Savannah Chamber

54 31 Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce 2025 Economic Trends Infrastructure: Taxes Savannah-Chatham County / Georgia Tax Summary Georgia maintains its modest tax rates via a fiscally conservative government, a constitutionally mandated balanced budget and a pro-business climate. Georgia is rated as the #1 state for business 11 years in a row by Area Development magazine. Real and Personal Property Tax Taxes on real and tangible personal property are levied by the city, county, school district, and some municipalities. The Chatham Area Transit Authority levies a small tax in the City of Savannah, unincorporated Chatham County, and small parts of Garden City. Georgia law requires that the fair market value be determined on all property to be taxed. Millage rates are applied to the assessed value, which is 40% of the fair market value. Owner-occupied homes are allowed a homestead exemption; Chatham County has a homestead valuation freeze exemption. The following table shows how to calculate the taxable value (net assessed value) of an owner-occupied home: $ 340,100 Fair Market Value of Residence (2024 Median sale price in Chatham County) x .40 40% Assessment Ratio $ 136,040 Assessed Value - $ 10,000 Homestead Valuation Freeze Exemption (example) $ 126,040 Net Assessed Value 2024 Millage Rates (1) Unincorporated Chatham County City of Savannah Other Municipalities** State of Georgia 0.000 State of Georgia 0.000 Bloomingdale 0.0 Public Schools 17.481 Public Schools 17.481 Garden City 2.495 County M&O* 10.518 City 12.200 Pooler 3.780 Special Service District* & Transit 4.502 1.056 County M&O 10.518 Port Wentworth 5.216 Add Other Municipality **see tables on right Chatham Transit 1.056 Thunderbolt 5.379 Total 41.255 Tybee Island 3.542 Total 33.557 Vernonburg 0.0 (1) From the Georgia Department of Revenue, https://www.chathamcountyga.gov/Government/PropertyTaxRates *If you live in one of the municipalities listed in the table above, use the Unincorporated Chatham County tax rates, eliminate the Special Service District rate and add the municipality's rate into your calculations. Add the Transit rate of 1.056 if the area is served by CAT. Continuing with our example above, a $340,100 home with a homestead valuation freeze exemption of $10,000 would have a net assessed value of $126,040. In unincorporated Chatham County (not in a municipality), this home would have a 2024 property tax of $126,040 x .033557, which is $4,230. The same home located in the City of Savannah would have property taxes of $5,200. The City of Savannah provides services such as trash removal and recycling, and water and sewer to city residents, while county residents pay for these services separately. Chatham County residential property owners benefit from a homestead valuation freeze exemption, which effectively raises the homestead exemption the same amount that the property appreciates. There is no increase in residential property taxes until the sale of the property, at which point a new basis is established. Some find it useful to compare real and personal property taxes using an Effective Tax Rate per $1,000 of fair market value. To find this rate, divide the property tax on the home listed above by its fair market value, which in this case is $340,100, then multiply the answer by $1,000. Unincorporated Chatham County has an Effective Tax Rate of $12.44 per $1,000 of fair market value, while the City of Savannah has an Effective Tax Rate of $15.29 per $1,000 of fair market value.

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