Every Tennessee property has a public record that shows its appraised value. For 86 of the 95 counties, the record is on one state website. The other nine counties keep their own. This page shows where to look, how to read the record, and what to do if the value is too high.
Look up a Tennessee property assessment
The state Comptroller runs the Tennessee Property Assessment Data site, assessment.cot.tn.gov. It holds the records of 86 counties.
1. Choose the county.
2. Search by owner name, property address or parcel number.
3. Open the record for the property.
Nine counties are not on the state site. In each one, the county Assessor has its own search:
- Davidson County (Nashville). See Davidson County property tax.
- Shelby County (Memphis). See Shelby County property tax.
- Knox County (Knoxville). See Knox County property tax.
- Hamilton County (Chattanooga). See Hamilton County property tax.
- Rutherford County (Murfreesboro). See Rutherford County property tax.
- Montgomery County (Clarksville). See Montgomery County property tax.
- Williamson County (Franklin). See Williamson County property tax.
- Chester County (Henderson).
- Hickman County (Centerville).
For a property in Davidson County or Hamilton County, you can also enter your address on TN.tax. We show you the county's record.
What the record shows
- Appraised value. What the Assessor says the property is worth. It is the land value plus the value of the buildings.
- Assessed value. The part of the appraised value that is taxed.
- Building details. The square footage, the year built, the number of bathrooms and other features.
- Sales. The dates and prices of past sales.
Read the building details with care. A wrong square footage, an extra bathroom or a basement marked as finished raises the value.
Appraised value and assessed value
You are not taxed on the full appraised value. A home or a farm is assessed at 25% of its appraised value. Commercial and industrial property is assessed at 40%.
The tax rate is a charge on each $100 of assessed value. The county sets a rate, and a city can add its own.
- Appraised value × assessment ratio = assessed value
- Assessed value ÷ 100 × tax rate = tax for the year
The Tennessee property tax calculator does the sum for any county and city. The table of Tennessee counties has each county's rate.
How the Assessor sets the value
An Assessor does not appraise homes one at a time. The office sets every value in the county at once. This is mass appraisal. It uses recent sales and the details on each property's record, and it applies the same formulas to every property in an area.
Mass appraisal works well for a neighborhood as a whole. It can be wrong for one property. The formulas do not know that a roof leaks or a foundation has moved. They do not know that a record lists a bathroom the home does not have.
When the value changes
Each county sets new values for every property in a reappraisal. Tennessee counties reappraise every two to six years, on the state Comptroller's schedule. The table of Tennessee counties has the last year and the next year for each county.
Between reappraisals, a value generally stays the same. It changes when the property changes, when the Assessor corrects the record, or when a review or an appeal changes it.
If the value looks too high
1. Check the record. Tell the Assessor's office about any detail that is wrong.
2. Compare with sales. Look for recent sales of similar homes near yours for less than your appraised value. See how to find comparable sales.
3. Ask for a review. Most Assessors look at a value again when the owner asks. This is the informal review. The next step is the county Board of Equalization. See the Tennessee appeal guide and the appeal dates for every county.
TN.tax files informal reviews in Davidson, Hamilton and Williamson counties. Start your free review.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm a value or a date with your county Assessor.