LEBANON, Tenn. (WTVF) — Lebanon neighbor Jason Deiter opened his mailbox Saturday to find his home's assessed value had jumped about 68% over the last five years — and he wasn't alone.
"It says here, our assessment is valued at $592,500. I think that's a little high market-wise for a house," Deiter said.
That kind of increase is close to the countywide average.
Wilson County property assessments arrived at many homes over this past weekend, showing home values have risen an average of 66% since the last reappraisal.
That 66% figure is the key number for homeowners trying to figure out what happens next to their tax bills.
Here is how it breaks down:
- If your home's value increased by more than 66%, your property taxes will go up.
- If your home's value increased by less than 66%, your property taxes will go down.
Wilson County Assessor of Property Stephen Goodall said the new valuations are calculated by using the market activity over the past five years.
"The numbers are based off sales data of homes that are bought and sold during that reappraisal, during those years of 2021 through January 1, 2026," Goodall said.
However, a higher assessed value does not automatically mean a higher tax bill.
While there may still be some adjustments, the new certified tax rate is lower than the current one.
Your home is taxed at 25% of the value, with the following rates.
Wilson County: 1.1631
Wilson County & LSSD: 1.3417
Mt. Juliet: 0.1775
Lebanon: 0.405
Watertown: 0.3435
LSSD: 0.1786
To calculate your approximate new property taxes, take 25% of your home’s appraised value, divide it by 100, and then multiply it by the tax rate for your area.
Above, I’ve listed the preliminary certified tax rates and the city taxes as well.
Make sure to add together the county rate and your city rate before you multiply to get an accurate figure.
As an example, a home valued at $400,000 under the new proposed rate would carry a tax bill of approximately $1,163, plus additional amounts for homeowners who live within a city.
The county has to stay revenue-neutral, so it can’t make money solely from higher property values.
"The county can't bring in more tax money than they did for you before, just based off reappraisal," Goodall said.
Goodall is encouraging anyone who isn’t happy with their home’s valuation to get in touch with the assessor's office to file an appeal.
“I want everybody to look at their assessment, and then if you think it's wrong, we welcome the appeals, because that's how you get everything right, and that's all we're looking for, is to get everything fair and equitable,” Goodall said.
You can reach the Wilson County Property Assessor’s Office at 615-444-8661.
They’re located at 228 East Main Street in Lebanon.
Goodall said people who are appealing can look around at home sales in their area, or even have their own assessment done to help make their case why they think their valuation is too high.
Click here for more information about the Wilson County Assessor's Office.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Robb Coles and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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