185 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
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
| Harlan County | Kentucky | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.99% | 0.77% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $722 | $1,472 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $73,100 | $192,300 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $651 | $933 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $37,198 | $62,417 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 1.97× | 3.08× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 21% | 17.94% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 70.83% | 68.28% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 26,185.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor County | 0.72% | $1,174 | $163,700 |
| Carter County | 0.49% | $622 | $126,100 |
| Grayson County | 0.56% | $896 | $160,100 |
| Woodford County | 0.74% | $2,003 | $270,400 |
| Grant County | 0.72% | $1,339 | $185,500 |
Harlan County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Harlan County, Kentucky?
The effective rate is 0.99% of home value, from a median tax bill of $722 against a median home value of $73,100. That is 0.01 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Harlan County?
Roughly $3,960 a year at the county effective rate of 0.99%.
Is Harlan County expensive compared with the rest of Kentucky?
It ranks #3 of 116 Kentucky counties by effective property tax rate, and #1057 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.22 points above the Kentucky average of 0.77%.
What does housing cost in Harlan County?
The median home is worth $73,100 and median gross rent is $651 a month. Median household income is $37,198, which puts the home at 1.97 times annual income and rent at 21% of it.