Property taxes: Rockdale
Population: 85,820
2013 total value of residential property: $2.8 billion (-23.1%)
Median 2013 county residential appraisal: $69,535
Typical residential property overvalued by: 7%
2013 residential property appeals: 770
How the county stacks up: After years of smaller reductions, Rockdale County cut residential property values this year by a whopping 23 percent, or $849.6 million. That's a key reason the county looks so much better in this year's AJC analysis than last year's.
A year ago, the county’s typical residential appraisal was 57 percent over market value, as determined by sale prices, the AJC found. This year it’s just 7 percent over market value.
County officials declined requests for comment. But it’s clear a more stable real estate market in Rockdale also contributed to the newspaper’s findings. One measure of that stability: the number of foreclosure notices in Rockdale fell 45 percent through November of this year compared to the same period a year ago.
Rockdale homeowners apparently have noticed the reduced values. The county had 770 residential property tax appeals this year, nearly 60 percent fewer than last year.
About the Author
David Wickert writes about the state budget, finance and voting issues. Previously, he covered local government and politics in Gwinnett and Fulton counties. Before moving to Atlanta, he worked at newspapers in Illinois, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
