Graves County Tax Rates

Graves County Tax Rates - At a Glance

Graves County, Kentucky Tax Rates Summary

Tax Type	Rate	Notes
Vehicle Property (Car) Tax	$1.145 per $100 baseline; $1.71 in Mayfield with city schools; $1.675 in Wingo (2026)	Baseline: state 45 + county-wide 23.1 + Graves County schools 46.4 cents; J.D. Power average trade-in value on January 1
Real Estate Tax	$0.797 per $100 baseline; $1.278 in Mayfield with city schools (2025)	Baseline: state 10.6 + county-wide 23.9 + Graves County schools 45.2 cents
Sales Tax	6%	Statewide rate; no local sales tax in Kentucky; groceries exempt

Vehicle Property (Car) Tax

2026 Rate Stack

Kentucky taxes vehicles as property every year. The 2026 Graves County baseline is $1.145 per $100 of assessed value, the sum of three rates from the Kentucky Department of Revenue's 2026 MOTAX Rate Book: the 45-cent state rate, Graves County's 23.1-cent county-wide rate (general 10.5, extension 4, health 3.5, library 3, and J U Kevil Memorial Foundation 2.1 cents), and the 46.4-cent Graves County school rate. The baseline is unchanged from 2025.

The Mayfield Independent school district (68.9 cents) replaces the county school rate inside its boundaries. Two cities add a levy: Mayfield (34 cents) and Wingo (46 cents). Two fire districts tax vehicles: the Symsonia Fire District (10 cents) and the Wingo Fire District (7 cents), which the state's rate book says covers the City of Wingo plus a small unincorporated area. The county's three watershed districts levy nothing on vehicles.

Graves County Vehicle Tax by Location (2026, cents per $100)

Location	Stack	Total	Tax on $20,000
Graves County schools, outside a city or fire district (baseline)	45 + 23.1 + 46.4	$1.145	$229.00
Symsonia Fire District	45 + 23.1 + 46.4 + 10	$1.245	$249.00
Wingo Fire District, outside the city	45 + 23.1 + 46.4 + 7	$1.215	$243.00
Mayfield Independent schools, outside a city	45 + 23.1 + 68.9	$1.37	$274.00
Mayfield (city levy + Mayfield Independent schools)	45 + 23.1 + 68.9 + 34	$1.71	$342.00
Wingo (city levy + Wingo Fire District)	45 + 23.1 + 46.4 + 46 + 7	$1.675	$335.00

The baseline is the figure used to rank all 120 counties. School district and city lines do not always match, so your notice shows the school district, any fire district, and any city levy for your address. Source: Kentucky Department of Revenue 2026 MOTAX Rate Book, Graves County 042.

How the Vehicle Is Valued

January 1 is the assessment date. Under KRS 132.485 the standard value is the vehicle's average trade-in value in the J.D. Power valuation manual, not the rough or clean trade-in value and not the price you paid. Vehicles 20 or more years old use their 19th-year value, reduced 10% for each year beyond 19. The Property Valuation Administrator (PVA) may adjust the value when you show that the standard value does not reflect the vehicle's condition, options, mileage, or title.

Estimated 2026 Graves County Vehicle Tax

Assessed Value	Baseline ($1.145)	Mayfield ($1.71)	Wingo ($1.675)
$10,000.00	$114.50	$171.00	$167.50
$20,000.00	$229.00	$342.00	$335.00
$30,000.00	$343.50	$513.00	$502.50
$40,000.00	$458.00	$684.00	$670.00

Property tax only. The plate registration fee is billed separately with your renewal and is not included. The Mayfield column uses the city levy plus the Mayfield Independent school rate; the Wingo column uses the city levy plus the Wingo Fire District and the county school rate. For other combinations, use the Kentucky car tax calculator.

When and How to Pay

The Graves County Clerk, Kim Gills, collects the tax with your registration renewal at 1102 Paris Road, Suite 5, in Mayfield (registration renewal (270) 247-1676; office hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). The Clerk's site lets you check paid motor vehicle taxes with your VIN, and you can email your insurance to the office before a motor vehicle visit. Driver's licenses are handled separately by the Circuit Clerk. Under KRS 134.810, the tax is due by the last day of the renewal month, or by the last day of the month the vehicle is transferred if that comes first. Once the tax is delinquent, late payment adds a 3% penalty if paid within 30 days of becoming delinquent (waived if paid within 5 days), 10% after that, plus 15% annual interest (KRS 134.810).

Disputing a value: assessment questions go to the Graves County PVA, not the Clerk. Under Kentucky Department of Revenue guidance, talk to the PVA first; if that does not resolve it, a written protest goes to the Department of Revenue within 60 days of the date of notice.

Kentucky has no state relief on the first $20,000 of vehicle value like Virginia's PPTRA. For how a relief program changes a car tax bill, see our Virginia PPTRA explained guide.

Real Estate Tax

2025 Rates

The 2025 baseline real estate rate in Graves County is $0.797 per $100 of assessed value: the 10.6-cent state residential rate, Graves County's 23.9-cent county-wide rate (general fiscal court 9.3, library 5.5, extension 3.5, health 3.5, and J U Kevil Memorial Foundation 2.1 cents), and the 45.2-cent Graves County school rate, per the Kentucky Department of Revenue's 2025 Property Tax Rate Book. That baseline is the 8th lowest of Kentucky's 120 county baselines, well below the statewide median of $0.992. On a $250,000 assessment it comes to about $1,992.50 a year.

Graves County School District, City, and Fire District Real Estate Rates (2025, cents per $100)

Location	Stack	Total	Tax on $250,000
Graves County schools, outside a city or fire district (baseline)	10.6 + 23.9 + 45.2	$0.797	$1,992.50
Symsonia Fire District	10.6 + 23.9 + 45.2 + 10	$0.897	$2,242.50
Mayfield Independent schools, outside a city	10.6 + 23.9 + 72.1	$1.066	$2,665.00
Mayfield (city 21.2 + Mayfield Independent)	10.6 + 23.9 + 72.1 + 21.2	$1.278	$3,195.00
Wingo (city 46 + Wingo Fire District 7)	10.6 + 23.9 + 45.2 + 46 + 7	$1.327	$3,317.50

Three watershed districts tax real estate inside their boundaries: Obion Creek (5.47 cents), West Fork Clarks Creek #2 (50 cents), and West Fork Mayfield Creek #1 (6.7 cents). The state's rate book also notes a fire fee of $40 per county residence outside Mayfield and the Wingo and Symsonia fire districts, and a timberland fire protection charge of 2.0 cents per acre. Source: Kentucky Department of Revenue 2025 Property Tax Rate Book, Graves County 042.

Tax year 2026: the state's 2026 Property Tax Rate Book was not yet published at our last check, so the 2026 Graves County real estate stack is not shown here. Your 2026 bill shows the rates that apply to your parcel.

Assessment, Bills, and Due Dates

The Graves County PVA, Lee Martin, assesses property; the office is at 1102 Paris Road, Suite 2, in Mayfield ((270) 247-3301; 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central, Monday through Friday), per the Department of Revenue's PVA directory. Homestead and disability exemptions require an application filed with the PVA.

The Graves County Sheriff collects the county bill ((270) 247-4501). The Sheriff's property tax page says that "unless otherwise advised," taxes are payable beginning October 1, with a 2% discount from October 1 to November 1, the face amount from November 2 to December 31, a 5% penalty from January 1 to January 31, and a 21% penalty from February 1 to April 15. Bills not paid by April 15 go to the Graves County Clerk for collection. The page prints no tax year, so the dates on your bill control; if you have not received a bill by October 10, the Sheriff recommends requesting a duplicate. You can pay by mail, in person (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday), or online through the Sheriff's site. Mayfield and Wingo city bills are separate; check with each city hall for their dates.

Homestead Exemption

Homeowners who own and live in their home and are 65 or older, or classified as totally disabled, can deduct $49,100 from the home's assessed value for the 2025-2026 assessment years (Kentucky Department of Revenue; KRS 132.810). Applications go to the Graves County PVA.

Sales Tax

Rate and Composition

The sales tax rate in Graves County is 6%, the same as everywhere in Kentucky. The Kentucky Department of Revenue states that there are no local sales and use taxes in Kentucky, so Mayfield and Wingo add no local sales tax. Food and food ingredients for human consumption (groceries) are exempt under KRS 139.485. Candy, soft drinks, prepared food, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and dietary supplements are taxable at 6%.

Source: Kentucky Department of Revenue - Sales and Use Tax.

How Graves County Compares Across Kentucky

Graves County's 2026 vehicle baseline of $1.145 is the 21st lowest of Kentucky's 120 county baselines, below the statewide median of $1.2138; the statewide baselines run from $0.925 (Martin County) to $1.454 (Casey County). Its neighbor McCracken County (Paducah) has a $1.2029 baseline, and Marshall County ($1.158), Calloway County ($1.172), Hickman County ($1.175), and Carlisle County ($1.1889) are all slightly higher than Graves. Its 2025 real estate baseline of $0.797 is the 8th lowest of the 120 county baselines. Compare other Kentucky county pages: Jefferson County ($1.201), Fayette County ($1.2175), Kenton County ($1.3563), Warren County ($1.235), Boone County ($1.157), Hardin County ($1.1416), Daviess County ($1.194), Madison County ($1.266), Campbell County ($1.171), Bullitt County ($1.1325), Oldham County ($1.33683), Scott County ($1.284), Jessamine County ($1.208), Shelby County ($1.1625), Franklin County ($1.254), Nelson County ($1.1835), Woodford County ($1.1123), Henderson County ($1.171), Clark County ($1.2005), McCracken County ($1.2029), Barren County ($1.1859), Christian County ($1.176), Anderson County ($1.173), Pulaski County ($1.0972), Laurel County ($1.0828), Hopkins County ($1.1535), Spencer County ($1.183), Bourbon County ($1.247), Pike County ($1.2379), Whitley County ($1.1729), Montgomery County ($1.2582), and Knox County ($1.3148). See all 120 counties on the Kentucky county tax map.