Property Taxes in Covington
Kenton County's own median effective property tax rate ran approximately 1.03% in 2026 -- a real, disclosed figure running modestly above Kentucky's own statewide range -- even as the county's underlying nominal rate has been cut for five consecutive years to its lowest level since 1983.
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Learn moreA Real, Comparatively Moderate Rate Above the Kentucky Statewide Range
Kenton County's own median effective property tax rate ran approximately 1.03% as of 2026 (Ownwell) -- genuinely above the approximately 0.80%-0.85% Kentucky statewide range documented in this build's own Kentucky manifest, though still genuinely moderate relative to several other Tier A+ markets covered elsewhere in this project.
A Real, Genuine County Rate Cut -- Distinct From the Higher Blended Effective Rate
Kenton County's own county-level nominal rate was itself cut to 11.5 cents per $100 of assessed value (from 12.5 cents) -- the county's own lowest rate since 1983, and its fifth consecutive year of reduction. This record discloses that the higher 1.03% blended effective rate reflects additional school-district, city, and special-district levies layered on top of that lower county-only rate, rather than treating the two figures as interchangeable.
Real, Disclosed Variation Within Kenton County
Kenton County's own effective property tax rate varies by specific location -- from approximately 1.03% in Crescent Park up to approximately 1.54% in Elsmere, per Ownwell's own 2026 data. Buyers should confirm a specific target address's actual current effective rate directly rather than assuming a single countywide figure.
Kentucky's Low State Income Tax Runs the Other Direction
As detailed on the taxes topic page, Kentucky's own real trade-off runs opposite a high-property-tax/no-income-tax state's pattern -- Kentucky's flat state income tax was cut to a genuinely low 3.5% effective January 1, 2026, while Kenton County's own property tax runs modestly above the state's own range. Movers weighing Covington's overall real combined tax burden should weigh both figures together.
Key takeaways
- Kenton County's own median effective property tax rate (approximately 1.03%) runs modestly above Kentucky's own statewide range (approximately 0.80%-0.85%).
- Kenton County's own underlying county-level rate was cut to 11.5 cents per $100 -- its lowest since 1983 -- distinct from the higher blended effective rate.
- Effective rates vary within Kenton County, from approximately 1.03% (Crescent Park) up to approximately 1.54% (Elsmere).
- Kentucky's genuinely low 3.5% flat state income tax runs the opposite direction of Kenton County's modestly elevated property tax.
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