How Property Tax Works
Fayette County, Ohio operates under Ohio's property tax system, where property taxes serve as a primary funding source for local services including schools, county operations, townships, and special districts. The county assesses real property at 35% of fair market value, which becomes the assessed value used for tax calculations. Property owners in Fayette County can expect effective tax rates that vary significantly based on their specific location within the county due to different combinations of school districts, townships, municipalities, and special taxing districts.
Based on recent data, Fayette County's base county rate is 0.79800% (7.98 mills), but total effective rates including all local levies typically range much higher when school districts and other local assessments are included. Property tax bills in Fayette County reflect the combined rates of all applicable taxing authorities for each specific property location. For example, properties in Harrison Township face an additional 0.48 mills (0.04810%) on top of the county rate, while properties in other townships or municipalities will have different rate combinations.