Definition of "Assessment ratio"

Myrna  Strain real estate agent

Written by

Myrna Strainelite badge icon

Watson Realty Corp

When a real estate owner wants to know what their property tax liability is, they calculate the assessment ratio for their property. An assessment ration is a relationship between a real estate's assessed valuation and its market value. In order to know what is the assessment ratio for any personal property or real estate, a homeowner needs to learn what the assessed value of the property is and its market value. In order to discover a property’s assessment ratio, one needs to divide the assessed value of the property by the asking price of the property. The assessment ratio is rarely at 100%, as the two values rarely match. So let’s see how the assessment ratio works.

How does the assessment ratio work?

As mentioned above, the math to discover the property’s assessment ratio is relatively simple. Getting the two values can be slightly trickier. 

Firstly, you need to know that the assessed value is a value that the authorities, in this case, a government assessor, sets for the property annually to calculate the annual property tax of the owner. In order to calculate the assessed value of a property, the assessor needs the property’s market value, which is multiplied by the assessment rate. The assessment rate is set at the district or county level.

The second element of the equation is the market value of the property. That is relatively straightforward as it is the actual price of the property if it were put on the market. For this, one needs to consider the supply and demand present on the market at that time, the structure of the real estate, materials used, aesthetics, etc. 

The difference between a property’s market value and its assessed value gives homeowners a good understanding of the market’s current condition, discouraged or promising. If the two values are equal or close to being, then the market is promising; if the values are distant, the market is discouraged.

The formula for the assessment ratio is: 

Market Value/Assessed Value = Assessment Ratio%

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

An actual location’s elevation defines the height or space below or above an established reference point. We call this point geoid, a math model of our planet’s sea level. ...

- What are the closing costs?Closing costs are the fees and expenses paid during Closing. They are not included in the final purchase price of the property.- How much are the closing ...

The adjudication definition is a legal ruling or judgment used in the justice system when a case is settled or finalized. To define adjudication, we must look at the justice system and how ...

Insulating material attached to crevices around doors and windows to prevent air from either entering or escaping from a structure. Tacked, stapled, or glued onto the surfaces of the doors ...

Giving one's approval to another, e.g., a fiduciary, to manage his or her finances. ...

Large scale map of an urban area detailing land use. City plans are essential for projecting the growth, development, and redevelopment of the urban area. The major objective of a city plan ...

An easement granted to a public utility. ...

Amount by which the appraised value of property exceeds the debt balance. If property has a fair market value of $ 250,000 while the mortgage balance is $110,000, the owner's equity in the ...

An adjustment to the internal rate of return (IRR) computation so as to improve this measure. This uses a risk-free after-tax rate and a customary rate for money reinvestment. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions