Chattanooga homeowners pay two bills: $1.93 to the city and $1.5157 to Hamilton County per $100 assessed. Both are due Oct. 1 and late after Feb. 28.

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. Facts on this page come from the Hamilton County Trustee, the trustee’s 2026 tax rate sheet, the Hamilton County Assessor of Property and the City of Chattanooga’s property tax and tax information pages.

If you own a home inside Chattanooga city limits, you get two property tax bills: one from Hamilton County, collected by the Hamilton County Trustee, and one from the City of Chattanooga, collected by the Office of the City Treasurer. Both are mailed in late September, are payable from Oct. 1 and must be paid by the last day of February to avoid interest. Homes outside the city, in unincorporated Hamilton County, pay only the county bill; Red Bank, East Ridge, Signal Mountain and the other towns add their own city rate.

Who to call

  • County tax bill: Hamilton County Trustee, 423-209-7270, 625 Georgia Ave., Room 210, and 6125 Preservation Drive, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Search and pay county taxes
  • City tax bill and stormwater fee: Office of the City Treasurer, 423-643-7262, City Hall, 101 E. 11th St., Room 100. Search and pay city taxes
  • Your appraised value and appeals: Hamilton County Assessor of Property, 423-209-7300, 6135 Heritage Park Drive, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays
  • City tax relief and tax freeze: 423-643-7274

How your bill is worked out

The Hamilton County Assessor of Property sets an appraised value for each parcel. Tennessee taxes homes and farms on 25% of appraised value (commercial and industrial property on 40%). The county commission and the City Council each set a rate per $100 of that assessed value.

Body 2026 rate per $100 of assessed value
Hamilton County $1.5157
City of Chattanooga $1.9300
Total inside Chattanooga $3.4457

The county rate splits into its general fund ($0.8563), school fund ($0.6540) and district road fund ($0.0054), according to the trustee’s rate sheet. The city says property taxes pay for about 55% to 60% of its general fund operating budget.

An example

The median value of an owner-occupied home in Chattanooga is $259,200, in the Census Bureau’s 2023 American Community Survey five-year estimates. At 25%, that home is assessed at $64,800. At the 2026 rates it pays about $982 to the county and $1,251 to the city, about $2,233 in all, plus the city’s stormwater fee. Your own bill depends on the assessor’s value for your parcel; look it up on the assessor’s property search.

How Chattanooga compares

Bar chart of combined 2026 property tax rates in Hamilton County per $100 of assessed value: Ridgeside $3.7017, Chattanooga $3.4457, Lookout Mountain $3.2057, Red Bank $2.8057, Signal Mountain $2.6159, Soddy-Daisy $2.6157, Collegedale $2.5847, East Ridge $2.3150, Walden $2.0472, Lakesite $1.6493

Every home in the county pays the same $1.5157 county rate. The difference between towns is the city rate: Chattanooga’s $1.93 is the second highest in the county, behind Ridgeside.

Due dates and late charges

  • Late September: bills mailed. Tennessee law does not require a bill to be mailed, so not getting one does not excuse a late payment.
  • Oct. 1: taxes are due and payable.
  • Last day of February: final day to pay without interest. The trustee’s office has opened on the last Saturday of February in past years.
  • March 1: county taxes start to accrue 1.5% interest a month. The city adds 1% interest and a 0.5% penalty a month.
  • After a year: unpaid taxes are filed in Hamilton County Chancery Court. City taxes unpaid after 18 months also carry a 10% collection fee.

The city takes payment online, by mail to City Treasurer, P.O. Box 191, Chattanooga, TN 37401, and in person at City Hall or a First Horizon branch in Hamilton County with the original bill. Card payments carry a processing fee for both offices. If your mortgage company pays from escrow, it receives the bill. The trustee also runs a prepayment program for paying ahead in installments.

Help for seniors, disabled owners and veterans

  • State tax relief reimburses part of the city and county taxes for qualifying older or disabled homeowners on limited incomes and some disabled veterans and their surviving spouses. Apply through the trustee for the county bill and the city for the city bill.
  • City tax freeze holds the City of Chattanooga tax on a primary home at its current amount for homeowners 65 or older by Dec. 31, 2026 with combined 2025 income no higher than $63,470. It freezes the city tax only, not the county tax or the stormwater fee, and you reapply every year. The deadline for 2026 is April 5, 2027. City tax freeze page.
  • Anyone approved for tax relief or the tax freeze can have the city stormwater fee paid by the United Way program.

How to appeal your value

You appeal the appraised value, not the tax rate.

  1. Informal review. Look up your parcel and recent nearby sales on the assessor’s sales comparison tool, then call 423-209-7990 to talk to an appraiser. The assessor asks for informal reviews before May 20.
  2. County Board of Equalization. If you still disagree, ask the assessor’s office for an appeal form. The board takes appeals through the first week of June and sits in June.
  3. State Board of Equalization. A county board decision can be appealed to the state board, run by the Tennessee Comptroller.

Hamilton County reappraises every four years. The last reappraisal was 2025; the next is 2029.

What this means for you

  • The 2026 bills are out now. Pay both by Feb. 28, 2027 to avoid interest.
  • Seniors on the city tax freeze must reapply by April 5, 2027.
  • The next chance to appeal your value runs next spring, with informal reviews due by May 20.

Related guides: Chattanooga home prices, moving to Chattanooga and who to call at City Hall.

Frequently asked questions

When are Hamilton County property taxes due?

Bills go out in late September and are payable from Oct. 1. Pay by the last day of February to avoid interest; unpaid county taxes start to accrue 1.5% a month on March 1.

What is the property tax rate in Chattanooga?

For 2026 the City of Chattanooga rate is $1.93 and the Hamilton County rate is $1.5157 per $100 of assessed value, $3.4457 in all inside city limits.

Who do I pay property taxes to in Chattanooga?

Two offices. The Hamilton County Trustee (423-209-7270) collects county taxes, and the Office of the City Treasurer (423-643-7262) collects city taxes and the stormwater fee.

How do I appeal my property value in Hamilton County?

Ask the Hamilton County Assessor of Property for an informal review before May 20 (423-209-7990). If you still disagree, appeal to the County Board of Equalization, which takes appeals through the first week of June and sits in June.

When is the next reappraisal in Hamilton County?

Hamilton County reappraises every four years. The last reappraisal was in 2025 and the next is in 2029.