Property tax in Johnson County, Iowa
In Johnson County, the property tax bill comes from the Johnson County Treasurer. The fiscal year 2026/2027 bill is paid in 2 installments, and the next one is due March 31, 2027. You can look up and pay the bill on the county's own payment page. Taken from Johnson County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Johnson County, Iowa is $4,681 a year, which is about 1.52% of the county's median home value of $308,600. That effective rate is higher than the typical Iowa county (1.32%) and higher 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.
Who sends the property tax bill in Johnson County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the Johnson County Treasurer. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the Johnson County Assessor (outside Iowa City); Iowa City Assessor (inside Iowa City), which is who to ask if the value looks wrong. For how to look up and pay the bill, go to the county's own payment information.
Iowa City has its own assessor and its own Board of Review, both in the Johnson County Administration Building; everywhere else in the county, the Johnson County Assessor values property and the Johnson County Board of Review hears protests. Online payments go through Iowa Tax and Tags, the county treasurers' payment site, and card and e-check payments carry a convenience fee. Mailed payments go to Johnson County Treasurer, PO Box 2420, Iowa City, IA 52244. A Board of Review decision can be appealed further to the state Property Assessment Appeal Board or to district court, within 20 days after the Board of Review adjourns or May 31, whichever is later.
When are property taxes due in Johnson County?
For the fiscal year 2026/2027 bill, Johnson County splits the bill into 2 payments, the first due September 30, 2026 and the last March 31, 2027. The next one due is the second installment, on March 31, 2027. Iowa law calls September 1 and March 1 the due dates, but the penalty starts only on October 1 and April 1. From then, the county charges 1.5% a month on the unpaid tax. Taxes still unpaid are offered at the county's tax sale in June.
| Payment | Due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First installment | September 30, 2026 (passed) | Iowa law sets September 1 as the due date, but no penalty is charged on a payment made by September 30, 2026, a Wednesday. You can pay the whole year with this installment. A mailed payment is on time only if its U.S. Postal Service postmark is dated September 30 or earlier. When the last day of the month falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, state law moves the deadline to the first business day of the next month. |
| Second installment | March 31, 2027 | Iowa law sets March 1 as the due date, but no penalty is charged on a payment made by March 31, 2027, a Wednesday. The same postmark rule applies. |
From Johnson County's published schedule, checked September 23, 2026. If a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the county's own rules on the next business day apply.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Johnson County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Johnson County's average effective rate of 1.52% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $4,691 / year
Property tax in Johnson County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $4,681 |
| Median home value | $308,600 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.52% |
| Typical Iowa county rate | 1.32% |
| 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 Johnson County compare in Iowa?
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Johnson County has the 11th highest effective property-tax rate: 10 rank higher and 88 rank lower. That places it among the most heavily taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 316th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Iowa county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Johnson County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Johnson County's 37,605 owner-occupied homes, 75.6% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 84.3% pay at least $2,000, and 6.3% pay under $800. Another 3.4% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 2,352 | 6.3% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 1,186 | 3.2% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 1,050 | 2.8% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 3,289 | 8.7% |
| $3,000 or more | 28,444 | 75.6% |
| No property tax paid | 1,284 | 3.4% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $4,778 and owners without one pay $4,480. That is within 10% either way, so in Johnson County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Johnson County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $4,681 is about 4.2% of the median income of Johnson County homeowner households, $112,216 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 59.4% of Johnson 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 Johnson County?
Yes. The median bill went from $3,755 in 2015-2019 to $4,681 in 2020-2024, a 24.7% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 35.6%, from $227,600 to $308,600. 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 Johnson County
Johnson County borders 7 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linn County, IA | 1.66% | $3,547 | $214,300 |
| Johnson County, IA (this county) | 1.52% | $4,681 | $308,600 |
| Muscatine County, IA | 1.5% | $2,732 | $182,100 |
| Washington County, IA | 1.37% | $2,788 | $203,900 |
| Iowa County, IA | 1.36% | $2,629 | $193,900 |
| Benton County, IA | 1.31% | $2,727 | $208,200 |
| Cedar County, IA | 1.22% | $2,568 | $211,300 |
| Louisa County, IA | 1.17% | $1,751 | $150,100 |
How is a home assessed in Johnson County?
Iowa sets the assessment rules and Johnson County applies them. How Iowa assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Johnson County?
Yes. From the 2026 assessment year Iowa exempts 10% of a homestead's taxable value, never less than $5,500 or more than $20,000. File form 54-028 with your assessor by July 1. That is the Iowa rule, and it applies in Johnson County. Iowa's exemptions and relief programs in full.
Johnson County does not add relief programs of its own beyond the Iowa ones (checked September 23, 2026).
How to appeal your Johnson County property assessment
In Johnson County you appeal to the Johnson County Board of Review (outside Iowa City); Iowa City Board of Review (inside Iowa City). The deadline: File a written, signed protest with the Board of Review from April 2 through April 30 of the assessment year (April 30, 2027 is a Friday); a mailed protest must be postmarked by April 30. How to file. Checked September 23, 2026 against the official appeal rules.
How Iowa's appeal process works, including the next level if the first one turns you down.
Iowa rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Iowa 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 Johnson 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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Iowa income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Iowa actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Johnson County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Johnson County, Iowa: 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.