Hopkins County Tax Rates

Hopkins County Tax Rates - At a Glance

Hopkins County, Kentucky Tax Rates Summary

Tax Type	Rate	Notes
Vehicle Property (Car) Tax	$1.1535 per $100 (2026)	Baseline: state 45 + county-wide 15.65 + Hopkins County schools 54.7 cents, outside the cities; Madisonville $1.3035; J.D. Power average trade-in value on January 1
Real Estate Tax	$0.993 per $100 (2025)	Baseline: state 10.6 + county-wide 20.5 + Hopkins County schools 68.2 cents; city and district rates add by address
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 Hopkins County baseline is $1.1535 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, Hopkins County's 15.65-cent county-wide rate (general 10.3, health 3.9, and extension 1.45 cents), and the 54.7-cent Hopkins County school rate. Every county, school, and city rate is the same as in 2025. The Earlington Fire Protection District and the county's five floodplain districts levy 0 cents on vehicles.

Hopkins County has one independent school district, Dawson Springs Independent, whose 68.7-cent rate replaces the county school rate where it applies (14 cents more). Nine cities add a city levy by address.

Hopkins County City Vehicle Levies (2026, cents per $100)

City	City Levy	Total With State, County-Wide, and County School	Tax on $20,000
Madisonville	+15	$1.3035	$260.70
Dawson Springs	+19	$1.3435	$268.70
Earlington	+23.5	$1.3885	$277.70
Hanson	+15.9	$1.3125	$262.50
Mortons Gap	+15.8	$1.3115	$262.30
Nebo	+13.3	$1.2865	$257.30
Nortonville	+22.9	$1.3825	$276.50
Saint Charles	+10.1	$1.2545	$250.90
White Plains	+25	$1.4035	$280.70

Totals use the Hopkins County school rate. Where Dawson Springs Independent applies, add 14 cents (for example $1.4835 for a Dawson Springs city address in that district). Your notice shows the city and school district for your address. Source: Kentucky Department of Revenue 2026 MOTAX Rate Book, Hopkins County 054.

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 Hopkins County Vehicle Tax

Assessed Value	Outside the Cities ($1.1535)	Madisonville ($1.3035)
$10,000.00	$115.35	$130.35
$20,000.00	$230.70	$260.70
$30,000.00	$346.05	$391.05
$40,000.00	$461.40	$521.40

Property tax only. The plate registration fee is billed separately with your renewal and is not included. For other combinations, use the Kentucky car tax calculator.

When and How to Pay

The Hopkins County Clerk, Keenan Woodruff, licenses vehicles at 24 Union Street in Madisonville ((270) 821-7361; vehicle licensing fax (270) 326-2091), and the vehicle property tax is collected with the registration renewal. 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 Hopkins 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 Hopkins County is $0.993 per $100 of assessed value: the 10.6-cent state residential rate, Hopkins County's 20.5-cent county-wide rate (general fiscal court 13.7, health 3.9, and extension 2.9 cents), and the 68.2-cent Hopkins County school rate, per the Kentucky Department of Revenue's 2025 Property Tax Rate Book. That is about $2,482.50 on a $250,000 assessment outside the cities, just above the statewide median baseline of $0.992.

A Madisonville home totals $1.101 (about $2,752.50 on $250,000). Cities, the Dawson Springs Independent school district, the Earlington Fire Protection District, and five floodplain districts add or replace rates where they apply.

Hopkins County City, School, and District Real Estate Levies (2025, cents per $100)

Levy	Type	Rate	Total
Madisonville	City	+10.8	$1.101
Dawson Springs	City	+43.4	$1.427 with county schools
Earlington	City	+18.1	$1.174
Hanson	City	+14.3	$1.136
Mortons Gap	City	+7.9	$1.072
Nebo	City	+10.2	$1.095
Nortonville	City	+23.4	$1.227
Saint Charles	City (see note)	+8.8	$1.081
White Plains	City	+4	$1.033
Dawson Springs Independent	School district (replaces county school 68.2)	74.7	$1.058 outside a city
Earlington Fire Protection District	Special district (where it applies)	+10	$1.093 outside the cities
Floodplain districts: Flat Creek 50, Narge Creek 50, Lower Tradewater River 36.449, Upper Pond River 14.16, Pond River/West Fork 6	Special districts (where they apply)	as listed	-

The state's rate book notes that the City of Saint Charles "has not provided rates since tax year 2019", so its listed rate may be out of date. The Sheriff's FAQ notes that its rate calculation leaves out "any volunteer fire department fee or watershed tax". Source: Kentucky Department of Revenue 2025 Property Tax Rate Book, Hopkins County 054.

Tax year 2026: the state's 2026 Property Tax Rate Book was not yet published at our last check, so the 2026 Hopkins 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 Hopkins County PVA, Joe Blue, assesses property; the office is at 25 East Center Street in Madisonville ((270) 821-3092), per the Department of Revenue's PVA directory. Homestead and disability exemptions require an application filed with the PVA.

The Hopkins County Sheriff collects the county bill from 261 Responders Lane in Madisonville ((270) 821-5661). The Sheriff's tax FAQ says bills are normally mailed on September 30 and collection begins October 1, and lists these collection dates: 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. Unpaid bills then transfer to the Hopkins County Clerk ((270) 326-2097). Payment must be in full; the Sheriff accepts cash, check, money order, cashier's check, and credit cards (the card processor charges 2.5% plus $0.30), and bills can be paid online from the Sheriff's tax page. The FAQ does not print a tax year, so the dates on your bill control.

The City of Madisonville's Finance Department collects city property taxes. For Madisonville and the other cities' bill dates, check with your city hall.

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 Hopkins County PVA.

Sales Tax

Rate and Composition

The sales tax rate in Hopkins 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 Madisonville, Dawson Springs, Earlington, and the other cities add nothing. 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 Hopkins County Compares Across Kentucky

Hopkins County's 2026 vehicle baseline of $1.1535 is the 24th 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). It is lower than four of its five Kentucky neighbors, including Christian County ($1.176); only Muhlenberg County ($1.1382) is lower. Its 2025 real estate baseline of $0.993 is higher than 60 of the 120 county baselines, just above the statewide median of $0.992. Compare other Kentucky county pages: Jefferson County ($1.201 vehicle baseline), 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), Clark County ($1.2005), Henderson County ($1.171), McCracken County ($1.2029), Barren County ($1.1859), Christian County ($1.176), Anderson County ($1.173), Pulaski County ($1.0972), Laurel County ($1.0828), and Spencer County ($1.183). See all 120 counties on the Kentucky county tax map.