Mercer County, Kentucky property tax
The median homeowner in Mercer County, Kentucky pays $1,553 a year in property tax on a home worth $189,700, an effective rate of 0.82%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.82%, Mercer County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. That puts the median bill at $1,553. Rates this low usually mean the state, rather than the county, carries more of the school funding.
It ranks #21 of 116 Kentucky counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.77%, and #1,411 nationally. The state runs from 1.06% in Campbell County down to 0.48% in Rockcastle County.
The median home costs 3.01 times the median household income of $63,115, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 77.14% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. This is a small rural county of 22,824 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
| Mercer County | Kentucky | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.82% | 0.77% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $1,553 | $1,472 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $189,700 | $192,300 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $802 | $933 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $63,115 | $62,417 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.01× | 3.08× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 15.25% | 17.94% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 77.14% | 68.28% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 22,824.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | 0.64% | $808 | $125,300 |
| Ohio County | 0.61% | $695 | $113,400 |
| Bell County | 0.74% | $617 | $83,000 |
| Anderson County | 0.80% | $1,698 | $213,200 |
| Lincoln County | 0.73% | $1,020 | $139,300 |
Mercer County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Mercer County, Kentucky?
The effective rate is 0.82% of home value, from a median tax bill of $1,553 against a median home value of $189,700. That is 0.16 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Mercer County?
Roughly $3,280 a year at the county effective rate of 0.82%.
Is Mercer County expensive compared with the rest of Kentucky?
It ranks #21 of 116 Kentucky counties by effective property tax rate, and #1411 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.05 points above the Kentucky average of 0.77%.
What does housing cost in Mercer County?
The median home is worth $189,700 and median gross rent is $802 a month. Median household income is $63,115, which puts the home at 3.01 times annual income and rent at 15.25% of it.