Atlanta Property Tax Guide: Payment, Rates, Dates & More

When you’re moving to a new city and buying a new home, there are a lot of different things to keep in mind. Of course, finding an area that supports your lifestyle and your family’s needs is likely a priority. At the same time, the true cost of owning a home in a particular area is also likely not far from your mind.

Depending on where you live, property taxes can be a relatively small inconvenience or a major hit to your bank account. What should you expect when you move to Atlanta? How does the city and state compare to other spots in the US?

Let’s take a deep dive into everything you need to know about property taxes in Atlanta and other taxes and factors that will impact what it means and how much it costs to live here.

Property Taxes in Atlanta: An Overview

No matter where you live in the US, you’ll likely be facing property taxes as a homeowner. When you’re moving to Atlanta, you’re likely interested in how our beautiful city compares to other places in the US and how it will impact your monthly mortgage payment or overall budgeting.

How Property Is Assessed in Atlanta

The assessed value of your home in Atlanta is calculated by multiplying the fair market value of the property by 0.40. This means that you can determine your assessed value is 40% of the fair market value of your home.

At the same time, it’s worth noting that there are homestead exemptions you could potentially qualify for, which can reduce your assessed value. Your property must be your primary residence in order to qualify for these exemptions– i.e., you can’t snag one of these tax breaks for a rental property.

Components of an Atlanta Property Tax Bill

Three key entities levy taxes that are included in your Atlanta property tax bill. These are the Atlanta Public School system, the City of Atlanta itself, and either Dekalb or Fulton County, depending on where your property lies.

In 2022, the largest portion of Atlanta property taxes went to Atlanta Public Schools at 51%. Next was the City of Atlanta, with 25% going to the city itself. 24% goes to either Fulton or Dekalb County.

There were three taxes levied by the City of Atlanta in 2022, which were general operating taxes to pay for the city’s general operating expenses, bonds taxes to repay General Obligation Bonds that were issued for a variety of purposes, and Atlanta parks taxes that fund the operation of the parks managed by the City of Atlanta. The largest of these taxes are the general operating taxes at a millage rate of 8.52, with bonds coming in second at 1.88 and the parks tax having a millage rate of 0.50.

Further breaking down these three taxes all Atlanta taxpayers are responsible for, Atlanta Public Schools levies two taxes: school operating levy tax and school bond level tax. The first goes toward funding the school system’s general operating expenses, while the second goes toward paying debt services that were issued for the purposes of the school system.

If your property is in Fulton County, you are paying both general operating tax to pay for the County’s general operating expenses and bonds to pay for their debt services. In Dekalb County, you similarly are being taxed to pay for general operating expenses and debt service. Previously, a Georgia State tax was levied under the Fulton and Dekalb County taxes, but these were suspended at the beginning of 2016.

In addition to those three primary taxes, there are also some taxes that certain taxpayers are subject to that are paid to the City of Atlanta. The first is the Special Service District tax, which goes towards funding Atlanta Beltline commercial projects at a millage rate of 2.00. The second is the library levy tax, which supports the availability of Atlanta Fulton libraries to Atlanta Dekalb County residents at a millage rate of 0.929.

Atlanta’s Property Tax Rate

If all of that information about the components of your property tax bill made your head spin, don’t worry. The most important number to know is the total millage rate, which in 2022 was 31.400 for Fulton County and 32.329 for Dekalb County.

Again, the taxes are calculated based on 40% of the fair market value of your home, which is your property’s assessed value. 

When Are Atlanta Property Taxes Due?

Unless otherwise stated, property taxes for the City of Atlanta are typically due August 15. Fulton County taxes have a due date of October 15, and Dekalb County taxes have two installment due dates– September 30 and November 15.

Understanding Homestead Exemptions in Atlanta

One of the perks of owning property in Atlanta is the basic homestead exemption. In order to qualify, you must be a legal resident of the city proper and also own and occupy your home as of the first of the year. 

Beyond the basic homestead exemption, there are a number of other opportunities to reduce your property tax liability, depending on your circumstances. For more information about reducing property taxes for older adults, check out our guide to Greater Atlanta Property Tax Exemptions for Seniors.

Other Atlanta Taxes to Know About

If you’re moving to Atlanta from elsewhere, property taxes are likely only one of the taxes you’ll want to be aware of. 

Personal Income Tax

Georgia is neither the cheapest nor the most expensive state to live in when it comes to personal income tax, with an individual income tax burden of 2.11%.

However, if you’re moving from NYC or another high-cost-of-living area like Boston or California, this is a significant reduction. For example, NY’s personal income tax burden is 4.72%, while Massachusetts and California sit at 3.22% and 3.05%, respectively.

Business Tax

If you’re a business owner who’s looking to reduce your tax liability without leaving the East Coast, Georgia is a great place to land.

Finding itself in the bottom 50% percentile when comparing corporate taxes across the US, and notably one of the cheapest East Coast states for businesses, the corporate tax rate for the state is only 5.75%. It is worth noting, however, that this will revert to a slightly higher 6% at the beginning of 2026.

Sales Tax

Georgia has one of the country’s lowest state sales tax rates, only beaten out by the five US states with no sales tax and two states with slightly lower sales tax rates– Oregon and Colorado.

With a 4% sales tax, Georgia sits comfortably as one of the ten cheapest states to live in when it comes to sales tax.

The Benefits of Owning Property in Atlanta

Whenever you’re considering making a big move, there are tons of different factors to consider and weigh out. Property taxes are only one element that you’ll want to keep in mind– the truth is, Atlanta is a truly special city that has a lot to offer.

Let’s first take a look at how the property taxes here compare to other spots in the US before exploring the other benefits of owning a home and living in Atlanta.

Comparatively Lower Property Taxes

According to a study conducted by WalletHub, Georgia falls just about smack dab in the middle when comparing property tax liability for homeowners to other US states. At number 25, residents pay annual taxes on a $244,900 home is $2,192. A resident who lives in a property with the median value for homes in the state pays $1,850 a year.

Moving to Georgia from out of state can mean a serious reduction in your tax bill, depending on where you’re coming from. For example, if you’re moving from a higher-tax state such as New Jersey, Illinois, or Connecticut, you’re certainly going to notice less pain in your wallet come property tax time.

Low Local Tax Rate

Of course, property taxes are only one factor when considering the tax liability of living in a particular US state. Notably, income taxes and sales taxes can impact the actual cost of living.

While the property tax rate in Georgia could be lower or higher than your current location, depending on where you’re coming from, it’s important to weigh this in relation to other relevant taxes. According to one study that looks at the tax burden of individuals in each US state, Georgia is the ninth cheapest state in this regard. 

Georgia’s effective state/local tax rate is only 8.9%, which is quite a bit lower than the state with the highest effective state/local tax rate– New York– which sits at 15.9%. If you’re moving to Atlanta from the NYC metro area, for example, you’ll find that your tax liability is significantly reduced in the Peach City. Considering that most people moving to Atlanta from out of state are coming from high tax and high cost of living areas like NYC, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Chicago, many new residents will be pleased to find that more of their money stays in their wallet once they relocate to this beautiful city.

Reasonable Cost of Living

When people talk about Atlanta, they often talk about just how affordable it is as a city. The truth is, it is really affordable when you compare it to other major cities in the US– it’s not a coincidence that people have been showing up from places like NYC, LA, and Seattle. At the same time, it’s important to be realistic and honest about the cost of living here– if you’re moving from a rural town in a cheap state, moving to a big city anywhere in the country will likely increase your cost of living.

If you’re moving from a place like NYC or San Francisco, you will certainly notice that your wallet has a bit more weight to it. The financial stress of grabbing groceries or other necessities will be significantly reduced, if not eliminated if you’re showing up from a high-cost-of-living area, and the same can be said about the biggest investment most people will make in their lives– purchasing a home.

Friendly People and Southern Hospitality

Southern hospitality isn’t just a myth or a vestigial concept in Atlanta. It’s alive and well. The people here are friendly and warm, eager to make you feel welcome.

Furthermore, there’s a great deal of pride in the city itself. Once you show up, you’ll find that the people will love telling you about all the awesome things the city has to offer!

Robust Economy

Of course, a reasonable cost of living isn’t worth much if there aren’t high-paying jobs available. The good news is that Atlanta has a truly robust and diverse economy, with one of the highest concentrations of Fortune 500 companies in the entire US.

Whether you’re in tech, the medical sector, academia, transportation, or broadcasting and entertainment, you’ll find that there are ample job opportunities in the city.

Mild Winters

Are you tired of feeling like you’re losing half the year to being locked inside keeping warm?

The mild winters in Atlanta will be a welcome change, with the cold season being much shorter and less intense than in more northern locations.

Access to Anywhere

Whether you love to travel for pleasure or you’re constantly hopping on a plane for business, there are few better places to live than Atlanta.

Home to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, you’ll have easy access to one of the largest airports in the world when you live in Atlanta.

Ready to Buy a Home in Atlanta?

With many of the largest cities in the US becoming practically unaffordable for all but the most affluent, lots of folks have been considering how they can maintain more of their wealth by relocating to lower-cost-of-living areas. For this and many other reasons, people have been flocking to Atlanta.

If you’re considering making a move to Atlanta, we’re here to help. Whether you’re drawn by the robust economy, Southern hospitality, diverse culture, or mild winters, we’d love to assist you as you work to achieve your real estate goals. Whether you’ve just started toying with the idea of moving to Atlanta or you already have a shortlist of homes you’d like to look at, reach out today to get started.