Tennessee · County property tax · ACS 2024
Putnam County Property Taxes
The median homeowner in Putnam County pays $1,363 a year, an effective rate of 0.48%, well below the U.S. average.
- $1,363
- Median tax / yr
- 0.48%
- Effective rate
- -32%
- vs U.S. average
- #46 of 95
- rank in TN
The verdict
Homeowners in Putnam County pay a median $1,363 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 0.48%, more affordable than 85% of U.S. counties.
- $1,363
- Median annual tax bill, 2024
- 0.48%
- Effective rate on median home
- #459 of 3135
- U.S. counties by tax burden
- -32%
- vs the national average bill
Effective rate is the median property tax bill divided by the median home value ($282,500). U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024.
Census Bureau ACS property tax data for Tennessee. Owner-occupied homes: 20,562.
The median annual property tax in Putnam County is $1,363, which is 5% lower than the Tennessee state average and 32% below the national average. The effective tax rate is 0.48% on a median home value of $282,500. Property taxes represent 2.3% of the median household income in this county.
What This Data Tells Us About Putnam County
Homeowners in Putnam County pay a median annual property tax of $1,363, well below the national median and modestly below the Tennessee state median. On a $282,500 median home, that works out to an effective rate of 0.48% once the local assessment base and millage are combined.
Property taxes in Putnam County run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 2.3% of the $58,912 median household income. Since 2023, the published ACS median estimate has ticked up 4.9%, from $1,299 to $1,363. This compares two release estimates; it does not identify a local policy, assessment, exemption, or household-bill cause.
This page is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Figures describe the median homeowner household in Putnam County as reported to the Census Bureau, your own bill can differ based on your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, special districts, and municipal overlays. Always consult your county assessor, tax collector, or a qualified professional before making decisions that depend on these numbers.
With vs Without Mortgage
Mortgaged and non-mortgaged homeowners in Putnam County pay about the same bill, a 4% gap.
How Putnam County compares
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024.
Putnam County's effective rate is higher than 52% of the 95 counties in Tennessee - ranking #46 of 95 for property tax burden.
Where Putnam County sits among every U.S. county
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value)
0.48% Among the most affordable more affordable than 85% of 3,135 U.S. counties
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
Putnam County vs Benchmarks
| Metric | Putnam County | Tennessee Avg | U.S. Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Tax | $1,363 | $1,442 | $1,993 |
| Effective Tax Rate | 0.48% | 0.50% | 0.92% |
| Median Home Value | $282,500 | $286,700 | $227,791 |
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.
Think your Putnam County property tax bill is too high?
A successful appeal can lower your assessed value by 10-25%, cutting your annual tax bill by hundreds or thousands of dollars. Use our free Appeal Savings Estimator to project savings on your specific home, then read our step-by-step appeal guide for the exact procedure in Tennessee.
Property Tax History
| Year | Median Tax | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,363 +4.9% | 0.48% |
| 2023 | $1,299 +4.7% | 0.53% |
| 2022 | $1,241 +12.2% | 0.56% |
| 2021 | $1,106 +2.7% | 0.64% |
| 2020 | $1,077 | 0.66% |
Tax Burden
Tax Affordability Score
An effective rate well below the national average of 0.92% puts Putnam County in the "Very Affordable" band for property tax burden.
How this score is calculated: a 1-10 scale derived mechanically from the ratio of this county's effective rate to the national average effective rate (0.92%) - a ratio at or below 0.5× scores 10, a ratio at or above 2.0× scores 1, with a linear scale between. It is a factual comparison of Census figures only, not a recommendation, quality rating, or endorsement of Putnam County or any other county.
Other Counties in Tennessee
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average property tax in Putnam County, Tennessee? ▼
How does Putnam County property tax compare to the national average? ▼
What percentage of income goes to property taxes in Putnam County? ▼
Are property taxes increasing in Putnam County? ▼
What this means in Putnam County
How to use Putnam County's property-tax numbers, for budgeting, comparison, or an appeal.
- At Putnam County's 0.48% effective rate, a $282,500 home implies about $1,363/yr, plug in your own home's value to estimate your bill. Estimate your bill
- Putnam County ranks #46 of 95 counties in Tennessee by effective rate, compare it against the rest of the state before you judge your bill. Tennessee overview
- If your assessed value looks high relative to Putnam County's typical home, you may have grounds to appeal, most jurisdictions have a filing window each year. How to appeal
Effective rate is the county median tax divided by the county median home value ($282,500); your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, and local levies determine your actual bill. U.S. Census Bureau ACS · 2024.
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.
PlainPropertyTax is rendered directly from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on the Census ACS county-level record for Putnam County. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-09.