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Madison County · Indiana

Property Tax in Madison County, 2026

A calculator and field guide for Anderson-area homeowners — and for anyone considering a move to Madison County — including certified 2026 tax rates, the Homestead Standard and Supplemental Deductions, and the 1% circuit-breaker cap that limits most homestead bills.

Median Effective Rate
1.05%
tax bill ÷ market value
Median Home Value
$132,100
single-family, 2026
Typical Annual Bill
$1,387
post homestead + credits
Assessor
Madison Assessor
Thinking of moving? Compare Madison County side-by-side with any other county we cover.

How the bill is built

Indiana calculates property tax in a very different way from most states. Start with your home's gross assessed value (AV), subtract the $48,000 Homestead Standard Deduction, then subtract 40% of what's left as the Supplemental Homestead Deduction. What remains is your net AV, and that is multiplied by your tax district's combined rate (per $100 AV). The result is then capped at 1% of your gross AV under Indiana's circuit breaker — meaning most homesteads in high-rate districts effectively pay 1% flat.

Important for 2026: Under Senate Enrolled Act 1 (2025), every homestead also receives a new Supplemental Homestead Credit equal to 10% of your tax liability, up to $300 per year. This is applied automatically — no form required — starting with bills due in 2026.

2026 Madison County rate breakdown (per $100 AV, Anderson district)

Taxing entityRate
Anderson City - Anderson Township combined rate (per $100 AV)4.5130
Combined total4.5130

As of April 25, 2026 · From Madison County Assessor.

Note: Madison County, anchored by the city of Anderson (~54,000 residents), was for most of the 20th century one of the most economically important counties in Indiana — home to Guide Lamp, Delco-Remy, and Inland Fisher Guide, all major divisions of General Motors. At peak (mid-1970s), GM employed roughly 25,000 people in Anderson alone, making the city per-capita one of the most concentrated automotive workforces in the United States. The post-1980 GM contraction was severe; Anderson's population fell from 70,787 in 1970 to about 54,000 today.
Note: Anderson's combined rate of $4.5130 per $100 AV is among the highest in Indiana and reflects the post-industrial fiscal challenges of a city built for a much larger tax base. The 2026 rate is actually a meaningful decline from 2024 ($5.1045), driven by the SEA 1 (2025) property tax reform. The 1% circuit breaker cap is hit by a substantial fraction of Anderson homesteads, so effective tax bills are typically capped at 1% of gross AV regardless of rate.
Note: Pendleton, in the southwest corner of Madison County, has emerged as a high-growth Indianapolis-metro bedroom community since the 2000s — its rate (Pendleton Town: $2.5749) is much lower than Anderson's, reflecting the suburban tax base shift. Pendleton High School draws from a large geographic area and is consistently among Indiana's top-performing public schools.

Deductions and credits for 2026

Homestead Standard + Supplemental Deductions

Indiana's two-part homestead deduction is the single most valuable tax reduction available to homeowners. For 2026, the Standard Deduction is $48,000 off your gross AV, and the Supplemental Deduction is 40% of what remains after the Standard is applied. Together these typically shield about 65% of a typical home's AV from taxation before any rate is even applied.

File Form HC10 (Homestead Property Tax Deduction) with the Madison County Assessor by December 31 of the year preceding the tax year. Many closings handle this automatically — verify on your next tax bill that "Homestead Standard Deduction" appears as a line item.

Phase-in schedule: Under SEA 1, the Standard Deduction drops to $40,000 in 2027 and phases out entirely by 2030, while the Supplemental percentage rises from 40% (2026) to 66.7% by 2031. The net effect is roughly revenue-neutral for most homeowners — just a different calculation path.

The 1% Circuit Breaker Cap

Indiana's constitution caps homestead property tax at 1% of gross assessed value. If your calculated tax would exceed that amount (which is common in high-rate districts like Hammond, Gary, and South Bend), the bill is reduced to the cap. Non-homestead residential property is capped at 2%, and commercial at 3%.

Supplemental Homestead Credit (new in 2026)

Under SEA 1, qualifying homesteads receive a credit equal to the lesser of 10% of your tax liability or $300. This is applied automatically to your bill — no application needed.

Over 65 Credit

Replacing the old Over 65 Deduction, this new credit provides up to $150 directly off your tax bill. Income limit is $60,000 single / $70,000 joint. File Form 43708 with your county auditor by January 15 of the tax year.

100% Disabled Veteran Exemption

Veterans with a 100% service-connected disability qualify for a full exemption on their primary residence. Partial disability deductions vary by rating.

Appealing your assessment

If you believe Anderson-area assessed values on your property are too high, you can file Form 130 (Taxpayer's Notice to Initiate an Appeal) with your township assessor within 45 days of receiving your Form 11 assessment notice, which typically arrives in the spring. Most appeals are resolved informally with the assessor; unresolved disputes go to the county Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals (PTABOA).

Cities and towns in Madison County

Madison County contains 7 incorporated municipalities, ranging from Anderson to the smallest village. Search volume for property tax is often city-specific, so here is the complete list — with population from the 2020 US Census, rounded to the nearest 100.

Data: US Census Bureau, 2020 Decennial Census. Populations rounded. Cities marked as "split" straddle a county border — the portion inside Madison County is subject to Madison County's tax rolls, while the portion outside is subject to the adjacent county's.

City or town Type Population (2020)
Anderson County seat city 54,128
Elwood city 8,350
Alexandria city 4,986
Pendleton town 4,480
Chesterfield town 2,540
Lapel town 2,090
Frankton town 1,818

About city-level property tax rates: The rate breakdown and calculator on this page reflect the Anderson tax district. Other cities in Madison County may pay into different school districts, city rates, and special districts — so their combined rates can differ, sometimes substantially. Always verify the specific rates for your address with the Madison County Assessor before relying on any estimate.

Frequently asked questions

How does the Indiana 1% circuit breaker cap actually work?

Indiana's constitution caps homestead property tax at 1% of your gross assessed value. If your calculated tax (after deductions) would exceed 1% of gross AV, the excess is automatically "forgiven" — you never pay more than 1%. In Lake, Marion, and St. Joseph counties, a large share of homesteads hit this cap.

Do I have to apply for the Supplemental Homestead Credit?

No. If your property already has the Homestead Standard Deduction on file, the Supplemental Homestead Credit is applied automatically starting with your 2026 bill. Check that it appears on your bill under "Credits."

When does my homestead deduction need to be filed by?

File Form HC10 with your county auditor by December 31 of the assessment year. Many real-estate closings handle this paperwork — verify on your first full-year tax bill that the deduction appears.

About Madison County

Beyond the property tax — a few things you might not know about the place.

Weird fact
Anderson University in central Anderson hosts the annual Indiana Bicycle Hall of Fame inductions — Indiana is one of the few states with its own bicycling hall of fame, founded in 1992. The hall honors riders, frame-builders, mechanics, and advocates who shaped Indiana cycling, including 1996 Olympic champion Marty Nothstein (who is technically from Pennsylvania but spent significant training time at the Major Taylor Velodrome in Indianapolis).
Hometown hero
Carl Erskine
The Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher (1926-2024) was born and raised in Anderson and remained a lifelong Madison County resident, returning home each winter and after his retirement from baseball. Erskine pitched two no-hitters (1952 and 1956) and won the deciding Game 5 of the 1955 World Series for the Dodgers — the only championship in the franchise's Brooklyn era. The Carl D. Erskine Rehabilitation Center at Anderson's Community Hospital is named in his honor.
Biggest annual event
Little 500 motor race weekend (Anderson Speedway)
The Little 500, held annually on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend at Anderson Speedway since 1949, is one of the oldest continuously-running short-track sprint car races in the United States. Run on a quarter-mile high-banked oval the night before the Indianapolis 500, it draws 12,000+ fans and is a fixture of Indiana motorsports — many Indy 500 drivers have raced (or watched) the Little 500 the night before competing at the Brickyard.

About this site's data and estimates. The Property Tax Almanac is an independent editorial reference. It is not affiliated with any government agency, tax assessor, or tax preparation service. The calculators and data on this site are informational and are not a substitute for advice from a qualified tax professional, attorney, or your official county assessor or appraisal district.

Accuracy, sources, and scope. Tax rate data is compiled from publicly available sources — including the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance, the Illinois Department of Revenue, the Florida Department of Revenue, the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, the Arizona Department of Revenue, the North Carolina Department of Revenue, the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, the Michigan Department of Treasury, the Iowa Department of Revenue and Iowa Department of Management, the Minnesota Department of Revenue, the California State Board of Equalization, individual county appraisal and assessor offices, and the US Census Bureau — and is believed to be accurate as of the "revised" date shown on each page. Rates change annually (and sometimes mid-year) through local budget adoptions, legislative action, and voter-approved measures. Rates displayed reflect the primary tax district of the county seat; rates in other cities, school districts, Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs), Emergency Services Districts (ESDs), Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts (CFDs), and special taxing units within the same county may be meaningfully higher or lower. Census population figures are from the 2020 Decennial Census and are rounded to the nearest 100.

How to use these estimates. The calculator produces a rough estimate based on the county seat's combined rate, statutory deductions and exemptions available statewide, and the value you enter. Your actual bill depends on your specific parcel's assessed or appraised value, the exact taxing entities covering your address, any local-option exemptions you qualify for, any assessment caps or circuit-breaker protections (e.g., Florida's Save Our Homes, Arizona's Prop 117 LPV cap, Indiana's 1% circuit breaker, North Carolina's Elderly/Disabled Exclusion, Wisconsin's Lottery & Gaming Credit, Michigan's Proposal A 5%/IRM cap, Iowa's residential rollback, Minnesota's Homestead Market Value Exclusion, California's Proposition 13 acquisition-value system and 2% annual cap), and any appeal or protest outcomes. For an authoritative figure, consult your county appraisal district (Texas), county assessor (Indiana, Illinois, Tennessee, Arizona, North Carolina, Iowa, Minnesota, California), county property appraiser (Florida), or municipal/township assessor (Wisconsin and Michigan — assessments are set at the city/village/township level rather than the county level; some Iowa and Minnesota cities also have city-level assessors). The contact information for the primary authority in each county is listed at the top of that county's page.

No legal or tax advice; no warranty. Nothing on this site constitutes legal, tax, financial, investment, or real estate advice. The Property Tax Almanac, its authors, and its publisher make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability of the content on this site. Any reliance you place on the information is strictly at your own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damage — including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage — arising from the use of this site or from decisions made based on its content.

Found an error? Property tax rules are complex and change often. If you spot an inaccuracy, please contact us — corrections help every reader who comes after you.

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