Porch notes
- Residential property in Tennessee is assessed at 25 percent of appraised value; the Metro Trustee’s example uses rates of $2.814 (Urban Services District) and $2.782 (General Services District) per $100 of assessed value.
- Davidson County’s last countywide reappraisal was in 2025, and the next is scheduled for 2028, according to the Assessor of Property.
- Tennessee has no homestead exemption like other states, the assessor notes, but Metro offers tax relief, a tax freeze and a deferral for qualifying owners.
Property tax is one of the few costs of a Nashville home you can calculate before you buy. The method is set by state law and explained by two Metro offices: the Assessor of Property, which values the home, and the Trustee, which bills and collects the tax. Here is how the pieces fit.
The four parts of the bill
The Metro Trustee breaks the calculation into four components.
- Appraised value: what the assessor says the property is worth on the market.
- Assessment ratio: set by state law. Residential and farm property is assessed at 25 percent of appraised value; commercial and industrial property at 40 percent.
- Assessed value: the appraised value multiplied by the ratio.
- Tax rate: set by the Metro Council each year and certified by the State Board of Equalization, expressed in dollars per $100 of assessed value.
Urban or General Services District?
Nashville and Davidson County share a consolidated government, and the tax rate depends on which service district a property sits in. The Trustee notes that rates vary with the level of services provided, which is why the Urban Services District and the General Services District have different rates. The Trustee’s worked example uses these:
| District | Rate per $100 assessed | Tax on a home appraised at $100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Services District | $2.814 | $703.50 |
| General Services District | $2.782 | $695.50 |
The example works like this: a $100,000 appraisal times 25 percent gives a $25,000 assessed value. Divide by 100 to get 250, then multiply by the rate. Scale it up for a real Nashville price. A home appraised at $500,000 in the Urban Services District would be assessed at $125,000, and at $2.814 per $100 the tax would be about $3,518 a year.
Tip: Rates are set annually by the Metro Council. Check the Trustee’s current rate before you budget, and confirm the district of the exact parcel, because neighbors on either side of a boundary can pay different rates.
Reappraisal: why your value can jump
Between reappraisals the appraised value of a home usually stays the same unless something changes, such as an addition, a demolition or a successful appeal. Every few years, though, the assessor revalues every property in the county. According to the assessor, the last countywide reappraisal took place in 2025 and the next will take place in 2028.
The 2025 cycle ran over four years: in each of the first three, about a third of the county’s parcels were visually inspected, and in the fourth year the office analyzed the market and set new values. Values reflect conditions on January 1 of the reappraisal year, using sales from the year before.
The certified tax rate
State law protects owners from a windfall for local government in reappraisal years. It requires a certified tax rate that would bring in the same revenue as before the reappraisal, excluding new construction.
Appealing your value
If you think the appraisal is wrong, the assessor lays out three steps, each with a deadline. The dates below are the ones the office published for 2026.
| Step | 2026 deadline |
|---|---|
| Informal Review with the assessor | 4:00 p.m., Friday, April 17 |
| Formal appeal to the Metropolitan Board of Equalization | Schedule by phone between May 26 and 4:00 p.m., June 26 |
| Appeal to the State Board of Equalization | Before August 1, or within 45 days of the local board’s notice, whichever is later |
Residential owners must go through the Metro board before the state board. Useful evidence includes sales of similar homes nearby, photos showing condition and repair estimates. If a home is badly damaged by fire, flood or wind between January 1 and September 1, state law allows the value to be adjusted; the assessor asks for written repair estimates and an inspection.
No homestead exemption, but three programs
Buyers moving from Florida or Texas often look for a homestead exemption. The assessor is direct: Tennessee does not have one in the sense other states do. Instead, the Trustee runs three programs.
Tax Relief
A state program, approved by voters in 1973, for homeowners 65 or older, disabled homeowners, and disabled veterans or their surviving spouses. For 2026, the Trustee lists a Davidson County income limit of $38,470 for older and disabled applicants, based on 2025 income. The state brochure says relief is calculated on up to $33,600 of market value for those groups and up to $175,000 for qualifying disabled veterans.
Tax Freeze
Approved by voters in 2006, the freeze lets homeowners 65 and older lock in their tax at the amount for the year they qualify, even if rates later rise. Nashville was the first jurisdiction in Tennessee to adopt it. The 2026 income limit is $63,470. Applications open each October and close the following April 5, and participants must return a voucher every year.
Tax Deferral
Owners 65 or older, or totally and permanently disabled, with combined gross income under $25,000 may defer current taxes on their home until the home is sold or the owner dies, with simple interest of 6 percent a year. Applications are due by December 31 each year.
Before you buy
- Look up the parcel’s current appraisal and district on the assessor’s property search.
- Do not assume the seller’s tax bill will be yours: a sale does not change the appraisal, but a renovation or a reappraisal can.
- If you plan a short-term rental without living there, note that the assessor classifies non-owner-occupied rental properties as commercial at 40 percent, as Short-Term Rental Rules in Nashville: What Buyers Need to Know explains.
- Budget for the tax in escrow if your lender requires it.