Kentucky · FIPS 21043 · ACS 2020–2024
Carter County, Kentucky property tax rate
Homeowners in Carter County paid a median of $649 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $132,800 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.45% of home value, 40% below the Kentucky rate of 0.74% and 52% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.45%Effective tax rate±0.06% margin · Kentucky: 0.74%
- $649Median tax per yearKentucky: $1,544 · U.S.: $3,119
- $132,800Median home valueKentucky: $205,600
- 8,639Owner-occupied homes80% of households own
| Measure | Carter County | Kentucky | U.S. | Carter County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.45% | 0.74% | 0.94% | 0.45% | no change |
| Median tax, all owners | $649 | $1,544 | $3,119 | $622 | +$27 (+4.3%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $989 | $1,798 | $3,489 | $935 | +$54 (+5.8%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $443 | $1,201 | $2,576 | $451 | −$8 (-1.8%) |
| Median home value | $132,800 | $205,600 | $332,700 | $126,100 | +$6,700 (+5.3%) |
| Total taxes paid | $6,236,000 | $2,343,946,100 | $360,573,527,500 | $5,801,700 |
How Carter County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $4.47 a year, against $7.45 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in Kentucky: 1 of 104 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 11% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.54% of value; homes without one: 0.36%. Median bills: $989 and $443.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (no change) and the median tax changed +$27 (+4.3%). The two 5-year surveys share four years of responses, so year-to-year moves are small and partly noise.
- Margin of error: the effective rate is 0.45% ± 0.06% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 8,639 owner-occupied homes.
Kentucky counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menifee County | 0.45% | $644 | $125,800 |
| Crittenden County | 0.47% | $731 | $127,300 |
| Jackson County | 0.47% | $687 | $111,500 |
| Clay County | 0.49% | $634 | $90,700 |
| Laurel County | 0.49% | $906 | $159,500 |
| Powell County | 0.50% | $875 | $141,100 |
| Butler County | 0.50% | $645 | $111,100 |
| Wayne County | 0.50% | $758 | $135,700 |
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table-based summary file: B25090 (aggregate real estate taxes), B25082 (aggregate home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes), B25077 (median home value) and B25003 (tenure); files dated January 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, same tables (files dated October 31, 2024), for the comparison column.
- Geography names: Census Bureau Geos20245YR.txt (file dated January 22, 2026).
Effective rate = total real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied homes ÷ their total value, as reported by owners to the Census Bureau. It is not a millage rate. Your bill depends on your assessed value, exemptions (such as homestead) and local levies.