DeKalb County tax sale list history: the 2026 numbers

DeKalb County tax sale lists varied widely in 2026: the six sale dates BidWise analyzed ranged from 22 parcels to 221, and the number of parcels scoring 75 or higher ranged from zero to 31. List size predicted almost nothing about opportunity. What mattered was the mix of property types. Residential-heavy months produced nearly every strong deal, and land-heavy months produced almost none, whatever the headline parcel count said.

The six analyzed DeKalb sale dates

Every number below is a measured count from the analyzed index, labelled with the date the analysis was generated. A strong deal means a BidWise deal score of 75 or higher.

| Sale date | Parcels analyzed | Residential | Commercial | Land | Scored 75 or higher | Analysis generated | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | April 7, 2026 | 100 | 80 | 5 | 15 | 31 | 2026-04-29 | | May 5, 2026 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 0 | 2026-05-03 | | June 2, 2026 | 30 | 11 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 2026-05-23 | | July 7, 2026 | 35 | 2 | 8 | 25 | 0 | 2026-07-04 | | September 1, 2026 | 51 | 30 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 2026-08-30 | | October 6, 2026 | 221 | 74 | 1 | 146 | 1 | 2026-09-25 |

Across those six dates that is 459 analyzed parcels: 198 residential, 49 commercial, 212 land, and not one multi-family parcel. Thirty-nine of the 459 scored 75 or higher, or about eight percent of the year.

The headline count tells you very little

The largest list of the year was also the weakest. October 6, 2026 carried 221 analyzed parcels, more than double any other DeKalb date this year, and exactly one of them scored 75 or higher (analysis generated 2026-09-25). The April 7, 2026 list was less than half that size at 100 parcels and produced 31 parcels at or above the bar (analysis generated 2026-04-29).

A bidder who judged the October sale by its length would have cleared a whole morning for the busiest auction of the year. A bidder who read the property-type split first would have seen the reason for the gap in about ten seconds. The parcel-level detail for that date sits in the October 2026 DeKalb sale note.

A land-heavy month is a different auction

The three land-heaviest dates of 2026 were May 5, July 7, and October 6. Between them they carried 191 of the year's 212 analyzed land parcels and produced one parcel scoring 75 or higher. The three dates with a residential or commercial majority, April 7, June 2, and September 1, carried 181 parcels between them and produced 38 of the year's 39 strong deals.

There is a mechanical reason for that split. The BidWise score starts from after-repair value built on comparable sales, then subtracts an estimated rehab derived from square footage and year built, plus legal, closing, carrying, and selling costs. A vacant lot has no structure to measure for a rehab estimate, and comparable sales for land are generally thinner, which is what the confidence indicator printed with every parcel is there to show you.

None of that makes land unbuyable. It makes land a different job, with its own vacant land due diligence: zoning, access, utilities, and whether anything can be built on the lot at all. The redemption math does not change. A land parcel that gets redeemed pays the purchaser the amount paid at the sale plus a flat 20 percent premium for the first year or fraction of a year, the same as a house would, and the owner keeps a 12-month right of redemption either way.

Commercial share swung just as hard

Commercial parcels were 18 of 30 on June 2, 2026 (analysis generated 2026-05-23) and 16 of 51 on September 1, 2026 (analysis generated 2026-08-30). On October 6, 2026 there was exactly one. A commercial parcel is not a larger version of a house: the comparable-sales basis behind the estimate is different, and so is the work of selling it afterward.

The practical read is simple. A list that runs mostly commercial or mostly land can be a thin month for a residential buyer even when the parcel count looks healthy, and a short list can be the best month of the year.

How to read the next DeKalb list

Georgia tax sales are held on the first Tuesday of the month, and the next statutory date after this analysis is November 3, 2026. Whether DeKalb sells on a given first Tuesday depends on whether the county publishes a list for it.

• Start at DeKalb County tax sales for the analyzed status, the next sale date, and the analysis date printed on the page. The analysis is regenerated when the county amends what it published.
• Confirm every parcel against the county's own notice on the DeKalb Tax Commissioner tax-sales page. The county notice governs; any analysis of it is secondary.
• The free masked DeKalb sample shows street names with the numbers redacted, property type, taxes due, and an estimated value band, which is enough to size up the property mix yourself.
• Earlier sale dates are the cheapest teacher available. Reading auction results covers what a parcel's sale history tells you about how it reached the courthouse steps.

Six dates is a small sample, and the 2026 pattern is not a forecast. It does argue for one habit: read the property-type mix and the analysis date before you read the parcel count.

Frequently asked questions

How many parcels are on a DeKalb County tax sale?

There is no normal size. Across the six DeKalb sale dates analyzed in 2026, counts ran from 22 parcels on May 5, 2026 (analysis generated 2026-05-03) to 221 parcels on October 6, 2026 (analysis generated 2026-09-25). The county publishes each list ahead of its sale, and the analysis is regenerated when the county amends it, so check the DeKalb County page for the status and the analysis date before you plan a trip.

Does a bigger DeKalb tax sale list mean more good deals?

No. The largest 2026 DeKalb list, 221 parcels on October 6 (analysis generated 2026-09-25), produced a single parcel scoring 75 or higher. The April 7 list held 100 parcels and produced 31 (analysis generated 2026-04-29). Property-type mix explains the gap: April ran 80 percent residential, while October ran about two thirds vacant land. Read the split before the headline count.

What counts as a strong deal on BidWise?

A deal score of 75 or higher. The score is a formula you can audit, not a black box: after-repair value from comparable sales, minus an estimated rehab derived from square footage and year built, minus legal, closing, carrying, and selling costs, leaves a margin that maps onto a score from 0 to 100. Every parcel carries calculation notes and a confidence indicator showing how much comparable data stood behind the estimate.

Why did land-heavy DeKalb lists produce so few strong deals in 2026?

The three land-heaviest dates of 2026, May 5, July 7, and October 6, carried 191 of the year's 212 analyzed land parcels and produced one parcel scoring 75 or higher between them. A vacant lot gives the formula less to work with: there is no structure to measure for a rehab estimate, and comparable sales for land are generally thinner. Land can still work, but it needs its own due diligence.

When is the next DeKalb County tax sale?

Georgia tax sales fall on the first Tuesday of the month, and the next statutory date after this analysis is November 3, 2026. Whether DeKalb holds a sale on any given first Tuesday depends on whether the county publishes a list for it. The DeKalb County page on BidWise shows the analyzed status and the analysis date, and the DeKalb Tax Commissioner publishes the governing official notice.

Georgia tax sales convey a redeemable tax deed, not clear title. Every figure in BidWise is an estimate produced from public records and comparable sales — not an appraisal, and not investment, legal, or tax advice. Confirm every parcel against the county's official notice, and talk to a Georgia real-estate attorney before you bid.