Homeowners in Polk County, TN pay a median $856 a year in property taxes, about 0.50% of the median home value of $169,900.
Data reviewed · ACS 2024 · Mortgage rates weekly · Methodology
Based on what homeowners in Polk County pay: median taxes paid divided by median home value. Your bill depends on your assessed value and local levies; check your latest tax bill to compare.
Enter any purchase price to see the full cost breakdown for Polk County.
Everything due at closing plus your first twelve months of ownership. The detail is below.
Your numbers as a one-page PDF: $169,900 home, 20% down, 30-year loan at this week's 7.24%. Rates move every week; the PDF keeps today's.
Low flood risk. Flood insurance not typically required. Verify at msc.fema.gov for your specific property.
All figures are estimates for planning purposes only. Mortgage payment assumes a 30-year fixed rate of 7.24%, the Freddie Mac PMMS average for the week ending October 29, 2026. Your lender will confirm the actual rate. Closing costs vary by lender and transaction. Consult a licensed real estate attorney and lender before making any financial decisions.
Polk County's 0.50% median tax-to-value ratio ranks 507th lowest among the 3,134 US counties tracked, placing it in the bottom 25% lowest nationally. Within Tennessee's 95 counties, it's the 33rd highest. On the county's median home value of $169,900, the typical homeowner pays $856 annually in property tax, $773 less than the national median of $1,629. At closing, Tennessee's 0.37% combined real estate transfer tax adds roughly $629 on a median-priced home, typically paid by the seller.
Ways buyers in Polk County may reduce their annual property tax. These programs apply statewide; verify county specifics with your local assessor.
State reimbursement of property taxes paid by low-income homeowners 65+ or totally and permanently disabled, applied to the first portion of the home's appraised value.
View official source →State reimburses property taxes on the first $175,000 of market value for veterans with 100% permanent and total service-connected disability. No income limit. Extends to surviving spouses.
View official source →Participating counties and municipalities may freeze property tax on primary residence of homeowners 65+ who meet county-specific income limits, locking in the base year amount.
View official source →Last verified April 2026. Exemption amounts and eligibility change frequently. Always confirm with your county assessor before claiming.
Answers to common questions about buying a home in Polk County.
Homeowners in Polk County pay a median $856 a year in property taxes, from 2024 US Census ACS 5-year estimates. There is no single property tax rate for Polk County. The 0.50% figure commonly quoted is a county-wide median: the median annual property tax paid ($856) divided by the median home value ($169,900), from 2024 US Census ACS 5-year estimates. It is a statistic describing the county, not a rate levied on any particular property. Your own bill depends on your assessed value, the millage set by your overlapping taxing districts, any homestead or senior exemptions you qualify for, and special assessments. One thing to watch: the median reflects taxes actually paid by current owners, many of whom hold homestead exemptions and assessment caps, so a new buyer paying today's market price often pays more than 0.50% of the purchase price.
Tennessee's combined real estate transfer tax is approximately 0.37% of the purchase price. On the median Polk County home value of $169,900, this adds roughly $629 at closing. Realty Transfer Tax $0.37/$100 (0.37%) on deed, seller-paid per Tenn. Code Ann. 67-4-409. Indebtedness Tax $0.115/$100 (0.115%) on loan amount above $2,000, paid by buyer, applies to mortgage, not purchase price, so not reflected in buyer_rate.
Flood risk is relatively low. Only 4.0% of Polk County's land falls within a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area. Flood insurance is not typically required, though individual properties near waterways may still be in a zone. Verify at msc.fema.gov.
On Polk County's median home value of $169,900 with 20% down, buyer closing costs work out to roughly $3,281–$5,982, or 1.9–3.5% of the purchase price. That covers title insurance $800–$2,000; loan origination fee $680–$1,359; home appraisal $400–$700; home inspection $350–$600; recording fees $100–$300; prepaid mortgage interest $404; homeowners insurance (2 months) $250; property tax escrow (2-3 months) $143–$214; indebtedness tax $154. Transfer tax is listed separately. These are national ranges for each line item rather than Polk County quotes, so treat them as a planning range and use the calculator above for your own purchase price.
Every county-specific figure on this page links to the exact public dataset it comes from. Verify the numbers yourself against the original source.
Source for the $856/yr median taxes paid (ACS 2024 5-year estimates, variable B25103_001E).
Source for the $169,900 median home value (variable B25077_001E). The 0.50% median tax-to-value ratio is median taxes paid divided by median home value.
Source for the transfer tax used in the calculator (buyer 0.00%, seller 0.37%). Verified April 2026.
Source for the county's flood hazard exposure (coastal and inland flood exposure area as a share of county area).
The national dataset behind the county report, including its technical documentation and release notes.
Look up a specific property's flood zone and insurance rate map before making an offer on a home in Polk County.
Closing cost line items are national ranges, not county data. The methodology lists each range's source and the calculator's assumptions (mortgage rate, insurance, PMI).
Tennessee property tax exemptions: official sources
Verified April 2026.
What every buyer should read before making an offer.
Seven signs in an HOA's budget, reserve study, minutes and insurance that raise the risk of a special assessment, the numbers behind each, and what to ask.
Read the guide →Your HOA resale packet holds the CC&Rs, budget, reserve study and minutes. What each one says, where the costly rules hide, and the order to read them in.
Read the guide →An HOA capped rentals at 10 of 50 homes and grandfathered the existing landlords. How to find rental restrictions before closing, and what they cost you.
Read the guide →