How can Nashville area balance low taxes, growth and quality services?
The 14-county region in the Nashville area grew by more than 3,000 people a month from 2010 to 2020. This growth brings opportunities and challenges.
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- The average is the result of the latest four-year reappraisal cycle.
- This is the second time since 2017 that Nashville has set a record-high increase in property values.
- From here, Nashvillians will wait for the state to establish the certified tax rate and for the Metro Nashville Council to set the local property tax rate to determine their property tax bills.
Davidson County property values have jumped by an average of 45% since 2021 — unseating a record-high increase set just two reappraisal cycles ago.
Davidson County Assessor of Property Vivian Wilhoite released the latest batch of reappraised property values April 18, the culmination of a four-year cycle that plays a key role in determining how much Nashvillians will be paying in property taxes later this year.
New property value notices have been mailed to Nashville homeowners, and they’ve also been updated online. Here’s what to know about this year’s record jump, the breakdown of value increases across the county and what happens next.
A record increase — again
It wasn’t all that long ago that a 45% increase would have seemed more like a clerical error.
A decade ago, Nashvillians were grappling with an estimated 33 to 37% average increase in residential property values. That was a massive jump from the 5.3% average increase at the end of the reappraisal cycle that ended in 2013. Numbers that high weren’t totally uncommon in Nashville, though, as there was a 33% hike in the 1990s.
This year’s reappraisal sets a new record-high for the second time since 2017. In a news release announcing that property value notices had been mailed to Nashvillians, Wilhoite noted that Nashville and Davidson County have continued to “experience exponential growth in the real estate market” since 2021.
That’s reflected countywide, according to a “heat map” of the median increase by Metro Nashville Council district. While the county’s median increase is 45%, the numbers range by district between 38% and 54%.
A majority of districts — 20 of them — saw an increase at or above 45%. Meanwhile, the lowest median increases were in areas like Donelson and Opryland in districts 14 and 15, and in District 18, which includes Belmont and Vanderbilt. All three districts clocked in below 40%.
Here’s a look at which districts saw the largest median increase:
- District 34 (City of Forest Hills, Green Hills, Bellevue) – 54%
- District 35 (Bellevue) – 52%
- District 23 (West Nashville, Belle Meade) – 52%
- District 9 (Madison) – 51%
- District 29 (Priest Lake) – 50%
- District 30 (Southeast Nashville) – 50%
What happens next?
This isn’t the end of the road in the process of determining property tax bills. The 2025 property tax rate won’t be set until later this year, using the new appraised values as part of the formula in calculating a tax bill.
The state will also need to establish the “certified tax rate” — the rate at which property tax collections would be revenue-neutral, or produce the same amount of revenue as the previous tax year. When property values rise, it’s likely that the certified tax rate will decrease.
Finally, the Metro Nashville Council will use those numbers to set the local property tax rate, which must be approved as part of the city’s budget by June 30.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell has said before that reappraisal years often result in a property tax increase, and he has also signaled his intent to take a more defensive stance in crafting the 2026 budget given uncertainty around federal funding. He must submit his proposed budget to the council by May 1.
Property owners can appeal if they disagree with their new values. That process starts by requesting an informal review through the assessor’s office, either online at padctn.org or by calling 615-862-6059. The deadline to request an informal review is 4 p.m. May 9.
Austin Hornbostel is the Metro reporter for The Tennessean. Have a question about local government you want an answer to? Reach him at ahornbostel@tennessean.com.
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