Athens, TN · Updated Oct 2026

What a Athens home costs each year

Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.

Suggestions as you type come from Google; the lookup uses free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a Athens house

$5,732a year · $478 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $197,300; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$1,031
0.523% of $197,300
Electricity and gas$2,329
1250 kWh a month $1,787 · 30 therms $542
Water and sewer$767
3,000 gallons a month on Athens Utilities Board: water $25, sewer $39 a month
Trash$114
1 tote (96 gal), $10 a month
Home insurance$1,492
Typical premium $1,492

A Athens house at the typical market value ($197,300) costs about $5,700 a year: $1,030 property tax and charges, $770 water and sewer, $110 trash, $2,330 electricity and gas, $1,490 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 29, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Ways to pay less

Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:

Seniors 65+ or disabled, low income: state property tax reliefIncome up to $38,470
Tennessee's tax relief program reimburses part or all of the property taxes paid by low-income homeowners 65 or older (by December 31, 2026) or disabled. The income limit is $38,470 (2025 income of the applicant, spouse, co-owners and resident remainder). It is a reimbursement, not an exemption.
How: Contact your county trustee to apply; inside city limits you may also contact the city's collecting official. You may apply when you receive your 2026 property tax bill; the deadline is 35 days after the delinquency date.
Free city trash service if you get state tax relief and use one tote
Under City Code 17-43, residents who qualify for the state's property tax relief, and those who would otherwise qualify but do not own their own residences, and who use only one city-issued container, get a credit of 100% for the service.
How: Contact the Public Works Department at 423-744-2745.
Back door trash pickup at no extra charge with a doctor's note
Back door residential service is available at no additional charge with a doctor's note.
How: Contact the Public Works Department at 423-744-2745.
Disabled veterans or surviving spouses: state property tax relief
Tennessee state law provides property tax relief for disabled veteran homeowners or their surviving spouses.
How: Contact your county trustee to apply.

Money dates

Feb 28, 2027in 116 daysAll City of Athens property taxes are due by February 28, 2027.
35 days after the delinquency dateDeadline to apply for state property tax relief on a 2026 bill; taxes must also be paid by this date.

Who serves this house

Water: Athens Utilities Board; AUB residential water, 5/8" meter inside city: $10.50 minimum monthly charge, $4.20 per 1,000 gallons for the first 5,000 gallons and $4.75 per 1,000 gallons above 5,000.
Property tax: 0.52% of value; 2026 tax year: McMinn County (FY 2026-27, $1.0823) and City of Athens ($1.0078, unchanged 2023 to 2025)
Garbage: City of Athens Public Works; $9.50 a month for one 96-gallon tote, once-a-week collection, billed on the AUB bill
Sewer: Athens Utilities Board (AUB); Residential: $17.00 minimum a month plus $6.50 per 1,000 gallons of water used
Electricity: Athens Utilities Board (AUB); Buys all its power from TVA; $18.38 availability charge a month
Schools: City of Athens (city schools); The City of Athens tax rate is stated as including city schools

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: AUB buys 35% of the water it distributes from Hiwassee Utilities Commission (HUC); AUB's source water susceptibility rating is reasonably susceptible.
Lead: In the most recent lead testing in the 2025 report (listed as 2024), 0 of the 30 samples tested were above EPA's action level of 15 ppb.

How these numbers are made

Water and sewer: AUB inside-city residential rates. Water is $10.50 a month plus $4.20 per 1,000 gallons up to 5,000 and $4.75 above; sewer is $17.00 a month plus $6.50 per 1,000 gallons of water used. AUB's published sewer examples work out to $6.25 per 1,000 gallons, so the table rate ($6.50, matching the city's cost-of-living page) is used. Typical use is AUB's 3,400 gallons.
Electric: AUB $18.38 availability charge plus a base energy charge averaged over TVA's summer, winter and transition seasons (four months each) plus the September 2026 fuel charge of $0.02160, which changes monthly. Typical use is AUB's 1,250 kWh.
Gas: AUB Rate Schedule 23 (customers using 15 therms or more every month): $10.50 a month plus $0.53480 per therm plus the September 2026 purchased gas adjustment of $0.62057, which changes monthly. Typical use is 30 therms, the figure on the city's cost-of-living page.
Property tax: City of Athens $1.0078 (includes city schools) and McMinn County $1.0823 per $100 of assessed value, which is 25% of appraised value. Tennessee has no homeowner exemption, so none is applied. The starting value is the Census median home value.
Garbage: City of Athens $9.50 a month for one 96-gallon tote, billed on the AUB bill. Insurance is the Tennessee statewide average premium; no Athens-specific figure was found.
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Athens compares

A typical Athens house against the 36 Tennessee cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	Athens	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	0.52%	0.61%	lower than 25 of the other 35 Tennessee cities we cover
Water	$297	$517	lower than 31 of the other 35 Tennessee cities we cover
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$469	$776	lower than 31 of the other 35 Tennessee cities we cover
Trash	$114	$240	lower than 24 of the other 28 Tennessee cities we cover
Electricity and gas	$2,329	$2,424	lower than 22 of the other 35 Tennessee cities we cover
Home insurance	$1,492	$1,492	in the middle of 31 other Tennessee cities we cover
Total	$5,732	$7,044	lower than 30 of the other 35 Tennessee cities we cover

Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.

Questions to ask your candidates

Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.

1. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $297 a year at typical use, lower than 31 of the other 35 Tennessee cities we cover.

Ask: "Water here costs about $297 a year at typical use, lower than 31 of the other 35 Tennessee cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

2. Sewer and utility-bill fees

The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $469 a year, lower than 31 of the other 35 Tennessee cities we cover. Some cities bill sewer on the property tax bill instead, which is not counted here.

Ask: "Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here cost about $469 a year, lower than 31 of the other 35 Tennessee cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Trash

The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $114 a year for the standard cart, lower than 24 of the other 28 Tennessee cities we cover. Where trash is billed through the tax bill or a separate hauler, it is not counted here.

Ask: "Trash pickup here costs about $114 a year for the standard cart, lower than 24 of the other 28 Tennessee cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"

See who is running in your city →

Common questions about Athens house costs

What is the property tax rate in Athens?

About 0.52% of the value before exemptions a year (2026 tax year: McMinn County (FY 2026-27, $1.0823) and City of Athens ($1.0078, unchanged 2023 to 2025)), plus flat charges on the same bill.

How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Athens?

About $2,613 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions.

How much is the water bill in Athens?

About $64 a month for water and sewer at typical use (3,000 gallons a month) on Athens Utilities Board.

How much does trash pickup cost in Athens?

$10 to $27 a month, depending on the trash cart size (1 tote (96 gal), 2 totes (96 gal each), 3 totes (96 gal each)).

When is property tax due in Athens?

Feb 28, 2027: All City of Athens property taxes are due by February 28, 2027.

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Athens?

Yes. Seniors 65+ or disabled, low income: state property tax relief: Tennessee's tax relief program reimburses part or all of the property taxes paid by low-income homeowners 65 or older (by December 31, 2026) or disabled. The income limit is $38,470 (2025 income of the applicant, spouse, co-owners and resident remainder). It is a reimbursement, not an exemption.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Athens?

Seniors 65+ or disabled, low income: state property tax relief: Tennessee's tax relief program reimburses part or all of the property taxes paid by low-income homeowners 65 or older (by December 31, 2026) or disabled. The income limit is $38,470 (2025 income of the applicant, spouse, co-owners and resident remainder). It is a reimbursement, not an exemption. Contact your county trustee to apply; inside city limits you may also contact the city's collecting official. You may apply when you receive your 2026 property tax bill; the deadline is 35 days after the delinquency date.

How much does a house in Athens cost to run each year?

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