How much does it cost to own a home in Atlanta?

About $1,882 a month for the median owner with a mortgage. That covers the loan, property taxes, insurance, utilities and any HOA fees. Owners who have paid off the mortgage still spend about $591 a month on everything else. Census figures averaging 2019 to 2023.

How much are property taxes in Atlanta?

The median household pays about $2,738 a year. That is a median for the whole metro, so a pricier house pays more. A reassessment after a sale or an improvement can also move it sharply. Your own bill is the one that matters, and it is public record.

What is the property tax rate in Atlanta?

The Fulton County Tax Commissioner lists 2025 rates of 31.870 mills for the City of Atlanta and 9.039 mills for Fulton County, 40.909 together. They apply to an assessed value of 40 percent of fair market value, before exemptions. Other levies on your bill are not included in that figure.

When can I appeal my Fulton County assessment?

You have 45 days from the Notice of Assessment. For 2026, Fulton County set July 31, 2026 as the deadline for most owners, unless the notice showed a different date.

Is it too late to get a homestead exemption in Atlanta this year?

For the 2026 bill, Fulton County's deadline was April 1, 2026. The Board of Assessors can tell you what your filing date means for your bill. It applies the most helpful exemption you qualify for.

What it costs to own a home in Atlanta, GA

The median homeowner with a mortgage in Atlanta, GA spends about $1,882 a month to keep the house, of which property taxes are about $2,738 a year. That is the full cost of owning, not just the loan payment. It includes the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and any HOA fees. It decides whether staying is affordable, and it is the number people underestimate when they buy.

US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates averaging 2019 to 2023. They show the usual cost of owning here, not this month.

Monthly, with a mortgage: $1,882
Monthly, mortgage paid off: $591
Property taxes: $2,738/yr
Spending over 30% of income: 25.2%

Chart: we buy houses in Atlanta, GA - typical home value over the past 12 months, ending at $377,000 — Typical home value in Atlanta, GA, the 12 months to August 2026. Source: Zillow Research.

How many people here are stretched

About 25.2% of Atlanta homeowners with a mortgage spend more than 30% of their household income on housing. HUD and the Census Bureau call a household cost burdened once housing takes more than 30% of income. That is where housing starts crowding out everything else. Roughly 1,057,853 households here carry a mortgage. That is close to typical for a US metro. It still means about one mortgaged household in four spends more on housing than the standard says it can comfortably afford.

Across the 100 largest metros we track, that is the 48th lowest share of stretched homeowners. Property tax makes up about 12% of the yearly cost of holding a house here. Every nearby market we track is cheaper to hold, including Chattanooga at $1,442 and Augusta at $1,448.

On the other half of the picture, houses in Atlanta take about 69 days on average to go under contract. So even where a normal sale is the right answer, it is not a quick fix for a monthly cost problem.

The house with no mortgage on it

Owners in Atlanta who have paid off the mortgage still spend about $591 a month, compared with $1,882 for owners still paying one. That money goes to taxes, insurance, utilities and upkeep, and it does not stop when the loan does. So an inherited house with no mortgage can still cost more than the family can afford to keep. "There is no mortgage" is not the same as "there is no hurry".

Atlanta taxes start from 40 percent of market value

Georgia taxes property at 40 percent of fair market value unless another rule applies, according to the Georgia Department of Revenue. County boards of tax assessors set the values. In the Fulton County part of Atlanta, that board mails a Notice of Assessment for every property each year.

For 2026, Fulton County said the notices were online and mailed as of June 19, 2026. Because of a state law change, SB 566, the notices show your estimated tax savings from discounts and exemptions. They do not show an estimated tax bill.

If the notice does not reflect fair market value, you have 45 days to appeal. The county put the 2026 deadline for most owners at July 31, 2026, unless your notice printed another date. The appeal is about the value on the notice, so check the property details the assessor has on file.

Sources: Georgia Department of Revenue: Property Tax Valuation; Fulton County: 2026 Assessments Now Available Online (June 19, 2026).

The 2025 millage behind an Atlanta bill

The Fulton County Tax Commissioner keeps a millage history. For 2025, it lists 31.870 mills for the City of Atlanta and 9.039 mills for Fulton County inside the city. The table adds them to 40.909.

A mill is $1 of tax per $1,000 of assessed value. These figures cover the Fulton County part of the city.

Here is our own math on those two rates alone. A house with a $400,000 fair market value is assessed at $160,000. At 40.909 mills, that comes to about $6,545 for the year before any exemption.

That is not a full bill estimate. It leaves out every levy other than the city and county rates in that table, so read your own bill for the complete list. The same table shows the city and county figure at 40.940 for 2024 and 40.950 for 2023.

On August 6, 2025, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners kept the county general fund rate at 8.87 mills for the fourth year in a row. The county said that rate had fallen from 10.5 mills in 2015.

Sources: Fulton County Tax Commissioner: Millage Rates Through 2025; Fulton County: Fulton Holds Millage Rate at 8.87 mills for 2025 (August 6, 2025).

Atlanta homestead exemptions and the April 1 cutoff

An exemption only helps if it is on file. Georgia's standard homestead exemption takes $2,000 off the 40 percent assessed value of an owner-occupied main home. It applies to county and school taxes, the Department of Revenue says. The exceptions are school taxes levied by cities and bond payments.

Fulton County's deadline to have an exemption count on the current year's bill was April 1, 2026. The county says every homeowner can qualify for a basic exemption on a main home. One application form covers all exemptions, and the assessors apply the most helpful one you qualify for.

Fulton added two new exemptions for 2026, including one for homeowners in the Atlanta Public Schools area. They apply automatically to qualifying owners who already have the basic exemption. Other Fulton exemptions depend on age, income, veteran or disability status.

Sources: Georgia Department of Revenue: Property Tax Homestead Exemptions; Fulton County: Homestead Exemption Applications Due April 1 (March 9, 2026).

Atlanta water and sewer rates frozen through mid 2028

Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management says it will keep its current monthly water and sewer rates from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2028. It says the rates have not gone up since 2012. It credits revenue from the Municipal Option Sales Tax, fiscal planning and conservation.

Your bill still depends on how much water you use. The rate schedule itself is set for that period.

Sources: City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management: Water and Sewer Rates.

Local facts checked September 2026. Rates and rules change; a real estate attorney or the office named above can confirm them for your property.

If keeping it no longer works

For what a normal sale would involve here, see how long it takes to sell a house in Atlanta. For the market as it stands this month, see our Atlanta page.

Common questions

How much does it cost to own a home in Atlanta?: About $1,882 a month for the median owner with a mortgage. That covers the loan, property taxes, insurance, utilities and any HOA fees. Owners who have paid off the mortgage still spend about $591 a month on everything else. Census figures averaging 2019 to 2023.
How much are property taxes in Atlanta?: The median household pays about $2,738 a year. That is a median for the whole metro, so a pricier house pays more. A reassessment after a sale or an improvement can also move it sharply. Your own bill is the one that matters, and it is public record.
What is the property tax rate in Atlanta?: The Fulton County Tax Commissioner lists 2025 rates of 31.870 mills for the City of Atlanta and 9.039 mills for Fulton County, 40.909 together. They apply to an assessed value of 40 percent of fair market value, before exemptions. Other levies on your bill are not included in that figure.
When can I appeal my Fulton County assessment?: You have 45 days from the Notice of Assessment. For 2026, Fulton County set July 31, 2026 as the deadline for most owners, unless the notice showed a different date.
Is it too late to get a homestead exemption in Atlanta this year?: For the 2026 bill, Fulton County's deadline was April 1, 2026. The Board of Assessors can tell you what your filing date means for your bill. It applies the most helpful exemption you qualify for.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2019-2023. Tables B25088, B25091 and B25103. Figures are metro-wide medians and describe no individual property.

Tell us what you need for your Atlanta house

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