Athens property tax: where it goes
A Athens house at the typical market value ($197,300) pays about $1,030 a year on the property tax bill, including flat charges on the same bill. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.
A Athens house pays 0.523% of its taxable value in property tax. For a house at $197,300 of market value, that's about $1,031 a year.
Tax is levied on assessed value, which for a home is 25% of its appraised value, at rates per $100 of assessed value.
The City of Athens' FY 2026-27 budget book lists $1.0078 for 2023, 2024 and 2025 and the city's cost-of-living page still states $1.0078; no 2026 city rate document was found that states a different figure.
Pay or manage it
Who taxes this house
| Taxing agency | Rate | On $197,300 |
|---|---|---|
| City of Athens (includes city schools) | 0.252% | $497 |
| McMinn County | 0.2706% | $534 |
| Total | 0.523% | $1,031 |
2026 tax year: McMinn County (FY 2026-27, $1.0823) and City of Athens ($1.0078, unchanged 2023 to 2025).
How Athens compares with nearby cities
Property tax rate
- Lenoir City · 31 mi0.37%
- Athens0.52%
- Collegedale · 37 mi0.65%
- Soddy-Daisy · 35 mi0.65%
- Maryville · 40 mi0.66%
- Oak Ridge · 39 mi0.70%
The combined rate of every agency on the bill, before exemptions.
Ways to pay less
- 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. 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.
- 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.
Dates
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Feb 28, 2027 | All City of Athens property taxes are due by February 28, 2027. |
| 35 days after the delinquency date | Deadline to apply for state property tax relief on a 2026 bill; taxes must also be paid by this date. |
Sources
- City of Athens FY 2026-27 budget (sanitation fees, tax rates)
- McMinn County tax levy resolution, June 15, 2026
- Tennessee tax relief brochure
- Tennessee Comptroller tax relief
- City of Athens property tax notices
Checked October 29, 2026. Every number here comes from the public sources listed, matched by our checker.
Rates change every year; this page shows when it was last checked. Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.
Property tax in other Tennessee cities
Alcoa property taxAtoka property taxBartlett property taxBristol property taxClarksville property taxCollegedale property taxCollierville property taxSignal Mountain property taxSmyrna property taxSoddy-Daisy property taxUnion City property taxWhite House property taxAll Tennessee cities →