Ohio · County property tax · ACS 2024
Athens County Property Taxes
The median homeowner in Athens County pays $2,167 a year, an effective rate of 1.17%, modestly above the U.S. average.
- $2,167
- Median tax / yr · Above-median bill
- 1.17%
- Effective rate · High rate
- +9%
- vs U.S. average
- #30 of 88
- rank in OH
The verdict
Homeowners in Athens County pay a median $2,167 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 1.17%, more affordable than 25% of U.S. counties (Census ACS 2024).
- $2,167
- Median annual tax bill, 2024
- 1.17%
- Effective rate on median home
- #2366 of 3135
- U.S. counties by tax burden
- +9%
- vs the national average bill
Effective rate is the median property tax bill divided by the median home value ($185,000). U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024.
Census Bureau ACS property tax data for Ohio. Population: 61,737. Owner-occupied homes: 13,899.
The median annual property tax in Athens County is $2,167, which is 23% lower than the Ohio state average and 9% above the national average. The effective tax rate is 1.17% on a median home value of $185,000. Property taxes represent 3.9% of the median household income in this county.
Athens County's rate standing among U.S. counties
Primary signal
The effective rate sits near the national middle
Athens County's 1.17% effective rate sits near the middle of 3,135 tracked counties (more affordable than 25%).
Decision signal 2
The bill sits below the Ohio median
Homeowners in Athens County pay a median annual property tax of $2,167, modestly above the national median and notably lower than the Ohio state median. On a $185,000 median home, that works out to an effective rate of 1.17% once the local assessment base and millage are combined.
Decision signal 3
Near the middle of Ohio counties by effective rate
Athens County ranks #30 of 88 counties in Ohio by effective rate (66% of in-state counties pay a lower rate).
Decision signal 4
Income and the tax bill sit in the middle band
Property taxes in Athens County run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 3.9% of the $56,001 median household income.
Informational notice
Figures describe the median homeowner household in Athens County as reported to the Census Bureau; your parcel can differ. Not tax, legal, or financial advice: check the county assessor or a qualified professional before decisions that depend on these numbers.
Most of the market's rise reached the bill
The effective rate here moved 10.6% down between 2020 and 2024, a smaller shift than in 57% of U.S. counties. With the median home value rose 33.0%, the median bill rose 18.9% to $2,167: the rate did comparatively little to offset the market.
Effective rate is the published median bill divided by the published median home value, so the two multiply back to the bill exactly; the rate's movement here is derived from those two figures rather than read from the rounded published rate. Both are ACS 5-year survey estimates for the median owner-occupied household, compared across non-overlapping releases. They describe what the Census published, not a local policy, assessment, or exemption change.
How to read this county's bill
Bills rose across 2020-2024, from $1,822 to $2,167, a gain of 19%. This is a comparison of published ACS medians, not an explanation of a particular property's assessment or tax bill.
The heaviest band is also the fullest one here: 4,747 of 13,899 owner-occupied homes (34.2%) report annual real-estate taxes above $3,000. That band has no upper edge in the source, so the county median understates the burden carried by the plurality rather than describing it.
This county earns in the bottom quarter of the country and taxes above the median rate, so the median bill absorbs 3.9% of median household income. The rate alone understates that; it is the pairing that matters.
The share above is the median annual bill divided by median household income, a ratio of two county-level medians rather than a household-by-household figure.
What Athens County Homeowners Actually Pay
The single largest group of Athens County homeowners, 4,747 of 13,899 owner-occupied homes (34.2%), pays $3,000 or more a year. The median is one point in this spread, not a typical bill.
- Less than $800 12.9% (1,799)
- $800 to $1,499 18.2% (2,523)
- $1,500 to $1,999 14.7% (2,037)
- $2,000 to $2,999 17.4% (2,418)
- $3,000 or more 34.2% (4,747)
Census ACS 2024, table B25102. Bands and the no-tax share sum to 100%.
375 homes here (2.7%) report no real estate tax at all. Exemptions are set by state: how Ohio handles assessments and appeals.
With vs Without Mortgage
In Athens County, mortgaged homeowners pay 27% more than those without a mortgage, a gap that typically tracks higher home values rather than a different tax rate.
Athens County's effective rate vs peers
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024.
Athens County's effective rate is higher than 66% of the 88 counties in Ohio - ranking #30 of 88.
Where Athens County sits among every U.S. county
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value)
1.17% more affordable than 25% of 3,135 U.S. counties
Show national distribution
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more U.S. counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024
Athens County vs Benchmarks
| Metric | Athens County | Ohio Avg | U.S. Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Tax Above-median bill | |||
| Effective Tax Rate High rate | |||
| Median Home Value | |||
| Tax as % of income Heavy income burden | 3.9% | - | - |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates. Tax-burden differences across rows reflect millage decisions, assessment-ratio practices, and the residential-vs-commercial mix of each tax base.
Athens County is PAR · MID on ACS medians, still verify your parcel card before quoting the county figure. Estimate appeal savings · Ohio counties.
Athens County rate trail · PAR
| Year | Median Tax (vs prior release) | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,167 +3.5% | 1.17% |
| 2023 | $2,094 +6.0% | 1.20% |
| 2022 | $1,976 +3.0% | 1.22% |
| 2021 | $1,919 +5.3% | 1.27% |
| 2020 | $1,822 | 1.31% |
Each row is a separate ACS 5-year release, and consecutive releases share four of their five survey years. The percentage beside each bill is therefore movement in the published estimate against the previous release, not a single year's tax change. The two releases largely describe the same households. For change over time, compare releases that do not overlap.
Athens County: tax-to-income at 3.9%
Counties near Athens County's effective rate
On effective rate, Athens County sits nearest Nuckolls County (NE), Hitchcock County (NE), Carlton County (MN).
On published median-tax change, the nearest matches are Polk County (IA), Guilford County (NC), Clay County (MO).
How peers are chosen
These are the nearest cross-state matches in the published Census data, not neighboring counties or recommendations. Peers are rebuilt with each data release; see the calculation method.
Similar effective rates
Similar published median-tax changes, 2020–2024
Athens County: only 2% of returns show Schedule A real-estate tax
Tax year 2022: 500 of 22,440 returns from Athens County reported real estate taxes, averaging $4,988 - 36% of those reporters sat in the $100-200k AGI band.
What this IRS county file does not say
Amounts are reported before the SALT cap, not deducted; the share is of filers, not homeowners. Source: IRS SOI county data, tax year 2022.
Other Counties in Ohio
Athens County rate FAQs
- What is the tax affordability score for Athens County?
- Athens County, Ohio scores F (27/100) on PlainPropertyTax's tax affordability composite across 5 Census ACS dimensions (effective rate, bill size, income share, mortgage gap, and home-value/income). Its strongest scored dimension here is housing pressure at F (3.30×). The score compares published county medians to U.S. percentiles, it is not a personal bill and not advice to buy, sell, appeal, or relocate.
- What is the average property tax in Athens County, Ohio?
- The median annual property tax in Athens County is $2,167, an effective rate of 1.17% on a $185,000 median home (Census ACS, 2024).
- How does Athens County property tax compare to the national average?
- Property taxes in Athens County run modestly above the national median of $1,993, an effective rate of 1.17% versus 0.92% nationally.
- What percentage of income goes to property taxes in Athens County?
- Property taxes in Athens County run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 3.9% of the $56,001 median household income.
- Are property taxes increasing in Athens County?
- The ACS median property-tax bill for Athens County climbed 18.9% between the 2020 and 2024 5-year releases, from $1,822 to $2,167, a 4-year span. These are survey estimates covering five years each, so this compares the two releases furthest apart rather than consecutive ones, which overlap and would mostly measure the same households twice.
What to do with Athens County's PAR rate
Inside Ohio, Athens County's $2,167 median bill runs low versus the state median - check peer counties before assuming the lowest bill is the best move. Ohio overview →
Athens County ranks #30 of 88 Ohio counties by effective rate - on the higher-burden half of the state ACS set. Ohio overview →
Nationwide peers by effective rate (then bill)
Rate-first peers for Athens County's PAR effective rate, then a disjoint out-of-state bill set so the two neighborhoods stay distinct.
Similar effective rate
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS effective rate. This county: 1.17%.
Similar median bill
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS median annual tax. This county: $2,167/yr. Rate peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Read with Athens County
Nearest ABS(median_tax) ACS peers for Athens County (PAR · MID), replacing the old fixed Keep exploring strip.
PAR MID
Sherman County, KS
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,171/yr (near-tied bill ABS $4); rate 1.59% vs Athens County 1.17%.
Wicomico County, MD
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,171/yr (near-tied bill ABS $4); rate 0.85% vs Athens County 1.17%.
Dawson County, NE
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,172/yr (near-tied bill ABS $5); rate 1.31% vs Athens County 1.17%.
Mason County, IL
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,162/yr (near-tied bill ABS $5); rate 2.09% vs Athens County 1.17%.
Ohio county set
State ACS overview for every published Ohio county rate and median bill.
Assessment cycle basics
Athens County stamps PAR · MID - how assessed value and millage become the ACS median bill.
Data vintage and method
Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.
Property tax data reflects median amounts paid by homeowners. Effective rates are calculated as median tax divided by median home value.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, county median real-estate taxes · 2024 Athens County (PAR · MID) - ACS medians, not a parcel bill.