The Property Tax Almanac
Anderson County · Tennessee

Property Tax in Anderson County

A calculator and field guide for Oak Ridge-area homeowners — and for anyone considering a move to Anderson County — including Tennessee's uniquely simple 25% residential assessment ratio, combined county and city rates, and the state's limited property tax relief programs.

Median Effective Rate
0.54%
tax bill ÷ market value
Median Home Value
$239,400
reference estimate
Typical Annual Bill
$1,289
at 25% assessment ratio
Assessor
Anderson Co. Assessor
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Anderson County, home to Clinton and roughly 79k Tennesseans, uses the simplest residential property tax system of any state we cover: appraised value × 25% assessment ratio × combined tax rate = your bill. Tennessee has no state income tax and no statewide homestead exemption — county and city rates are the entire story. This guide explains how each piece works and what limited tax relief programs exist for elderly, disabled, and veteran homeowners.

How the bill is built

Tennessee's residential property tax calculation has only three steps. Start with your home's appraised value, set by the county property assessor. Multiply by the 25% residential assessment ratio (fixed by the Tennessee Constitution, Article 2, §28) to get your assessed value. Multiply that by the combined county + city tax rate (expressed per $100 of assessed value) to get your tax bill.

For example: a $300,000 home × 25% = $75,000 assessed value. If your combined county + city rate is $3.00 per $100 AV, your bill is $75,000 × (3.00 / 100) = $2,250. That's it — no homestead exemption to subtract, no equalization factor, no circuit breaker.

No state homestead exemption: Unlike Florida, Texas, or Illinois, Tennessee does not offer a broad property tax reduction for primary residences. Limited relief programs exist for elderly/disabled homeowners with low incomes (through the Tennessee State Tax Relief Program), 100% disabled veterans, and certain widows/widowers of qualifying veterans or first responders — but these are income-limited and must be applied for through your county trustee.

Anderson County rate breakdown (per $100 AV, Clinton district)

Taxing entityRate
Anderson County1.4889
City of Clinton0.5262
Combined total2.0151

Data record updated August 18, 2026. This is an editorial update date, not a tax year or a guarantee that every figure has been independently verified.

Sources and scope: Check rates and parcel details with Anderson County Assessor of Property. Figures may refer to different source years; a county-seat rate does not apply to every address. How we use data and estimates.

Note: Anderson County reappraised for 2025, and the county rate fell from 2.6289 to 1.5038 per $100 as a result — a rate cut that reflects higher assessed values rather than a smaller levy. Tennessee requires a revenue-neutral certified rate after reappraisal, so a falling rate in a reappraisal year does not mean falling bills.
Note: Anderson is one of the counties where the county portion of the rate differs by city. It is 1.5038 countywide, but 1.4889 inside Clinton and 1.4066 inside Oak Ridge, because those cities operate their own school systems. The estimate above uses the Clinton bundle at 2.0151; Oak Ridge, the largest city at about 32,700, totals 2.7850 and Rocky Top 2.7788.
Note: Oak Ridge was built from nothing in 1942 for the Manhattan Project and still hosts Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex. Federal facilities are not on the tax roll, which is a large part of why a county of 79,000 with a national laboratory has a median bill of only $1,289.
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Tax relief programs in Tennessee

Unlike most other states, Tennessee has no statewide homestead exemption that reduces a primary residence's tax bill. Instead, the state operates targeted relief programs funded by the state and administered by your county trustee. These are income-limited and require annual application.

Elderly/Disabled Tax Relief — up to $167 credit for qualifying homeowners

Tennessee homeowners who are 65+ or totally and permanently disabled, and whose total household income is under $35,690 (2025 limit), may receive state reimbursement of the property tax on the first $30,900 of their home's market value. Typical credit is around $100–$200 depending on the local tax rate. Apply through your county trustee between when tax notices are mailed and the delinquency date.

Disabled Veteran Tax Relief — up to full exemption

Veterans with a 100% service-connected, total and permanent disability receive state reimbursement of property tax on up to $175,000 of market value. For homes valued below this threshold, it's effectively a full exemption. The surviving unmarried spouse of a qualifying veteran is also eligible.

Property Tax Freeze — available in some counties only

Tennessee's local-option Property Tax Freeze locks the tax amount (not the assessed value) for homeowners 65+ with income under a county-set limit. Not all counties have adopted the freeze. Contact your county trustee to confirm whether Anderson County offers it.

Greenbelt Assessment — for farm and forest land

Not technically a homestead program, but significant: agricultural, forest, and open-space land can be assessed at its use value rather than market value, dramatically reducing the tax base for working farms and timberland. Apply with the Anderson County Assessor of Property.

Appealing your assessment

Tennessee reappraises property on a 4, 5, or 6-year cycle set by each county (Anderson County's cycle varies). If you disagree with your appraised value, first request an informal review with the Anderson County Assessor of Property. If unresolved, appeal to the County Board of Equalization (which meets each June), then to the Tennessee State Board of Equalization, and finally to the Tennessee chancery court.

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Cities and towns in Anderson County

This guide lists 7 selected communities in or associated with Anderson County. It is not a complete municipal directory. Local taxing districts can differ between communities and individual addresses.

Data: US Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census. Populations rounded. Cities marked as "split" straddle a county border — the portion inside Anderson County is subject to Anderson County's tax rolls, while the portion outside is subject to the adjacent county's.

City or town Type Population (2020)
Oak Ridge Split city 32,700
Clinton County seat city 10,200
Oliver Springs Split town 3,300
Rocky Top city 1,600
Norris city 1,500
Andersonville Census-designated place 400
Briceville Census-designated place 200

About city-level property tax rates: The rate breakdown and calculator on this page use a representative district around Clinton. Other cities in Anderson County may pay into different school districts, city rates, and special districts — so their combined rates can differ, sometimes substantially. Always verify the specific rates for your address with the Anderson County Assessor of Property before relying on any estimate.

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Frequently asked questions

When are Anderson County property taxes due?

Tennessee property tax bills are mailed in October and are payable starting October 1 (some cities bill in August). County taxes become delinquent on March 1 of the following year; after that, interest accrues monthly plus penalties. City tax deadlines vary — check with your municipal tax office.

Does Tennessee have a homestead exemption?

No — not in the traditional sense. Tennessee has no statewide homestead exemption that reduces your taxable value. Instead, the state offers targeted income-limited tax relief for elderly, disabled, and veteran homeowners through the Tennessee State Tax Relief Program. Most homeowners pay tax on the full 25% residential assessment of their appraised value.

Why is my appraised value so different from what I paid for the house?

Tennessee counties reappraise property on a 4, 5, or 6-year cycle (each county sets its own), so your appraised value reflects the last reassessment — not necessarily the current market. Between reappraisals, the county uses a "change rate" to adjust values. If you recently bought the home for significantly more than its appraised value, the assessor may not update to match until the next reappraisal cycle.

How do I appeal my appraised value?

First, request an informal review with the Anderson County Assessor of Property. If you disagree with the result, appeal to the County Board of Equalization, which meets annually in June. Beyond that, appeals go to the State Board of Equalization, then to chancery court. Appeal deadlines are tight — typically within 45 days of the appraisal notice.

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About Anderson County

Beyond the property tax — a few things you might not know about the place.

Weird fact
Oak Ridge did not appear on maps until after the Second World War. At its wartime peak roughly 75,000 people lived behind its fences, making it the fifth-largest city in Tennessee, and almost none of them knew what the plant they worked in actually produced until Hiroshima was announced.
Hometown hero
Ed Westcott
The only photographer authorised to work inside wartime Oak Ridge, his images are effectively the entire visual record of the Manhattan Project’s secret city.
Biggest annual event
Secret City Festival
An Oak Ridge festival built around the city’s Manhattan Project history, combining Second World War reenactment and science programming with music on the Bissell Park grounds.
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About this site's data and estimates. The Property Tax Almanac is an independent editorial reference. It is not affiliated with any government agency, tax assessor, or tax preparation service. The calculators and data on this site are informational and are not a substitute for advice from a qualified tax professional, attorney, or your official county assessor or appraisal district.

Accuracy, sources, and scope. Source years and review coverage vary. A record’s update date is not confirmation of its tax year. Reviewed guides identify their official sources and calculation limits; other records may have incomplete source documentation. See our methodology and review process.

How to use these estimates. Read the scope of each tool: it may use a representative district, a historical rate, or hypothetical inputs. County benchmarks are not a parcel-specific tax quote. Confirm the taxable value, taxing districts, applicable year, exemptions and additional charges with the responsible local office before relying on an estimate.

No legal or tax advice; no warranty. Nothing on this site constitutes legal, tax, financial, investment, or real estate advice. The Property Tax Almanac, its authors, and its publisher make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability of the content on this site. Any reliance you place on the information is strictly at your own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damage — including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage — arising from the use of this site or from decisions made based on its content.

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