Roswell Property Taxes in 2026: How the Three Bills Add Up
By Mary McMath, Keller Williams Realty Atlanta North
October 21, 2026 · 2 min read
When my Cobb County buyers start looking across the river in Roswell, the first thing I explain is that they're moving into a different county with a different tax setup. Roswell is in northern Fulton County, and 2026 brought changes worth knowing.
Three taxing bodies. A Roswell homeowner pays the City of Roswell, Fulton County and Fulton County Schools. Here's where the 2026 rates stand as of late October:
| Taxing body | 2025 rate (mills) | 2026 rate (mills) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Roswell | 4.949 | 5.232 | Adopted Sept. 28, 2026 |
| Fulton County | 8.87 | 8.87 | Adopted Oct. 7, 2026 |
| Fulton County Schools | 17.08 | 18.08 | Proposed; final vote pending |
What changed in Roswell. The city held its operating rate at 4.049 mills and raised its debt-service rate from 0.900 to 1.183 mills, for a 2026 total of 5.232. The council adopted that after residents pushed back on a much larger proposal. The city's own example: a $575,000 home, assessed at $230,000, pays about $1,203 in city tax before exemptions.
Exemptions. Roswell's exemptions are separate from the county's:
- Floating homestead: automatic if you have a Fulton County homestead exemption. Future increases in taxable value are limited to the lesser of inflation or 3%.
- Senior, $2,000: age 65 or older.
- Senior, $20,000: age 65 or older with combined adjusted gross income under $40,000.
Apply for city exemptions between January 1 and June 1. Fulton County exemptions are due April 1 and are filed through the Fulton County Board of Assessors, which applies the most beneficial exemption you qualify for.
Take it from Mary: if you close on a Roswell home after April 1, the county exemption won't apply until the following year. I put that date on every buyer's calendar at closing. See the Roswell area page.
A note on the numbers: every figure in this post is a good-faith estimate taken from the sources below as of the date it was posted. Figures aren't exact and can change, so please do your own research and confirm anything important with the official source before relying on it.
Sources
- City Council approves property tax rate for 2026 (Roswell Connections)
- Property taxes (City of Roswell)
- Fulton holds tax rate flat, school district proposes increase (Rough Draft Atlanta)
- Fulton County Schools proposes 2026 property tax hike (Hoodline)
- Homestead exemption applications due April 1 (Fulton County)
Photo: Thomson200 via Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
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