Are you buying a home or just trying to better understand your property tax bill? Real estate taxes are one of the largest and most unpredictable costs of owning a home.
There are over 200 taxing districts in Hamilton Co. including the county, cities and villages, townships, school districts, and special districts for major improvements. Wading through it all can feel overwhelming, especially when homes in the same city just a block apart can have very different tax rates!
This complete guide covers everything you want to know about Hamilton County, Ohio property tax, including tax rates by Hamilton County, OH cities, townships, and school districts.
Table of Contents
Overview of Hamilton County Ohio Property Tax
Ohio real estate taxes are assessed by counties, school districts, cities, towns, villages, and special districts to pay for services for taxpayers. The Hamilton County, Ohio property tax rate you pay is a combination of these combined tax rates and based on the assessed value of your home.
The Hamilton County Ohio Auditor is responsible for determining each property’s fair market value and using this value to calculate the property’s assessed value or taxable value. In Ohio, real estate taxes are only paid on the assessed value which is 35% of the fair market or appraised value.
For instance, if your home has a market value of $200,000, the assessed value will be $70,000.
The auditor, also known as the Hamilton County Ohio tax assessor, is required by law to perform a reappraisal of each property every 6 years and a value update in the 3rd year after a reappraisal. The last reappraisal in Hamilton County occurred in 2017 and will reoccur in 2023.
The Auditor of Hamilton County Ohio uses the assessed value and property tax rates set by taxing authorities and the Ohio Constitution to calculate property tax bills. The Hamilton County tax assessor or auditor handles exemption applications and ensures they are applied correctly to each tax bill.
Here is how property taxes are calculated in Hamilton County, OH.
Fair Market Value x 35% assessment ratio = Assessed Value
(Assessed Value x Mill Rate)/1,000 = Base Real Estate Taxes
Base Real Estate Taxes + Special Assessments = Property Tax Owed
Property Tax Owed – Reduction Credits = Property Tax Amount Due
Once the Auditor has calculated tax rates and valuation data, it is sent to the Ohio Department of Taxation to be approved. Once the tax rates are certified, individual property tax charges are calculated by the Auditor and sent to the Hamilton County Treasurer’s Office.
The Hamilton County Treasurer sends out property tax bills. This office also serves as the Hamilton County OH tax collector.
Hamilton County Ohio Property Search
Property tax payment records are public information. The Hamilton County OH property search tool is offered through the Auditor of Hamilton County to view public property tax information.
Search by owner name, parcel ID, or street address to see:
- Sales history and owner information
- Appraised value
- Assessed value
- Effective property tax rate
- Total tax owed and taxes paid
- Credits, exemptions, and abatements
- Pending appeals with the Board of Revision
- Tax lien certificates
- Aerial imagery
Below is an example of the property summary. Select “Payment Information” for current Hamilton County property tax bills, payment history, and current amount owed.
Hamilton County, Ohio Property Tax Rate
Hamilton County real estate taxes are charged in “mills.” One mill is equal to one-thousandth of a dollar or the tax amount per $1,000 of assessed value.
There is a base tax rate of 10 mills allowed by the Ohio Constitution. This base rate is designed to give local governments basic operating revenue. This is known as the “inside mills” and it is the maximum real estate tax that can be charged without voter approval. Voters can approve additional taxes to fund services like schools or roads. Voter-approved taxes are “outside mills.”
Ohio law prohibits government taxing authorities from levying taxes that would exceed 1% of the property’s true value unless approved by voters.
Every year, the Hamilton Co OH Auditor publishes millage rates for all taxing districts in the county. There are 241 taxing districts in Hamilton County alone.
The highest Hamilton County property tax rates in 2021 included the following municipalities:
- Golf Manor (Cincinnati School District): 101.26 mills
- Golf Manor (Finneytown School District): 103.394 mills
- Mt. Healthy (Springfield Township, Mt. Healthy schools): 104.619 mills
- Wyoming (Springfield Township, Finneytown schools): 110.344 mills
- Lincoln Heights (Princeton schools): 111.466 mills
You can click here to find your Hamilton County, Ohio property tax rate for 2022 (2021 tax year). This chart shows tax rates by city, township, and school district with a breakdown of millage rates.
Tax rates vary significantly based on the combination of taxing districts. Cities and villages may have multiple combined tax rates depending on the school district and township. Most of your taxes go toward the school district. The best Greater Cincinnati school districts tend to have high millage rates or high home prices to fund education. You can see Ohio property tax rates by school district here.
All property owners pay the following millage rates:
- Hamilton County, OH property tax rate: 20.90 mills
- Great Parks of Hamilton County rate: 1.98 mills
- Cincinnati-Hamilton County Library rate: 2.00 mills
The highest school district millage rates are:
- Mariemont: 121.79 mills
- Madeira: 112.17 mills
- Finneytown: 105.47 mills
- Wyoming: 100.65 mills
- Deer Park: 98.72 mills
- Winton Woods: 91.93 mills
Townships with the highest millage rates include:
- Delhi Township: 34.57 mills
- Columbia Township: 30.58 mills (part of township)
- Springfield Township: 28.80 to 29.18 mills (part of township)
The highest city/village millage rates include:
- Lincoln Heights: 57.83 mills
- Greenhills: 32.73 mills
- Golf Manor: 32.52 mills
Cincinnati Property Tax – What Are Cincinnati Property Tax Rates?
Buying a house in Cincinnati and want to estimate your tax bill? If you are in the city limits, here is a quick guide to your Cincinnati property tax rate.
The City of Cincinnati property tax is 11.47 mills for 2022, down from 12.52 mills in 2021. The Cincinnati Public Schools district millage is 72.85 mills.
Together with the Hamilton County rate (20.90), Great Parks of Hamilton County rate (1.98), and the library rate (2.00), the total Cincinnati property tax is 109.20 mills.
With the reduction factors, the effective residential property tax rate in Cincinnati is 75.634697 mills.
In 2022, the City Council approved another year of its “rollback” policy that caps general fund millage revenue. The Cincinnati property tax rate will go up from 3.97 mills to 4.96 mills for the general fund. This increases the annual tax bill on a home worth $200,000 by $68. This is the smaller portion of the Cincinnati millage rate – the debt service millage adds another 7.50 mills.
Payments & Due Dates for Hamilton County Property Tax
- Hamilton County property taxes due: January 20 & June 20 (approximately)
Property tax in Hamilton County, Ohio is paid in arrears and due in two half-year installments. Your Hamilton County property tax is paid to the County Treasurer.
If you struggle to make a large semi-annual payment, you can enroll in the installment plan to prepay your Hamilton County Ohio property tax. Because the installment agreement requires monthly prepayments, you must be current on your taxes to enroll.
Ways to Pay Your Hamilton County Ohio Real Estate Tax
There are several ways to pay your tax bill.
To pay Hamilton County property taxes online, you must use Point & Pay. Click here for Hamilton County, OH property tax payments to Jill A. Schiller, Treasurer. Note that you will need to search for your tax bill by name, address, or parcel number. After making your payment, you will receive an email payment receipt with a link to create an account.
Online payments can be made with debit card, credit card, or e-check. There is a 2.5% convenience fee charged by Point & Pay for credit card payments. The convenience fee for electronic checks is $1.50 per payment.
Property tax payments can be made by phone through Point & Pay by calling 1-877-764-3524. There is a fee to pay by phone.
You can also pay your Hamilton County, Ohio property tax in person. Note that the Treasurer’s Office is on the 4th floor of the County Administration Building in Room 405.
Hamilton County Treasurer, County Administration Building, 138 East Court Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
The following payment options are accepted: money order, check, Discover card, VISA card, Mastercard, and American Express.
Checks should be made payable to Hamilton County Treasurer.
Tax payments can be made by mail. Your tax bill and payment should be mailed to:
Hamilton County Treasurer, PO Box 740857, Cincinnati, OH 45274-0857
Late Payments & Delinquency
If you miss Hamilton County property tax due dates, you will be charged a penalty:
- 5% penalty for the first 10 days your payment is late
- 10% penalty after 10 days
Once your taxes are delinquent, your name is added to the Delinquent Tax List and published in the local paper. If your tax bill is still unpaid by the following November, it will be certified to the County Prosecutor to initiate foreclosure.
If your taxes become delinquent, you can enter into a contract with the Hamilton County Treasurer to pay your delinquent taxes in installments, but your current tax bill must be paid.
Hamilton County, OH Property Tax Exemptions & Credits
There are several Ohio laws that protect homeowners from rising property taxes:
- House Bill 920 Factor. This offsets annual real estate taxes charged for every levy. This factor is designed to keep the total tax amount paid for each levy the same as when it was passed even if the home appreciates in value.
- Owner-Occupied Tax Credit. Owner-occupied properties receive a 2.5% reduction in levies, although some levies are exempt.
- Non-Business Tax Credit. This 10% reduction or property tax “rollback” is applied to every bill for properties not used primarily for business.
Low-income seniors and permanently disabled Ohioans can also qualify for the Ohio Homestead Exemption. This property tax exemption works like a credit and allows homeowners to exempt up to $25,000 of their home’s fair market value from local real estate taxes.
Some local jurisdictions offer property tax abatements. For instance, the Cincinnati Residential Tax Abatement program allows property owners to pay real estate taxes on their property’s pre-improvement value for up to 15 years.
Appealing Your Property’s Appraised Value in Hamilton County OH
If you disagree with your property’s appraised value, you have the right to appeal it. Appeals must be filed between January 1 and March 31.
Your appeal must be filed with the Hamilton County Board of Revision. This board includes the President of the Hamilton County Commission, the County Auditor, and the County Treasurer.
If you disagree with the board’s decision, it can be appealed further to the Board of Tax Appeals.
You will need to provide sufficient proof to justify the valuation of your property. You can learn more about contesting your property value here.
Contact Information for Hamilton County OH Taxes
Make sure you know which office to contact with questions or concerns about your property tax bill.
- Property tax payments: Treasurer
- Payment arrangements: Treasurer
- Missing or lost tax bill: Treasurer
- Property valuation information: Auditor
- Special assessments: Auditor
- Homestead exemptions: Auditor
Hamilton County Ohio Treasurer – Jill A. Schiller
- Phone: (513) 946-4800
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: County Administration Building, 138 E Court St #402, Cincinnati, OH 45202
- Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 am to 4 pm
Hamilton County Ohio Auditor – Dusty Rhodes
- Phone: (513) 946-4000
- Email: [email protected]
- Address: County Administration Building, 138 E Court St, Cincinnati, OH 45202
- Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:30 am to 4 pm
Hamilton County Property Tax FAQ
When are property taxes due in Hamilton County Ohio?
Property taxes in Ohio are billed semi-annually. Hamilton County, Ohio property tax due dates are January 20 and June 20.
When are Hamilton County OH tax bills mailed?
The Hamilton County Ohio Treasurer sends out property tax bills at least 20 days before they are due. Tax bills are sent no later than January 1 and June 1.
Are Ohio property taxes paid in arrears?
Ohio real estate taxes are collected in arrears. Property owners pay for the previous year’s taxes during the current year.
How much are taxes in Ohio?
The average effective property tax rate in Ohio is 1.57%. While the Ohio property tax rate is one of the highest in the country, affordable home prices mean Ohio tax bills are among the lowest. The median home price in Hamilton County, Ohio is $204,000, right in line with the state average.
Researching Greater Cincinnati property tax rates ahead of a big move? Hopefully this guide has given you confidence about buying a home and how property taxes work in Hamilton County. We can’t make taxes less frustrating, but the friendly Cincinnati movers at Bell Moving & Storage can take the stress out of moving day. Give us a call today to discuss your move and get started with a free moving quote!
