Understanding Property Taxes in Coastal Georgia

Property Taxes in Coastal Georgia

If you’re buying or selling in the Savannah area (or anywhere across Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, Liberty, or Bulloch County) understanding how property taxes work can make a big difference. Each county has its own exemptions, deadlines, and millage rates.  

Did you know that Chatham & Liberty County have special tax relief acts? Well, read below to find out more! 

How Property Taxes Work in Georgia

• Georgia calculates property tax on 40% of your home’s fair market value.

• That assessed value is multiplied by the millage rate, where one mill equals $1 per $1,000 of assessed value.

• Cities, counties, and school boards all levy separate millage rates.

• Exemptions—like homestead or senior exemptions—reduce your taxable value.

Common Exemptions

• Homestead Exemption: Available statewide for owner-occupied primary residences.

• Senior Exemptions: Each county has programs for homeowners 62+ or 65+, often with income limits.

• Disabled Veterans: Qualifying veterans can receive exemptions up to roughly $121,000 of assessed value in 2025.

• Surviving Spouses: Some programs extend benefits to surviving spouses of veterans or first responders.

County-by-County Breakdown

Chatham County (Savannah & Unincorporated Areas)

• Stephens-Day Exemption: For owner-occupied primary residences, this local program freezes the home’s taxable value at the year you apply. Future reassessments won’t raise your tax bill unless you add new construction or transfer ownership. It’s designed to protect homeowners from sudden jumps in market value.

• Filing typically due by April 1, though deadlines can vary.

• 2025 millage rates: 10.518 for county M&O and 17.331 for schools.

• City of Savannah millage: 11.749 after the 2025 rollback.

Bryan County (including Richmond Hill)

• Seniors 65+ may qualify for a $50,000 local exemption on county, city, and school taxes.

• 2025 county millage: 5.770.

• Richmond Hill city millage: 3.981.

• Bryan County Schools: about 14.663 mills.

Effingham County

• Standard homestead: up to $4,000 off county taxes and $2,000 off school taxes.

• Disabled veterans: up to $50,000 exemption.

• 2025 county millage: 5.596 mills; school board around 18.45 mills.

• Effingham's qPublic site does also have a tax estimator on it for you!

Liberty County

• Offers multiple senior programs (age 62+ and 65+) and a disabled-veteran exemption.

• Kemp-Deloach-Williams (KDW) Tax Relief Act: Caps annual increases in assessed value at 3% or the rate of inflation (whichever is lower) for qualifying owner-occupied homes, up to five acres. Works much like Chatham’s Stephens-Day Exemption to keep tax bills stable as values rise.

• Last posted county M&O: 14.44 mills (2024 reference).

• Industrial Authority levy: 2 mills.

• Check current year notices for final rates.

Bulloch County

• Standard homestead and income-limited senior exemptions.

• Disabled-veteran exemption: about $117,000 of assessed value (2024 reference).

• 2025 county millage: 11.35 mills, plus school millage set separately.

Both Chatham and Liberty Counties have local “value-freeze” exemptions that limit how quickly your taxable value can grow—Stephens-Day in Chatham and the Kemp-Deloach-Williams Act in Liberty

Millage Comparison (2025 Estimates)

What This Means for Buyers and Sellers

• Owner-Occupants: File for a homestead exemption between January 1 and April 1 in the county where the home is located. Once approved, it automatically renews each year as long as you live there. Applications are done through each County Board of Assessors or Tax Commissioner’s Office, usually in person or via their website.

• Local Value-Freeze Programs:

  • In Chatham County, apply for the Stephens-Day Exemption to lock in your home’s base-year value and avoid steep reassessment jumps.

  • In Liberty County, the Kemp-Deloach-Williams Act (KDW) limits increases in assessed value to 3 percent or inflation.

  • Note that these are county-specific—you must apply separately and meet owner-occupancy rules.

• Effingham Buyers: Use the county’s online tax estimator tool to preview annual costs before closing. Other counties can estimate taxes manually by taking 40 percent of purchase price × total millage rate, minus exemptions.

• Seniors and Veterans: Check your county’s age-based or disability-based exemptions. They can significantly reduce or even eliminate school or county taxes.

• Investors: Exemptions typically apply only to owner-occupied properties, not rentals, so your tax bill will be higher.

• City vs. Unincorporated: Remember that being inside city limits adds city millage on top of county and school rates.

Example Calculation

A $300,000 home in unincorporated Chatham County has an assessed value of $120,000 (40%).
At roughly 28 mills, that equals $120 × 28 = $3,360 per year before exemptions.

Helpful Links

• Georgia Department of Revenue Homestead Info: dor.georgia.gov/property-tax-homestead-exemptions

• Chatham County Board of Assessors: boa.chathamcountyga.gov

• Bryan County Tax Commissioner: bryancountyga.gov

• Effingham County Tax Commissioner: effinghamtax.com

• Liberty County Tax Assessor: libertycountyga.gov

• Bulloch County Tax Assessor: bullochcounty.net

Final Note

Millage rates and exemptions can change each year. Always confirm current figures with the local tax assessor before relying on estimates. This guide is for informational purposes only and not legal or tax advice.