35603 Property Tax Rate
Decatur, Alabama · Part of Morgan County
Effective Tax Rate
0.36%
40.7% above state avgMedian Annual Tax
$851
$71/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$851
Monthly
$71
Eff. Rate
0.36%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 35603 means for your housing budget
Use this ZIP page to compare recurring tax burden before you compare listing prices. The numbers below are Census ZCTA estimates, so they are strongest for neighborhood comparison and weakest for parcel-specific tax planning.
Monthly escrow signal
$71/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.01 percentage points below the Alabama average
Alabama average: 0.37%
Data confidence
High confidenceThe Census margin of error is $61, about 7% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Morgan County assessor.
- Check homestead, senior, veteran, and disability exemptions.
- Ask whether purchase triggers reassessment or value-cap reset.
- Review school district and special assessment boundaries.
Lower-rate similar ZIPs
This is informational content, not tax, legal, or mortgage advice. Local assessor records remain the source of truth for a specific property.
Data confidence ledger
Can you trust ZIP 35603 for comparison?
ACS vintage
2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Five-year Census ZCTA estimates.
ZCTA caveat
Census area, not parcel boundary
USPS ZIP routes and taxing districts can differ inside the same area.
Field completeness
3/3 required fields
Median tax, home value, and derived rate are present.
MOE status
Strong ACS confidence
$61 tax MOE, 7% of the median tax estimate.
Last site refresh
March 10, 2026
Dataset and page-quality audit run locally before publication.
County fallback
County advisory available
Morgan County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 35603
Use the ZIP estimate to compare neighborhoods, then verify these parcel-level inputs before relying on a payment estimate.
Assessed value
The ZCTA median home value is $235,600, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 0.36%, derived from median tax paid divided by median home value.
Exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, disability, and local exemptions can reduce taxable value. Confirm eligibility before estimating escrow.
Reassessment
A purchase can change assessed value depending on Alabama and county rules. Ask how sale price affects the next assessment cycle.
Escrow impact
The median tax paid in this ZCTA equals about $71 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Morgan County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 35603 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 35603
0.36%
Effective rate
Alabama Avg
0.37%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in Alabama
Higher than 58% of ZIP codes in Alabama(58th percentile, 551 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 35603
Property owners in ZIP code 35603 (Decatur, Alabama) pay a median of $851/year in property taxes on homes valued at $235,600. This translates to an effective tax rate of 0.36%, which is near the Alabama state average of 0.37%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 35603 is approximately $71, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Morgan County. This is $246 more than the Alabama average of $605/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in Alabama, 35603 has lower property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 36037 (0.36%) and 36105 (0.36%).
In Decatur, property taxes represent approximately 1.1% of the median household income of $78,237, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
Alabama has no statewide property tax cap; Morgan County reassesses at full market value when you buy, resetting the tax base upward. Veterans may qualify for a property tax exemption depending on disability status — verify eligibility with the Morgan County Assessor, who administers both homestead (age 65+, income under $12,500) and veteran exemptions. Contact the Morgan County Assessor's office before the end of the calendar year to apply for any available exemptions and confirm your assessed value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 35603?
How much are property taxes in Decatur, AL (35603)?
How does ZIP 35603 compare to the Alabama average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 35603?
What county is ZIP code 35603 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$61. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 35603 is part of Morgan County, Alabama. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Morgan County on TaxByCounty →Explore Decatur, AL
View all 2 ZIP codes in Decatur with property tax comparisons.
View Decatur Property Tax Rates →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 35603
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
35775
Valhermoso Springs, AL
0.09 percentage points lower than ZIP 35603.
Rate
0.27%
Tax
$199
Quality
77
35622
Falkville, AL
0.08 percentage points lower than ZIP 35603.
Rate
0.28%
Tax
$493
Quality
84
35621
Eva, AL
0.07 percentage points lower than ZIP 35603.
Rate
0.29%
Tax
$534
Quality
84
35670
Somerville, AL
0.05 percentage points lower than ZIP 35603.
Rate
0.31%
Tax
$517
Quality
89
35640
Hartselle, AL
0.03 percentage points lower than ZIP 35603.
Rate
0.33%
Tax
$652
Quality
89
35213
Birmingham, AL
$517,800 higher median home value than ZIP 35603.
Rate
0.77%
Tax
$5,785
Quality
94
35223
Birmingham, AL
$508,800 higher median home value than ZIP 35603.
Rate
0.87%
Tax
$6,445
Quality
94
36052
Mathews, AL
0.13 percentage points lower than ZIP 35603.
Rate
0.23%
Tax
$1,250
Quality
82
Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates (ZCTA level). ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census approximations of USPS ZIP codes.
Estimates are informational only and should not be used as financial or legal advice.