The median Pine Lake homeowner pays $3,745/year in property taxes. That is 4.69% of median household income. See how Pine Lake compares and check your savings potential.
With fewer than 900 residents, Pine Lake is one of the smallest cities in Georgia, a wooded pocket of DeKalb County that began in the 1930s as a summer cottage colony around its namesake lake and later grew into a longtime haven for artists and musicians. The cottages became year-round homes decades ago, and their values have followed the metro market up. The typical Pine Lake house is now worth about $296,200, about 17 percent below the DeKalb County median of $357,800. What sets Pine Lake apart on paper is the burden. DeKalb's effective property tax rate is about 1.75 percent, and once the city's own levy is layered on top, the typical homeowner here spends roughly 4.7 percent of household income on property taxes, an unusually high ratio for metro Atlanta even against a median household income of $79,792. When the burden runs that high, an inflated assessment costs real money every year it goes unchallenged. And inflated assessments come easily in a place like this. The middle half of DeKalb County homes falls between roughly $237,245 and $559,874, and appraisal models tuned to conventional subdivisions struggle to price a lakeside grid of one-of-a-kind cottages. Comparable sales inside the city are scarce, so the county leans on sales elsewhere that may not resemble your home at all. You get 45 days from the date on your assessment notice to challenge the value under Georgia law. After that, it is locked in for the year.
Pine Lake Appeal Quick Facts
The median home in Pine Lake is valued at $296,200, and the typical homeowner pays about $3,745 per year in property tax (Census ACS 2024), based on DeKalb County's 4.379% combined millage applied to 40% of fair market value after exemptions. That means the typical Pine Lake homeowner spends 4.69% of household income on property taxes alone. Even though Pine Lake home values fall below the DeKalb County average, the tax burden here is significant relative to household income. A lower home value does not mean your assessment is automatically correct. Overassessments happen at every price point, and correcting one can meaningfully reduce your annual bill. At $296,200, Pine Lake home values are 17% below the DeKalb County median, 74% above Georgia's statewide median of $170,200, 6% below the national median of $318,000.
Check If Your Pine Lake Home Is Overassessed
Brookhaven leads DeKalb County in home values, but your individual assessment could still be too high regardless of where Pine Lake falls in the county ranking.
In smaller communities like Pine Lake, finding comparable sales can be harder. Expand your search to other parts of DeKalb County. The Board of Equalization understands limited inventory in small towns. Focus on homes with similar square footage and condition, even if they are several miles away. For the full evidence strategy, exemption details, and step-by-step filing instructions, see our DeKalb County Property Tax Guide.
Based on a combined tax rate of 4.379%. Your actual rate may vary by tax district.
A 10% reduction on the median Pine Lake home ($296,200 down by $29,620) would save approximately $519 per year, or $1,557 over three years with the 299c value freeze.
At 4.69% of household income, even a modest reduction in your assessed value makes a real difference in your annual budget.
Property tax appeals in Pine Lake are filed with the DeKalb County Board of Assessors. You have 45 days from the date of your assessment notice to submit a PT-311A form.
DeKalb County Board of Assessors: 120 West Trinity Place, Room 208, Decatur, GA 30030 | 404-371-0841 For the full appeal process and deadline details, see our DeKalb County Property Tax Guide.
Based on 2024 American Community Survey estimates and DeKalb County millage rates.