Hamilton County, Ohio Sales Tax Rate
Buying in Cincinnati or anywhere in Hamilton County? The combined sales tax rate is 7.80%. Below is the full breakdown and a calculator already set to Hamilton County.
Hamilton County Rate Breakdown
Bordering County Savings Radar
How Hamilton's 7.80% rate compares on a $100.00 purchase across county lines
Retail Purchases
Under R.C. 5739.033(B)(1), sales made by Ohio vendors are origin-sourced to where the order is received. Out-of-state remote sellers shipping to Hamilton County charge this 7.80% destination rate.
Vehicle Titling
Under R.C. 4505.06, motor vehicles are taxed strictly by your county of residence at titling. On a $30,000 vehicle, Hamilton County residents owe $2,340.00.
Groceries & Medicine
Unprepared food for human consumption and prescription drugs are 100% exempt ($0 tax) statewide in Hamilton County under the Ohio Constitution (Art. XII, § 13), R.C. 5739.02(B)(2) (food), and R.C. 5739.02(B)(18) (prescription drugs).
Hamilton County's 7.80% rate sits above the statewide average of 7.14%. Across Ohio, combined rates run from 6.50% to 8.00%. Compare all 88 Ohio county rates side by side.
Whether you're shopping in Cincinnati or anywhere else in Hamilton County, a taxable purchase adds 2.05% in county and transit tax on top of Ohio's 5.75% state base — the 7.80% combined rate shown above. No other Ohio county charges exactly this rate. Cars, general merchandise, and prepared restaurant food are all taxed at 7.80%, while unprepared groceries and prescription drugs stay exempt statewide.
Ranked against the rest of the state, Hamilton County is the 3rd-highest of Ohio's 88 counties. In hard numbers that matters most on big-ticket buys: a $30,000.00 car costs $2,340.00 in sales tax here. Registering the same car in Butler County (6.50%, Ohio's lowest) would cost $1,950.00 — a $390.00 difference. At the other end, Cuyahoga County (8.00%) would charge $2,400.00. Ohio taxes a vehicle at the rate of the buyer's county of residence, not the dealer's, so the county on your registration is the one that sets the bill.
Hamilton County is seated at Cincinnati, covers 407 square miles and is home to 827,878 people — the 3rd-most-populous of Ohio's 88 counties, at about 2,032 people per square mile. 78 ZIP codes fall inside it, running from 45001 to 45999, and every one of them pays the same 7.80% — Ohio municipalities cannot levy a sales tax of their own, so there is no city surcharge anywhere in the county. Hamilton County also borders Indiana and Kentucky, where a different state's sales tax applies entirely — Ohio's 5.75% base does not follow you across the state line, but Ohio use tax generally does when you bring the item home.
Population: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimate (2023).
Calculate tax in Hamilton County
Calculate Ohio Sales Tax
Ohio · 2026 tax year · all 88 countiesCalculate total cost and exact Ohio state + county tax on your pre-tax purchase.
An official 2026 estimate based on Ohio Department of Taxation rate schedules (R.C. 5739.02). Actual checkout receipts round intermediate fractions per R.C. 5739.025.
Hamilton County sales tax by purchase amount
| Purchase | Sales Tax (7.80%) | Total |
|---|---|---|
| $1.00 | $0.08 | $1.08 |
| $5.00 | $0.39 | $5.39 |
| $10.00 | $0.78 | $10.78 |
| $25.00 | $1.95 | $26.95 |
| $50.00 | $3.90 | $53.90 |
| $100.00 | $7.80 | $107.80 |
| $500.00 | $39.00 | $539.00 |
| $1,000.00 | $78.00 | $1,078.00 |
Groceries and prescription drugs are exempt statewide, so they carry $0 tax in Hamilton County. Prepared food and general merchandise are taxed at 7.80%.
Hamilton County sales tax FAQ
Statutory guidance reconciled against official Ohio Department of Taxation regulations, county permissive levies, and R.C. 5739 sourcing rules.
The combined sales tax rate in Hamilton County is 7.80% in 2026. That is Ohio's 5.75% state base plus a 2.05% county and transit portion.
At 7.80%, sales tax on a $100 taxable purchase in Hamilton County is $7.80, for a total of $107.80.
No. Unprepared groceries and prescription drugs are exempt from Ohio sales tax statewide, so they are not taxed in Hamilton County. Prepared food is taxable at 7.80%.
78 Ohio ZIP codes have Hamilton County as their primary county, including 45001, 45002, 45030, 45033, 45041. All of them use the 7.80% combined rate. Because ZIP boundaries can cross county lines, a delivery address near the county line should be checked against Ohio's rate-by-address lookup.
Hamilton County borders Butler (6.50%), Clermont (6.75%), Warren (7.25%), plus Indiana and Kentucky. Butler County is the cheapest at 6.50%, 1.30% below Hamilton's 7.80%.
At 7.80%, Hamilton County has the 3rd-highest combined sales tax rate of Ohio's 88 counties. Statewide, combined rates run from 6.50% to 8.00%.
Counties bordering Hamilton County
Hamilton County shares a line with 3 other Ohio counties plus Indiana and Kentucky. Crossing one of these lines genuinely changes the bill — though which side counts depends on who is selling: an Ohio seller charges its own county's rate on an intrastate sale, while an out-of-state or marketplace seller charges yours.
| County | Combined rate | vs Hamilton | Tax on $30,000.00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County | 6.50% | −1.30% | $1,950.00 |
| Clermont County | 6.75% | −1.05% | $2,025.00 |
| Warren County | 7.25% | −0.55% | $2,175.00 |
Butler County is the cheapest county touching Hamilton at 6.50% — $390.00 less tax on a $30,000.00 vehicle. That only helps you if you actually live there: Ohio charges vehicle sales tax at the rate of the buyer's county of residence, not the seller's.
ZIP codes in Hamilton County (7.80% sales tax)
78 Ohio ZIP codes have Hamilton County as its primary county. Every address in them pays the same 7.80% combined rate — 5.75% state plus 2.05% county and transit.
- 45001
- 45002
- 45030
- 45033
- 45041
- 45051
- 45052
- 45111
- 45174
- 45201
- 45202
- 45203
- 45204
- 45205
- 45206
- 45207
- 45208
- 45209
- 45211
- 45212
- 45213
- 45214
- 45215
- 45216
- 45217
- 45218
- 45219
- 45220
- 45221
- 45222
- 45223
- 45224
- 45225
- 45226
- 45227
- 45229
- 45230
- 45231
- 45232
- 45233
- 45234
- 45235
- 45236
- 45237
- 45238
- 45239
- 45240
- 45241
- 45242
- 45243
- 45244
- 45246
- 45247
- 45248
- 45249
- 45250
- 45251
- 45252
- 45253
- 45254
- 45255
- 45258
- 45262
- 45263
- 45264
- 45267
- 45268
- 45269
- 45270
- 45271
- 45273
- 45274
- 45277
- 45280
- 45296
- 45298
- 45299
- 45999
ZIP codes are a USPS delivery construct and a few straddle county lines, so a border address can fall in a different taxing county than its ZIP suggests. Check any borderline address with the ZIP code sales tax lookup or Ohio's official rate-by-address finder before you file.
Cities in Hamilton County
Compare Hamilton County rates
- Butler — 6.50%
- Cuyahoga — 8.00%
- Franklin — 8.00%
- Lucas — 7.75%
- Montgomery — 7.50%
- Stark — 6.50%
- Summit — 6.75%
- See all 88 counties →
- Browse Ohio rates by city →
Major city rate: Looking for municipal shopping and business rules? Consult our dedicated Cincinnati sales tax guide.
Bordering counties: Compare Hamilton County (7.80%) with neighboring Butler County (6.50%), Clermont County (6.75%), and Warren County (7.25%).
Commercial sellers: Review our guide on monthly and semiannual Ohio sales tax filing deadlines to stay fully aligned with state tax regulations.
Compare statewide: See where Hamilton County ranks across the full Ohio sales tax rates by county table.
Cross-border shopping & vehicles: Buying across state lines? Check our Ohio vs. Kentucky sales tax comparison (Hamilton border) and Ohio vs. Indiana sales tax comparison (Hamilton border).
Address verification: Some postal ZIP codes in Hamilton County touch adjacent counties. To look up a precise street address, use our Ohio sales tax rate by address tool.
Ohio Sales Tax Core Reference Guides:
Rate source: the 7.80% combined rate for Hamilton County was verified against the Ohio Department of Taxation's County Rate Table by ZIP Code on . Ohio county rates change on quarterly boundaries; for a legally definitive rate at a specific street address, use the Department's The Finder lookup — our guide to using The Finder walks through it.