Property Taxes in Tucson
Property taxes carry a real, disclosed rate disagreement for Tucson homeowners, consistent with what the base Tucson record already flags (effective rate unresolved between roughly 0.78% and 0.85% for Pima County): a fresh pass this session found the same 0.78%-0.85% spread across sources, plus real, sourced ZIP-code-level variance within Tucson itself and a useful comparison point -- Tucson's effective rate runs meaningfully higher than Phoenix/Maricopa County's disclosed 0.44%-0.59% range in the base record for this same file.
Exploring the idea of moving?
We can connect you with a local real estate professional who knows the area -- no pressure, just a starting point.
Learn moreEffective Rate: A Real, Persistent Disagreement
One 2026 source cited Tucson's effective property tax rate at 0.78%, with a median annual tax bill of $2,248 on a $286,900 home. A separate source cited Pima County's broader effective rate at 0.8%-0.85% of market value, and another put the county's median effective rate specifically at 0.85%. Yet another source, focused on Tucson as a retirement destination, cited 0.79%. None of these fully reconciles to a single number, consistent with the base Tucson record's own disclosure that this rate could not be resolved to one authoritative figure -- treat 0.78%-0.85% as the honest range rather than picking whichever figure sounds most precise.
Real, Sourced ZIP-Code Variance Within Tucson
Property tax rates are not uniform across Tucson itself: one source cited homeowners in the 85735 ZIP code carrying a median effective rate of 1.14%, while those in 85714 pay a median of just 0.60% -- nearly double the rate in one part of the city versus another. This is a real, sourced illustration of why a citywide average shouldn't be treated as a specific property's actual rate.
Overlapping Jurisdictions
As in most Arizona cities, a Tucson property owner's total bill combines rates from multiple overlapping jurisdictions: Pima County, the City of Tucson itself, the relevant school district, and any applicable special-purpose districts. This layered structure is why the effective rate varies meaningfully by specific address, as the 85735-versus-85714 comparison above illustrates concretely.
A Real, Useful Comparison to Phoenix
The base Tucson record's companion Phoenix entry in this same file discloses an unresolved 0.44%-0.59% effective rate for Maricopa County. Tucson's 0.78%-0.85% range runs meaningfully higher than that -- a real, sourced difference worth factoring into any direct Phoenix-versus-Tucson cost comparison alongside Tucson's generally lower home prices (see the housing-market topic page).
Senior and Disabled Homeowner Relief: A Disclosed Gap
Arizona offers targeted property-tax relief programs for qualifying senior and disabled homeowners, but specific current eligibility thresholds, valuation-freeze amounts, and application deadlines were not independently confirmed to one authoritative figure this session -- that gap is disclosed here rather than filled with an unverified number. Confirm current program detail directly with the Pima County Assessor's Office.
Key takeaways
- Effective property tax rate estimates for Tucson/Pima County ranged 0.78%-0.85% across multiple 2026 sources this session -- consistent with the base Tucson record's own unresolved 0.78%-0.85% disclosure. No single figure should be treated as settled.
- Real, sourced ZIP-code variance exists within Tucson itself: 85735 carries a cited median effective rate of 1.14%, versus 0.60% in 85714 -- nearly double, illustrating why a citywide average isn't a specific property's rate.
- A total bill layers Pima County, City of Tucson, school-district, and special-district rates together into one effective percentage.
- Tucson's 0.78%-0.85% effective-rate range runs meaningfully higher than Phoenix/Maricopa County's disclosed 0.44%-0.59% range in the companion base record -- a real, sourced comparison point.
- Arizona offers senior/disabled property-tax relief programs, but specific current thresholds and deadlines were not independently confirmed this session -- confirm directly with the Pima County Assessor's Office.
Want to know what your budget actually buys here?
Tell us a bit about what you're looking for and we'll connect you with someone local who can walk you through real numbers.
Get local guidanceRead the full Tucson overview for the complete picture -- housing, taxes, climate, and who this place genuinely fits.
Planning a move?
Tell us what you're looking for and we'll connect you with a local expert who can help you make it happen.
Talk to a local expert