How is property tax calculated in Georgia?

Georgia assesses property at 40% of fair market value. From that assessed value you subtract any homestead exemption, then multiply the taxable value by the combined millage rate, where one mill equals one dollar per 1,000 of taxable value.

What is the effective property tax rate in Atlanta?

After the 40% assessment ratio and exemptions, the effective rate on market value in the City of Atlanta is roughly 1.01%. So a 400,000 dollar home pays around 4,000 dollars a year, though the exact figure depends on your county and exemptions.

What is the homestead exemption?

If the home is your primary residence, Georgia and local governments offer exemptions that reduce your assessed value before tax is applied. The basic statewide exemption is modest, but Fulton and City of Atlanta layer on larger local exemptions that can meaningfully cut the bill.

What is a millage rate?

A millage rate expresses tax per 1,000 dollars of taxable value. A combined rate of about 40 mills means 40 dollars of tax for every 1,000 of taxable value. Atlanta's total millage combines city, Fulton County, and school district levies.

Why is my actual bill different?

Atlanta spans Fulton and DeKalb counties with different millage rates, and exemption amounts vary by program and age or disability status. This estimator uses representative figures; your county tax commissioner's office has the exact rates for your parcel.

Atlanta Property Tax Estimator

This estimator projects your annual property tax bill in the City of Atlanta. It follows Georgia’s two-step method — assess at 40% of market value, then apply the combined millage rate — and lets you account for the homestead exemption that lowers the taxable value of a primary residence.

How it works

Georgia taxes the assessed value, not the full market value:

assessed value  = market value × 0.40
taxable value   = assessed value − homestead exemption
annual tax      = taxable value × (millage / 1000)

A combined millage near 40 mills on a 40% assessment ratio produces an effective rate of roughly 1.01% of market value, before exemptions trim it further.

Example and notes

A 400,000 dollar home assesses at 160,000 dollars. With a basic homestead exemption removing, say, 30,000 of taxable value and a combined 40-mill rate, the taxable value is 130,000 and the tax is about 5,200 dollars — though larger local Atlanta exemptions often pull the effective rate down toward 1.01%. The exact result depends on whether your parcel is in the Fulton or DeKalb portion of the city and which exemption programs you qualify for; check your county tax commissioner for parcel-level rates.