Property tax in Mississippi starts at the county courthouse. Each of the state's 82 counties keeps its own assessor's office, and that office decides how your land, house, business equipment or mobile home is listed and valued. If you just bought a home in Rankin County, need a homestead exemption in Lincoln County, or disagree with the value of a Panola County farm, the county assessor is the person to see. This page explains how those offices are organised and how to reach the right one.

How Assessor Offices Work Across Mississippi's 82 Counties

Mississippi has no single statewide assessor. Property taxation is governed by Title 27 of the Mississippi Code and administered locally. Most counties elect a tax assessor, who works at the courthouse with a small staff of appraisers and clerks. The Mississippi Department of Revenue, through its Property Tax Bureau, provides oversight, training and guidance to those county offices. It does not set the value of your individual home.

Three bodies share the work. The assessor lists and values property. The county board of supervisors approves the assessment roll and hears objections to it. The tax collector sends the bills and takes payment. In many counties the sheriff serves as the ex officio tax collector, while other counties elect a separate collector.

Our listings reflect that variety. Most entries are titled Tax Assessor, such as the Monroe County Tax Assessor at 301 South Chestnut Street in Aberdeen (662-369-2033). Webster County uses the plain title Webster County Assessor in Eupora. Benton County appears as a Tax Collector in Ashland, and Coahoma County appears as a Car Tags Department in Clarksdale. If a title surprises you, call and ask which office handles your question.

What a Mississippi County Assessor Actually Handles

Many people assume the assessor takes payments or issues license plates. That is usually the tax collector's job. The assessor's work is the list behind the bill, and it covers these areas:

Mississippi sorts property into classes with different assessment ratios. Owner-occupied homes and qualifying agricultural land are generally assessed at 10 percent of true value. Most other real property and business personal property is assessed at 15 percent, and utilities are assessed at a higher rate. The taxable amount is then multiplied by the millage rates of the county, the city and the school district where the parcel sits. Two neighbors on opposite sides of a district line can therefore receive different bills.

Agricultural and forest land is appraised by how it is used, not by what a developer might pay. That matters in counties where timber and crops cover most of the map. Values also move when you add a room, build a barn, or change how the land is used, so keep permits and receipts.

Metro Counties and Rural Courthouses in Mississippi Work Differently

The Jackson area and the Gulf Coast have the busiest offices. Rankin County, whose Tax Assessor is at 211 East Government Street in Brandon (601-825-1470), sees steady new-home activity from the Jackson suburbs. Hinds County, home of the state capital, lists two assessor entries in our database, which fits a county that keeps courthouses in both Jackson and Raymond. On the coast, the Hancock County Tax Assessor at 1060 U.S. 90 in Bay Saint Louis (228-467-1669) handles waterfront parcels, flood-zone questions and homes rebuilt after storms. If your property was damaged, ask how the office treats repairs and rebuilding on the roll.

Rural counties run on a smaller scale. Choctaw County lists its Tax Assessor at PO Box 907 in Ackerman (662-285-6320), so mail goes to a box rather than a street door. The Humphreys County office on Castleman Street in Belzoni (662-247-3174) serves a Delta county where farmland dominates the roll. Small offices may have few staff, tighter public hours, and staff who are out inspecting property. Call before you drive a long way, especially if you need a printed map or a records search.

Finding Your Assessor by Region of Mississippi

Phone prefixes give a quick clue about geography. Numbers beginning 662 cover the north, the hill country and the Delta. Numbers beginning 601 cover Jackson and the central and southern interior. The 228 code belongs to the Gulf Coast.

In the northeast, the Prentiss County Tax Assessor is at 101 North Main Street in Booneville (662-728-3113). The Alcorn County Tax Assessor uses PO Box 179 in Corinth (662-286-7733). In the Delta, the Bolivar County Tax Assessor in Cleveland (PO Box 248, 662-843-3926) and the Humphreys County office cover large farm acreages. Across central and southern Mississippi, you will find the Jasper County Tax Assessor at 27 East 8th Avenue in Bay Springs (601-764-2813), the Lincoln County Tax Assessor at 301 South 1st Street in Brookhaven (601-835-3425), and the Marion County Tax Assessor at 250 Broad Street in Columbia (601-736-8256).

Always use the county where the property sits, not the county where you live. A landowner in Jackson with a timber tract in Covington County deals with the assessor in Collins, not in Hinds County.

Practical Steps: What to Bring and When to Go

Most visits go faster with paperwork in hand. Bring photo ID, your parcel number or street address, and a copy of your deed or closing statement if you recently bought. For a homestead exemption, you will generally need to show that you own the home and live in it as your primary residence. Ask about the filing window, because counties build their office routines around the state's deadlines.

Homestead exemption is the most common reason for a first visit. Mississippi offers it on owner-occupied primary residences, with additional relief for homeowners aged 65 or older and for people who are disabled. State law sets the qualification rules, so ask the assessor to confirm what applies to you before assuming you are covered.

New owners should also check that the mailing address on the roll is correct. A tax bill sent to a former owner can still become your responsibility. Weekday mornings in the middle of the month are usually calmer than the weeks right after the roll opens.

If you think a value is wrong, start with the assessor's staff, who can correct clerical errors such as wrong acreage or building size. If you still disagree, file an objection with the county board of supervisors, which reviews the roll each summer. A further appeal can go to circuit court. Dates are set locally, so ask your county for the exact schedule.

Property assessor offices in Mississippi operate under state property tax statutes that specify how properties must be valued, how often reappraisals occur, and what exemptions are available to qualifying homeowners. The state department of revenue or taxation typically provides oversight and technical guidance to county assessors to ensure consistent valuation practices statewide.

Assessor locations are available in 86 cities across Mississippi. They are spread across 82 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Eupora, Walthall, Indianola, where high real estate activity and complex commercial properties create greater demand for assessor services and property valuation resources.

Property owners in Mississippi should verify that their primary residence homestead exemption is active and confirm the annual appeal deadline with their local assessor office, as missing the deadline means waiting until the following tax year to contest a valuation.

Assessor by Counties

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Many county assessor offices in Mississippi now offer online property search tools where homeowners can view their assessed value, recent sales history, and exemption status without visiting the office. If you have questions about a recent reassessment notice, calling or emailing the assessor's office is often the fastest way to get a response before filing a formal appeal.

Browse Assessor by county across Mississippi to find the nearest location.

Carroll, Jones and Webster: Mississippi Counties With Two Assessor Entries

Four Mississippi counties show two assessor-related entries in our database: Hinds, Carroll, Jones and Webster. The last three are smaller counties where the pattern is easy to explain, so a closer look helps.

Carroll County lists its Tax Assessor at PO Box 193 in Carrollton, reachable at 662-237-9217. Carroll conducts county business in more than one town, so a second entry may point to a different courthouse location or a related office. The Jones County Tax Assessor sits at 101 North Court Street in Ellisville (601-477-3261). Jones has two judicial districts, Ellisville and Laurel, so owners near Laurel should confirm which office holds their parcel. The Webster County Assessor works from 16 East Fox Avenue in Eupora (662-258-2590), and Webster also operates with a second courthouse town.

One rule works for all three. Call the listed number, give your parcel number or street address, and ask which office holds your file before you drive. Listings change when officials move or phone systems are updated, so a quick call protects your trip.

Mississippi Assessor Questions Residents Ask

Your county tax assessor sets the value of your property for tax purposes, using sales data, building details and land use. The Mississippi Department of Revenue's Property Tax Bureau trains and guides county offices, but it does not value your individual home. The county board of supervisors approves the final assessment roll and sets the county's millage rate, and cities and school districts add their own rates. That is why the assessor, the supervisors and the tax collector all matter. Start with the assessor if the value, acreage or building description looks wrong, because those are the records that office controls.

Apply in person or by mail through your county tax assessor, who handles homestead exemption records. Bring photo ID, proof that you own the home, and proof that it is your primary residence, such as a driver's license showing that address. Mississippi law gives owner-occupants an exemption, with additional provisions for homeowners aged 65 or older and for people with qualifying disabilities. Counties set their own office routines around state deadlines, so ask for the filing window when you call. In Lincoln County at 601-835-3425 or Prentiss County at 662-728-3113, a short call confirms what paperwork is needed.

Usually not. Vehicle tags in Mississippi are typically purchased from the county tax collector, who in many counties is the sheriff. The assessor's role is mainly property records. Titles in our database vary: Coahoma County lists a Car Tags Department at 115 1st Street in Clarksdale (662-624-3020), and Benton County lists a Tax Collector at 190 Ripley Avenue in Ashland (662-224-6315). Those entries appear here because they sit close to assessor services in their counties. When in doubt, call the county, describe what you need, and ask which window handles it. Bring proof of insurance and your prior registration.

Begin with the assessor's office. Staff can fix clerical mistakes, such as the wrong acreage, square footage or owner name, without a formal hearing. If the value is still wrong, file a written objection with the county board of supervisors, which reviews the assessment roll each summer and hears property owners' objections. If the board's decision does not satisfy you, state law allows an appeal to circuit court. Dates and procedures are set locally, so ask your assessor for the schedule as soon as the roll opens. Bring evidence such as a recent appraisal, photos of damage, or sale prices of similar nearby homes.

It depends on how the home is set up. A manufactured home on land you own and permanently affixed to it may be handled as real property. One on rented land or a leased lot is commonly treated as personal property. Your county assessor makes that classification and keeps the record. Bring the title or bill of sale, the serial number, and a description of the lot. Because local practice affects both the classification and the tax bill, ask the assessor rather than guessing. Also tell the office when you move the home or sell it, so the roll stays accurate.

Often yes for simple questions, though practice differs by county. Several offices list a post office box rather than a street address, including Choctaw County (PO Box 907, Ackerman), Alcorn County (PO Box 179, Corinth), Bolivar County (PO Box 248, Cleveland) and Jefferson County (PO Box 357, Fayette). Use those for letters, not courier deliveries. Include your name, parcel number, phone number and a clear request. For anything that needs a signature, such as a homestead application, ask whether the office will mail a form or whether you must visit. Call first, because small staffs are sometimes out inspecting property.