Our tax burden per person is the 2nd lowest of the five largest counties in Tennessee. We also have the lowest property tax rate of the five. A recent study conducted by Rutherford County Property Assessor, Rob Mitchell, is illustrated in the chart below:
PER CAPITA TAX BURDEN IN TENNESSEE’S LARGEST COUNTIES 2023
| COUNTY | TAX RATE | BUDGET | POPULATION | TAX BURDEN PER CAPITA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RUTHERFORD | $1.6162 | $778 M | 365,150 | $2,131 |
| HAMILTON | $2.2373 | $881 M | 375,129 | $2,349 |
| KNOX | $2.12 | $954 M | 492,993 | $1,935 |
| DAVIDSON | $2.95 | $2.97 B | 742,644 | $3,399 |
| SHELBY | $3.39 | $1.6 B | 930,374 | $3,644 |
The difference in per person tax burden between Knox and Rutherford County is only $196. While there is a $176 million dollar difference in the size of the budget of Knox County over Rutherford County; Knox County’s per capita cost enjoys the benefits of University of Tennessee sports sales tax boosts as well as Great Smoky Mountains tourist travel. This lessens Knox County’s reliance on the property tax.
How these numbers impact the average citizen in Rutherford County are yet to be determined in the upcoming budget session. Commissioners will be forced to weight carefully what they are required by law to provide our citizens versus what the citizens may like as additional services. We citizens, as taxpayers, must appreciate that every service comes with a cost. Rutherford County manages those costs extremely well historically.
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