Shelby County, Kentucky property tax
The median homeowner in Shelby County, Kentucky pays $2,248 a year in property tax on a home worth $277,500, an effective rate of 0.81%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.81%, Shelby County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. With a median home at $277,500, that produces a bill of $2,248. Somebody still funds the schools, so it is worth knowing what a low-tax county collects instead.
It ranks #23 of 116 Kentucky counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.77%, and #1,437 nationally. The state runs from 1.06% in Campbell County down to 0.48% in Rockcastle County.
The median home costs 3.36 times the median household income of $82,671, close to the national 3.86. With 48,599 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
| Shelby County | Kentucky | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.81% | 0.77% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $2,248 | $1,472 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $277,500 | $192,300 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $998 | $933 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $82,671 | $62,417 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.36× | 3.08× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 14.49% | 17.94% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 74.05% | 68.28% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 48,599.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boyd County | 0.98% | $1,233 | $126,300 |
| Nelson County | 0.80% | $1,782 | $224,100 |
| Franklin County | 0.84% | $1,672 | $198,700 |
| Hopkins County | 0.82% | $1,057 | $128,800 |
| Barren County | 0.73% | $1,212 | $166,900 |
Shelby County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Shelby County, Kentucky?
The effective rate is 0.81% of home value, from a median tax bill of $2,248 against a median home value of $277,500. That is 0.17 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Shelby County?
Roughly $3,240 a year at the county effective rate of 0.81%.
Is Shelby County expensive compared with the rest of Kentucky?
It ranks #23 of 116 Kentucky counties by effective property tax rate, and #1437 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.04 points above the Kentucky average of 0.77%.
What does housing cost in Shelby County?
The median home is worth $277,500 and median gross rent is $998 a month. Median household income is $82,671, which puts the home at 3.36 times annual income and rent at 14.49% of it.