What is the property tax rate in Oktibbeha County?

The combined effective property tax rate in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi is approximately 0.81%.

Oktibbeha County Property Tax Calculator (2026) — Mississippi Property Tax Almanac

Property Tax in Oktibbeha County, 2026

A calculator and field guide for Starkville-area homeowners — and for anyone considering a move to Oktibbeha County — including Mississippi's constitutional 5-class property tax system (Class I owner-occupied residential at 10% AR), the Tier 2 Homestead Exemption (65+/disabled — first $12,500 AV / $125K FMV exempt from all ad valorem, post HB 1255 2026), and the FULL Disabled Veterans Exemption (100% service-connected, MS Code §27-33-67(2)). Plus a special 100% exemption for honorably discharged veterans 90 years or older.

Oktibbeha County, home to Starkville and 50k Mississippians, operates under Mississippi\'s constitutional 5-class property tax system. Class I (single-family owner-occupied residential) is assessed at 10% of fair market value (Class II non-residential at 15%, Class III utility at 30%). Tax = AV × millage / 1,000. Combined millage includes county, municipal, school district, and special district levies. The Homestead Exemption operates in two tiers: Tier 1 (under-65) provides a tax credit up to $300/year; Tier 2 (65+ OR totally disabled) exempts the first $7,500 of AV (= $75,000 FMV) from ALL ad valorem. HB 1255 (2026) raises the Tier 2 exemption to $12,500 AV ($125K FMV) starting 2026 tax year. Effective rates run ~0.65-0.81% statewide median.

How the bill is built

Mississippi property tax follows a 4-step calculation. Step 1: True Value. The Oktibbeha County Mississippi Tax Assessor determines true value annually. Step 2: Apply Class I 10% AR. AV = FMV × 10%. So a $200K home has AV = $20K. Step 3: Apply homestead exemption tier. Tier 1 (under-65): tax credit up to $300/year against the bill. Tier 2 (65+ or disabled): first $7,500-$12,500 AV exempt from all ad valorem. Step 4: Apply tax rate. Tax = (AV − Tier 2 exemption) × millage / 1,000, then subtract Tier 1 credit if applicable. Oktibbeha County\'s combined millage is ~158 mills (= ~1.58% gross, ~0.81% effective post-homestead).

Mississippi\'s constitutional 5-class property tax system distinguishes Class I (owner-occupied residential at 10% AR) from Class II (rental + agricultural + non-utility business at 15% AR). The 10% AR is the structural reason Mississippi has among the lowest US effective property tax rates. Investment property pays 50% more in assessment than owner-occupied — meaningful for rental property analysis. Class III public service utility is at 30%, Class IV motor vehicles at 30%, Class V railroads/airlines at varying rates.

HB 1255 (2026) substantially expanded the Tier 2 senior/disabled homestead exemption — from the historic $7,500 AV ($75,000 FMV) to $12,500 AV ($125,000 FMV) starting 2026 tax year. For homes with FMV at or below $125,000 (the majority of Mississippi homestead properties — Mississippi median home value is around $160K), the Tier 2 exemption produces effectively full property tax exemption for qualifying seniors and totally disabled owners. At typical Mississippi millage of 125 mills, the new $12,500 exemption saves ~$1,560/year (vs ~$940/year under the old $7,500 figure).

Mississippi provides a FULL property tax exemption for 100% service-connected disabled veterans (MS Code §27-33-67(2), since 2015) on the homestead (single-family owner-occupied home + up to 160 acres). Surviving unremarried spouses retain. Bonus: Honorably discharged veterans 90 years or older by January 1 of the tax year are also eligible for full exemption (independent of disability rating). Apply with County Tax Assessor between January 1 and April 1.

2026 Oktibbeha County rate breakdown (consolidated millage per $1,000 of AV (Class I 10% AR × FMV), Starkville district)

Taxing entity	Rate
Combined county + municipal + school + special districts (~158 mills × 10% Class I AR = ~0.81% effective post Homestead)	158.0000
Combined total	158.0000

As of April 26, 2026 · From Oktibbeha County Mississippi Tax Assessor.

Note: Oktibbeha County (pronounced "ock-TIB-buh-haw") is **home to Mississippi State University** — Starkville (~25K, the seat) hosts the MSU campus (~22,000 students — the largest university in Mississippi) and the MSU Bulldogs athletics program (SEC Conference, 1 college baseball national championship 2021, 2 SEC football championships). MSU is one of the most-prestigious agricultural and engineering research universities in the southeastern United States — particularly celebrated for its School of Architecture, Bagley College of Engineering, and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Anchored by Starkville, Maben, and Sturgis. Major employment is dominated by MSU (the university and its Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station are by far the largest employers in the county).

Note: Oktibbeha County effective property tax rates run approximately **0.81% — among the higher in Mississippi**, reflecting the substantial municipal services required for the MSU campus and university-town infrastructure. Combined county + municipal + school district + special district millage is ~158 mills (× 10% Class I AR = ~1.58% gross, reduced by Mississippi's Homestead Exemption to ~0.81% effective). Median home values around $195K combined with the moderate effective rate produce median annual bills around $1,580.

Note: For relocation buyers: Oktibbeha County offers **the celebrated MSU university Mississippi** option — substantial MSU-anchored economy, the iconic Bulldogs cultural identity (the celebrated cowbell tradition is unique to MSU football), the historic Starkville downtown, and reasonable Memphis (~140 miles north) and Birmingham (~160 miles east) access. The trade-off: substantial MSU student-driven seasonal population variation, aggressive game-day traffic during football season, limited high-skill commercial sector outside MSU.

Deductions and exemptions for 2026

Mississippi homeowner property tax relief is concentrated in three mechanisms: (1) the constitutional Class I 10% AR for owner-occupied residential, (2) the Tier 1 / Tier 2 Homestead Exemption system (Tier 1 = $300 tax credit for under-65; Tier 2 = first $12,500 AV exempt for 65+/disabled, post HB 1255 2026), and (3) the FULL Disabled Veteran Exemption for 100% service-connected disabled vets (since 2015) plus a 100% exemption for veterans 90+ years old.

Constitutional Class I 10% Assessment Ratio

Mississippi\'s constitutional 5-class property tax system: Class I (single-family owner-occupied residential) = 10% AR. Class II (residential rental + agricultural + non-utility business) = 15% AR. Class III (public service utility) = 30%. Class IV (motor vehicles) = 30%. Class V (railroads/airlines) = varies. The 10% Class I AR is the structural reason for Mississippi\'s low effective property tax rates. AV = FMV × 10%. So a $200K home has Class I AV = $20K.

Tier 1 + Tier 2 Homestead Exemption

Tier 1 (under-65 standard): Tax credit up to $300/year (sliding scale per MS Code §27-33-67) applied to the tax bill. Tier 2 (65+ OR totally disabled): First $7,500 of AV (= $75,000 FMV) exempt from ALL ad valorem — and HB 1255 (2026) raises this to $12,500 AV ($125K FMV) starting 2026 tax year. For homes with FMV at or below $125K (the majority of Mississippi homestead properties), Tier 2 produces effectively full property tax exemption. Apply with County Tax Assessor between January 1 and April 1. Annual recertification required for Tier 2 (income/disability documentation).

FULL Disabled Veteran Exemption (100% service-connected) + 90+ Vet Exemption

Mississippi provides a FULL property tax exemption from all ad valorem on the homestead for veterans with 100% service-connected total disability and honorable discharge (since 2015, MS Code §27-33-67(2)). Bonus: Honorably discharged veterans 90 years or older by January 1 of the tax year are also eligible for full exemption (independent of disability rating). Surviving unremarried spouses retain. Apply with County Tax Assessor between January 1 and April 1.

Appealing your assessment

Mississippi property tax appeals follow a 3-tier process. Level 1: County Tax Assessor. File written objection during the open inspection period (typically July-August each year — varies by county). Level 2: County Board of Supervisors. If unresolved, appeal to the Board of Supervisors during the August equalization meeting. The Board holds quasi-judicial hearings. Level 3: Mississippi Circuit Court. Board decisions can be appealed to Circuit Court within 10 days. Most Mississippi appeals are resolved at Level 1 or Level 2.

Cities and towns in Oktibbeha County

Oktibbeha County contains 3 incorporated municipalities, ranging from Starkville 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 Oktibbeha County is subject to Oktibbeha County's tax rolls, while the portion outside is subject to the adjacent county's.

City or town	Type	Population (2020)
Starkville County seat	city	25,000
Maben	town	700
Sturgis	town	200

About city-level property tax rates: The rate breakdown and calculator on this page reflect the Starkville tax district. Other cities in Oktibbeha 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 Oktibbeha County Mississippi Tax Assessor before relying on any estimate.

Frequently asked questions

When are Mississippi property taxes due?

Mississippi property taxes are due on February 1 of the year following the assessment (taxes assessed in 2025 are due February 1, 2026). Late payments after February 1 accrue interest plus penalty. Most Mississippi homeowners pay through escrow via mortgage servicer.

What is the Mississippi homestead exemption?

Mississippi\'s Homestead Exemption operates in two tiers. Tier 1 (under-65 standard): tax credit up to $300/year (sliding scale per MS Code §27-33-67) applied to the tax bill. Tier 2 (65+ OR totally disabled): first $7,500 of AV (= $75,000 FMV) exempt from ALL ad valorem. HB 1255 (2026) raises Tier 2 to $12,500 AV ($125K FMV) starting 2026. For homes with FMV at or below $125K (the majority of Mississippi homestead properties), Tier 2 produces effectively full property tax exemption. Apply with County Tax Assessor between January 1 and April 1.

How does the Disabled Veteran exemption work in Mississippi?

Mississippi provides a FULL property tax exemption from all ad valorem on the homestead for veterans with 100% service-connected total disability and honorable discharge (since 2015, MS Code §27-33-67(2)). The exemption applies to the single-family owner-occupied home + up to 160 acres. Bonus: Honorably discharged veterans 90 years or older by January 1 of the tax year are also eligible for full exemption (independent of disability rating). Surviving unremarried spouses retain. Apply with County Tax Assessor between January 1 and April 1.

What is the 5-class property tax system?

Mississippi\'s constitutional 5-class property tax system: Class I (single-family owner-occupied residential) = 10% AR. Class II (residential rental + agricultural + non-utility business) = 15% AR. Class III (public service utility) = 30%. Class IV (motor vehicles) = 30%. Class V (railroads/airlines) = varies. The 10% Class I AR is the structural reason for Mississippi\'s low effective property tax rates. Investment property pays 50% more in assessment than owner-occupied — meaningful for rental property analysis.

How do I appeal my Mississippi assessment?

Mississippi property tax appeals follow a 3-tier process. Level 1: County Tax Assessor. File written objection during the open inspection period (typically July-August each year). Level 2: County Board of Supervisors. Appeal to the Board of Supervisors during the August equalization meeting. Level 3: Mississippi Circuit Court. Within 10 days of Board decision. Most appeals are resolved at Level 1 or Level 2.

About Oktibbeha County

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

Weird fact

Mississippi State football fans are **the only fan base in NCAA Division I football permitted to ring cowbells during games** — the celebrated **"cowbell tradition"** dates to the 1930s/1940s when an actual cow allegedly wandered onto the football field during a game (or, per other versions, when fans began using the bell as a regional agricultural-heritage noise-maker). The tradition was banned by the SEC in 1974 (citing "artificial noise-makers"), but the ban was widely flouted by MSU fans. The SEC formally legalized cowbells at MSU games in 2010 (a unique exception to its noise-maker rules) — though they're only allowed at "natural" stoppages of play. Tens of thousands of cowbells are rung at every home game at Davis Wade Stadium (capacity 60,311). The cowbell is now MSU's most-iconic athletic symbol — gold-and-maroon themed cowbells are standard student-section equipment, and "Hail State!" is the celebrated MSU cheer.

Hometown hero

Jerry Clower + MSU bulldog heritage

**Jerry Clower** (1926-1998) — the celebrated American country comedian known as "the Mouth of Mississippi," whose homespun stories of his Yazoo County, MS upbringing made him among the most-popular American comedians of the 1970s and 1980s — was a graduate of **Mississippi State University (B.S. Agriculture, 1951)**. Clower's 1971 album From Yazoo City: Mississippi Talkin' launched his career; he had 22 albums on the Billboard country charts. **Other notable MSU/Oktibbeha figures include "Boo" Ferriss** (1921-2016 — the Boston Red Sox pitcher who went 25-6 in 1946 with a 3.25 ERA, longtime MSU baseball coach), and **Mike Mularkey** (the NFL coach, born 1961 in Hialeah, FL, but with substantial MSU connections through his coaching career). MSU is also celebrated for producing dozens of MLB and NFL players — the MSU baseball program won the 2021 College World Series.

Biggest annual event

MSU football season + Cotton District Arts Festival

MSU Bulldogs football home games at Davis Wade Stadium (capacity 60,311) draw 60,000+ attendees per game with the celebrated cowbell tradition. The **Cotton District Arts Festival** (annual, third Saturday of April in downtown Starkville, since 1980) is among the largest northeastern Mississippi arts festivals — drawing 30,000+ attendees with regional juried art programming. The MSU baseball Dudy Noble Field (capacity 14,991, recently renovated) is **the largest college baseball stadium in the United States** — the program drew the highest single-game attendance in college baseball history (16,423) in 2019.

Property Tax in Oktibbeha County, 2026