Georgia vs Wyoming
Same underlying data as the individual state pages, side by side. Statutory rates and redemption windows only — always confirm against the county's own auction notice before bidding.
| | Georgia | Wyoming |
|---|---|---|
| Sale type | Redeemable deed | Tax lien certificate |
| Rate / penalty | 20% premium in year one, +10% each later year | 15% + one-time 3% penalty, no bidding |
| Redemption | 12 months, then until barment notice | 4+ years |
These aren't the same kind of sale: Georgia runs a redeemable deed, while Wyoming runs a tax lien certificate. That changes what you actually hold after the sale — a claim against the debt in one case, the property itself (or a right to it) in the other.
Redemption windows differ: Georgia gives owners 12 months, then until barment notice, Wyoming gives 4+ years — the state with the shorter window resolves faster, for better or worse depending on what you're optimizing for.
Georgia sells the property itself at a sheriff's or tax commissioner's sale (O.C.G.A. § 48-4-1), and the buyer receives a tax deed that stays defeasible while the right of redemption lasts. The owner or anyone with an interest can redeem within 12 months, and afterwards until the buyer forecloses the right with a barment notice under § 48-4-45, by paying the full bid plus taxes the buyer paid and a premium of 20% for the first year or fraction of a year and 10% for each year after (§ 48-4-42). Overbids become excess funds payable to the owner and lienholders (§ 48-4-5).
Full Georgia page →Wyoming certificates are sold for the amount due, with no bidding on rate or price; when several buyers want a parcel, the county draws a number. The owner repays the price plus a one-time 3% and 15% simple interest a year (W.S. 39-13-109(e)(iv)), and can redeem until the holder's deed application is accepted, which is allowed from four to six years after the sale (W.S. 39-13-108(e)(v)).
Full Wyoming page →Property & tax market
| | Georgia | Wyoming |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $303,300 | $309,700 |
| Median property tax / year | $2,341 | $1,767 |
| Tax / home value | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Tax / household income | 3.0% | 2.3% |
| Homes owned outright | 36.6% | 44.2% |
| “Other vacant” homes | 4.6% | 4.4% |
| Median year built | 1992 | 1981 |
A typical home in Georgia pays 1.3× the property tax of one in Wyoming ($2,341 against $1,767 a year). That is the scale of what a typical home owes per unpaid year in each state, and of the money a certificate or a deed sale's opening bid is built from.
Homes owned outright — where no lender has a reason to pay the delinquent bill for the owner — are 36.6% of owner-occupied homes in Georgia and 44.2% in Wyoming. The Census “other vacant” share (foreclosures, homes in legal limbo or needing repairs, abandoned homes) is 4.6% against 4.4%: about the same, so neither state's lists should carry noticeably more empty properties.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25077, B25103, B25081, B25002, B25004, B25035, B19013). Medians of what owners report paying, not statutory rates. County-level figures are on each state page.
Quick answers
Is Georgia or Wyoming a tax lien state?+
Georgia is a redeemable deed state. Wyoming is a tax lien certificate state.
Which has the higher rate, Georgia or Wyoming?+
Georgia: 20% premium in year one, +10% each later year. Wyoming: 15% + one-time 3% penalty, no bidding. Compare the actual statutory ceiling, not just the headline number — most "up to" rates get bid down at auction.
Which redeems faster, Georgia or Wyoming?+
Redemption windows differ: Georgia gives owners 12 months, then until barment notice, Wyoming gives 4+ years — the state with the shorter window resolves faster, for better or worse depending on what you're optimizing for.
Are property taxes higher in Georgia or Wyoming?+
The median homeowner pays $2,341 a year in Georgia and $1,767 in Wyoming (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates). A typical home in Georgia pays 1.3× the property tax of one in Wyoming ($2,341 against $1,767 a year). That is the scale of what a typical home owes per unpaid year in each state, and of the money a certificate or a deed sale's opening bid is built from.
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See where these two rank against all 50 states: full rankings.
This page is general information, not financial or legal advice. Rates and redemption periods are set by state statute and can change by county or legislative session — always confirm against the county's own auction notice before bidding.