Property tax in Otero County, Colorado
The median property tax bill in Otero County, Colorado is $520 a year, which is about 0.31% of the county's median home value of $168,900. That effective rate is lower than the typical Colorado county (0.39%) and lower than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Otero County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Otero County's average effective rate of 0.31% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $524 / year
Property tax in Otero County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $520 |
| Median home value | $168,900 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.31% |
| Typical Colorado county rate | 0.39% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Otero County compare in Colorado?
Among Colorado's 64 counties, Otero County has the 52nd highest effective property-tax rate: 51 rank higher and 12 rank lower. That is on the lower side for Colorado. Nationally, it ranks 3065th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Colorado county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Otero County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Otero County's 5,229 owner-occupied homes, 2.5% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 6.6% pay at least $2,000, and 68.9% pay under $800. Another 2.9% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 3,604 | 68.9% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 849 | 16.2% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 279 | 5.3% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 216 | 4.1% |
| $3,000 or more | 131 | 2.5% |
| No property tax paid | 150 | 2.9% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $674 and owners without one pay $399. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.
How does the Otero County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $520 is about 0.8% of the median income of Otero County homeowner households, $64,915 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 68.9% of Otero County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Otero County?
Yes. The median bill went from $453 in 2015-2019 to $520 in 2020-2024, a 14.8% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 78%, from $94,900 to $168,900. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Otero County
Otero County borders 5 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kiowa County, CO | 0.58% | $939 | $161,500 |
| Pueblo County, CO | 0.5% | $1,467 | $291,300 |
| Crowley County, CO | 0.45% | $521 | $116,200 |
| Bent County, CO | 0.35% | $517 | $146,900 |
| Otero County, CO (this county) | 0.31% | $520 | $168,900 |
| Las Animas County, CO | 0.23% | $535 | $237,600 |
How is a home assessed in Otero County?
Colorado assesses homes at 6.8% of market value in every county, Otero County included. How Colorado assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Otero County?
No. Colorado has no general homestead exemption; the closest broad relief is a 10% reduction on the first $700,000 of value for the local government portion, which applies to all residential property. That is the Colorado rule, and it applies in Otero County. Colorado's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Otero County?
Bills cover the preceding year and are mailed soon after January 1. If your tax is over $25 you can pay in full by April 30 or in two halves due the last day of February and June 15. Bills of $25 or less must be paid in full by April 30.
Colorado splits the bill into 2 installments. That is the Colorado rule. Otero County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Otero County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the County assessor, then the County Board of Equalization, then the Board of Assessment Appeals, district court, or binding arbitration. The filing deadline is typically June 8. That is the Colorado rule; Otero County sets the exact dates and forms. The Colorado appeal process step by step.
Colorado rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Colorado page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Otero County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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Colorado income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Colorado actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Otero County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Otero County, Colorado: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.