Iowa property tax by county
Across Iowa's 99 counties, the typical (median) effective property-tax rate is 1.34% of a home's value. Rates vary widely by county, from 0.92% in Lyon County to 1.79% in Montgomery County. The full ranking is below; each county links to its own page. Figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Property tax rate by county in Iowa
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | 1.79% | $1,968 | $109,900 |
| Union County | 1.79% | $2,108 | $117,800 |
| Polk County | 1.76% | $4,364 | $248,400 |
| Decatur County | 1.69% | $1,856 | $109,500 |
| Linn County | 1.66% | $3,396 | $204,400 |
| Wapello County | 1.64% | $1,854 | $112,900 |
| Henry County | 1.61% | $2,394 | $148,600 |
| Pottawattamie County | 1.61% | $2,961 | $183,600 |
| Johnson County | 1.56% | $4,587 | $293,100 |
| Clinton County | 1.55% | $2,382 | $153,800 |
| Madison County | 1.55% | $3,681 | $236,900 |
| Muscatine County | 1.55% | $2,667 | $172,400 |
| Wright County | 1.54% | $1,695 | $109,800 |
| Black Hawk County | 1.53% | $2,790 | $182,400 |
| Des Moines County | 1.53% | $2,097 | $137,000 |
| Davis County | 1.52% | $2,217 | $146,000 |
| Monroe County | 1.52% | $2,065 | $135,900 |
| Scott County | 1.52% | $3,221 | $212,500 |
| Marshall County | 1.51% | $2,030 | $134,100 |
| Cerro Gordo County | 1.5% | $2,305 | $154,100 |
| Lee County | 1.5% | $1,855 | $123,600 |
| Warren County | 1.5% | $3,797 | $252,800 |
| Jefferson County | 1.49% | $2,397 | $161,200 |
| Emmet County | 1.48% | $1,570 | $106,200 |
| Lucas County | 1.48% | $1,732 | $117,000 |
| Webster County | 1.48% | $2,047 | $138,500 |
| Woodbury County | 1.48% | $2,542 | $172,000 |
| Story County | 1.47% | $3,586 | $243,600 |
| Clarke County | 1.46% | $2,335 | $160,200 |
| Mills County | 1.46% | $3,334 | $228,700 |
| Dallas County | 1.45% | $4,849 | $333,400 |
| Boone County | 1.43% | $2,741 | $191,200 |
| Cass County | 1.43% | $1,904 | $133,300 |
| Hardin County | 1.43% | $1,613 | $113,000 |
| Page County | 1.43% | $1,721 | $120,000 |
| Jasper County | 1.42% | $2,518 | $176,800 |
| Floyd County | 1.39% | $1,854 | $133,300 |
| Mahaska County | 1.39% | $1,956 | $140,900 |
| Tama County | 1.39% | $1,945 | $139,900 |
| Butler County | 1.38% | $2,158 | $156,500 |
| Clayton County | 1.38% | $2,149 | $155,700 |
| Hamilton County | 1.37% | $1,807 | $132,300 |
| Winnebago County | 1.36% | $1,800 | $132,300 |
| Bremer County | 1.35% | $2,796 | $207,200 |
| Franklin County | 1.35% | $1,597 | $118,500 |
| Iowa County | 1.35% | $2,560 | $189,800 |
| Washington County | 1.35% | $2,688 | $199,600 |
| Wayne County | 1.35% | $1,377 | $102,300 |
| Delaware County | 1.34% | $2,266 | $168,700 |
| Harrison County | 1.34% | $2,214 | $165,300 |
| Buchanan County | 1.33% | $2,286 | $171,400 |
| Guthrie County | 1.33% | $2,172 | $163,900 |
| Keokuk County | 1.33% | $1,491 | $112,200 |
| Adair County | 1.32% | $1,858 | $140,600 |
| Benton County | 1.32% | $2,627 | $198,400 |
| Calhoun County | 1.32% | $1,506 | $114,400 |
| Crawford County | 1.32% | $1,799 | $136,300 |
| Fayette County | 1.32% | $1,721 | $130,800 |
| Fremont County | 1.3% | $1,918 | $147,500 |
| Howard County | 1.3% | $1,744 | $133,900 |
| Jones County | 1.3% | $2,381 | $183,400 |
| Humboldt County | 1.29% | $1,889 | $146,900 |
| Marion County | 1.29% | $2,727 | $211,100 |
| Poweshiek County | 1.28% | $2,362 | $184,200 |
| Adams County | 1.27% | $1,479 | $116,900 |
| Louisa County | 1.27% | $1,752 | $137,600 |
| Ringgold County | 1.27% | $1,909 | $150,300 |
| Shelby County | 1.27% | $1,976 | $156,200 |
| Dubuque County | 1.26% | $2,848 | $226,100 |
| Appanoose County | 1.25% | $1,501 | $119,800 |
| Jackson County | 1.25% | $2,129 | $170,000 |
| Buena Vista County | 1.24% | $1,822 | $146,900 |
| Audubon County | 1.23% | $1,353 | $110,400 |
| Palo Alto County | 1.23% | $1,471 | $119,300 |
| Allamakee County | 1.22% | $2,103 | $171,900 |
| Cedar County | 1.22% | $2,433 | $199,700 |
| Taylor County | 1.21% | $1,329 | $109,700 |
| Greene County | 1.2% | $1,682 | $140,500 |
| Van Buren County | 1.2% | $1,427 | $118,800 |
| Hancock County | 1.19% | $1,541 | $129,300 |
| Clay County | 1.18% | $2,028 | $171,500 |
| Mitchell County | 1.16% | $1,897 | $164,100 |
| Sioux County | 1.16% | $2,722 | $235,600 |
| Winneshiek County | 1.16% | $2,784 | $239,000 |
| Monona County | 1.15% | $1,412 | $122,600 |
| Pocahontas County | 1.14% | $1,066 | $93,300 |
| Chickasaw County | 1.1% | $1,804 | $164,400 |
| Cherokee County | 1.08% | $1,561 | $145,100 |
| Plymouth County | 1.08% | $2,363 | $218,600 |
| Worth County | 1.08% | $1,530 | $142,300 |
| Grundy County | 1.07% | $1,929 | $180,500 |
| Ida County | 1.06% | $1,158 | $108,800 |
| Kossuth County | 1.06% | $1,437 | $135,100 |
| Carroll County | 1.05% | $1,849 | $175,700 |
| Osceola County | 1.05% | $1,302 | $123,800 |
| Sac County | 1.03% | $1,423 | $138,400 |
| O'Brien County | 0.99% | $1,572 | $158,900 |
| Dickinson County | 0.98% | $2,458 | $251,600 |
| Lyon County | 0.92% | $1,983 | $215,600 |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2023), tables B25103 and B25077.
Why county rates vary so much
Property tax is set locally, not by the state, so the rate depends on the county, city, school district, and special districts where a home sits, and on how those local budgets compare to local home values. A county with low home values can still have a high effective rate if its local budgets are large, and a wealthy county can have a low effective rate. The effective rate shown here is the median tax bill divided by the median home value, which is the standard way to compare places; your own bill depends on your assessment and any exemptions.
For Iowa's income and retirement taxes, see Iowa income tax and Iowa retirement taxes.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value, all Iowa counties: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2023), tables B25103 and B25077.