Tennessee led the United States in property tax hikes from 2019 to 2025, according to an analysis by the Beacon Center of Tennessee.
The pro-free-market nonprofit think tank examined Wall Street Journal–produced data that shows Tennessee “with a double-digit lead over” Colorado, its nearest competitor. “The Volunteer State stands alone as the only state with over a 75 percent increase,” the Beacon Center revealed.
While the nonprofit noted that Nashville’s property tax rate has risen by 60 percent over the last five years, it also pointed to other Tennessee cities, such as Mt. Juliet, where officials have raised the tax rate by 164 percent.
Other property tax increases have occurred in Red Bank, Johnson City, Erwin, Bristol, and Fairview, all of which have increased their property tax rates by between 14 percent and 52 percent.
Despite repeated property tax hikes in Nashville, Mayor Freddie O’Connell recently claimed his administration secured the “lowest property tax rate” in the city’s history, even as it passed legislation to raise property tax rates by about 26 percent above the revenue-neutral rate calculated following the 2025 property tax reappraisal required under Tennessee law.
“We just established the lowest property tax rate in the history of the city,” claimed the mayor. “One of the hardest things about being in a city that’s grown quickly, that’s had a rapidly, emerging economy with multiple different sectors is just keeping that affordability measure in place. That’s why approaches like housing affordability is a part of our public policy is what’s going to help more there.”
Despite the mayor’s claim, a revenue-neutral property tax rate for Nashville would have been about $2.222, but O’Connell specifically recommended a $2.814 rate to the Metro Council, which subsequently approved the mayor’s request.
After some Nashville establishments announced plans to close earlier this year, citing triple-digit percentage increases to their property tax bills, O’Connell said the city would create a “legacy business program” to provide grants directly to some of the affected businesses.
The rate of foreclosure filings by homeowners in America increased by 71 percent between 2020 and 2025.
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Tom Pappert is a 2025 recipient of the Dao Prize and the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star. He also reports for the Star News Network. Follow Tom on X. Email tips to [email protected].
