Marietta vs. Smyrna vs. Kennesaw vs. Mableton: taxes, schools

Last checked Oct. 5, 2026. Sources are linked in each table: the Cobb County Tax Commissioner’s 2026 rate chart (PDF), the cities’ own pages, the state’s 2025 School Grades data, Zillow Research and the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey.

Marietta’s three nearest neighbors that are cities are Smyrna, about seven miles southeast; Kennesaw, about seven miles northwest; and Mableton, about 10 miles south. Fair Oaks and Vinings are closer, but they are unincorporated communities governed by Cobb County, with no city government to compare. All four cities are in Cobb County and pay the same county general tax. What differs is the school district, the city tax rate and who provides police, fire and trash service. This page sets out the official figures; it does not rank the cities.

What this means for you

• The city line decides your taxes, schools and services, not the mailing address. A house with a “Marietta” address can be in unincorporated Cobb County.
• Marietta is the only one of the four with its own school district. The other three are in the Cobb County School District.
• Compare the whole bill, not the city rate. Mableton levies no city general tax in 2026, but its homes pay the county fire and county school levies that Marietta homes do not.

Property tax rates

Rates are in mills for the 2026 tax year, from the Cobb County Tax Commissioner’s 2026 Millage Rates of Cobb County Bills (PDF). One mill is $1 per $1,000 of assessed value, and Georgia assesses property at 40% of fair market value.

Some properties pay more. In Marietta, the Downtown Marietta Development Authority district adds 1.272 mills and the Gateway Marietta Community Improvement District adds 5. In Mableton, the chart lists a Public Safety Special Services District at 4.50 mills, for a total of 34.63, and a Six Flags Area Special Services District at 3.50 mills, for 33.63.

A worked example, before any exemption: a home with a fair market value of $400,000 is assessed at $160,000. At the total rates above, the year’s tax is $4,979.52 in Marietta, $5,784.00 in Smyrna, $6,284.80 in Kennesaw and $4,820.80 in Mableton outside its special districts. The county’s notes on the chart say its basic $10,000 homestead exemption saves $271.60 on the county share of the bill.

Tax rates in one chart

Homestead exemptions and due dates

Each city publishes its own rules:

The Cobb County bill, which every Cobb homeowner gets, is due Oct. 15. Details for Marietta are in our property tax guide.

High schools in each city

Scores are each school’s 2025 College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) from the state’s School Grades data. The list is the public high schools that the state’s data gives a mailing address in each city; a mailing address is not a city line, and attendance zones decide which school serves a home.

Every address inside Marietta is zoned to Marietta High. In the other three cities, the Cobb County School District assigns schools by address. Our schools guide covers Marietta’s district.

Home values

From the Zillow Home Value Index city file, a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price:

Home values in one chart

Census figures

From the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates, tables DP05, DP03 and DP04. Each city’s summary is also on QuickFacts.

The Census home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, averaged over five years, so it runs below Zillow’s current figure. The Census Bureau’s 2019-2023 release listed Mableton as a Census-designated place; the 2020-2024 release lists it as a city.

City services

Who provides the service, from each city’s own pages and the county’s tax chart:

We could not confirm Mableton’s police and trash arrangements from the city’s own website for this guide, so it is not in the table. The county’s chart shows Mableton bills carry the 2.97-mill Cobb County fire levy, and part of the city pays the Public Safety Special Services District levy. Marietta also runs its own electric and water utility, Marietta Power and Water; some addresses get power from Georgia Power or Cobb EMC instead. See our moving guide.

How to check an address

• Is it in the city? For Marietta, use the city’s property search tool, which also shows the zoned schools. For any Cobb County address, the Cobb County Board of Tax Assessors, 770-528-3100, can confirm the tax district.
• Which schools? Inside Marietta, the property search tool. Elsewhere in Cobb, ask the Cobb County School District which schools serve the address.
• What will the tax be? The Cobb County Tax Commissioner’s tax estimator estimates a bill for a given value and tax district.

For Marietta’s own areas, start with our neighborhoods guide.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 2026 property tax rates in Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw and Mableton?

The Cobb County Tax Commissioner’s 2026 chart puts the total rate at 31.122 mills in Marietta, 36.15 in Smyrna, 39.28 in Kennesaw and 30.13 in Mableton, before exemptions. Parts of Mableton also pay a 4.5-mill public safety special services district levy.

Is Marietta in the Cobb County School District?

No. Homes inside Marietta city limits are served by Marietta City Schools, which levies 17.97 mills. Smyrna, Kennesaw and Mableton are served by the Cobb County School District, which levies 18.70 mills.

What is the typical home value in Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw and Mableton?

In August 2026, the Zillow Home Value Index was $471,117 in Marietta, $443,309 in Smyrna, $401,829 in Kennesaw and $349,892 in Mableton. It is a modeled typical value, not a sale price.

How long is the commute from Marietta compared with Smyrna, Kennesaw and Mableton?

The Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 estimates put the mean travel time to work at 27.5 minutes for Marietta residents, 28.6 for Kennesaw, 29.8 for Smyrna and 30.7 for Mableton.