Property tax in Ottawa County, Kansas
The median property tax bill in Ottawa County, Kansas is $2,760 a year, which is about 1.66% of the county's median home value of $166,000. That effective rate is higher than the typical Kansas county (1.51%) 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.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Ottawa County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Ottawa County's average effective rate of 1.66% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $2,756 / year
Property tax in Ottawa County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $2,760 |
| Median home value | $166,000 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.66% |
| Typical Kansas county rate | 1.51% |
| 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 Ottawa County compare in Kansas?
Among Kansas's 105 counties, Ottawa County has the 34th highest effective property-tax rate: 33 rank higher and 71 rank lower. That is on the higher side for Kansas. Nationally, it ranks 216th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Kansas county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Ottawa County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Ottawa County's 1,858 owner-occupied homes, 44.3% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 65.4% pay at least $2,000, and 8.3% pay under $800. Another 1.2% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 154 | 8.3% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 232 | 12.5% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 234 | 12.6% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 392 | 21.1% |
| $3,000 or more | 824 | 44.3% |
| No property tax paid | 22 | 1.2% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $2,764 and owners without one pay $2,757. That is within 10% either way, so in Ottawa County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Ottawa County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $2,760 is about 3.3% of the median income of Ottawa County homeowner households, $82,976 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 77.2% of Ottawa 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 Ottawa County?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,998 in 2015-2019 to $2,760 in 2020-2024, a 38.1% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 57%, from $105,700 to $166,000. 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 Ottawa County
Ottawa County borders 6 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud County, KS | 1.7% | $1,704 | $100,000 |
| Mitchell County, KS | 1.66% | $2,217 | $133,800 |
| Ottawa County, KS (this county) | 1.66% | $2,760 | $166,000 |
| Dickinson County, KS | 1.47% | $2,154 | $146,800 |
| Lincoln County, KS | 1.46% | $1,419 | $96,900 |
| Clay County, KS | 1.32% | $2,055 | $155,900 |
| Saline County, KS | 1.31% | $2,345 | $179,600 |
How is a home assessed in Ottawa County?
Kansas assesses homes at 11.5% of market value in every county, Ottawa County included. How Kansas assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Ottawa County?
Only against one levy. Kansas exempts the first $75,000 of appraised value from the 20 mill statewide school levy, worth roughly $173 a year at most, applied automatically. That is the Kansas rule, and it applies in Ottawa County. Kansas's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Ottawa County?
County treasurers mail statements from November through December 15. You can pay the full year by December 20, or split it and pay half by December 20 and the rest by May 10. If the bill is $10 or less the whole amount is due December 20. When a due date lands on a weekend it moves to the treasurer's next business day.
Kansas splits the bill into 2 installments. That is the Kansas rule. Ottawa County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Ottawa County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the county appraiser (informal meeting), then the Board of Tax Appeals Small Claims Division, then the full Board of Tax Appeals. The filing deadline is typically 30 days after the county mails your valuation notice. That is the Kansas rule; Ottawa County sets the exact dates and forms. The Kansas appeal process step by step.
Kansas rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Kansas 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 Ottawa 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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Kansas income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Kansas actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Ottawa County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Ottawa County, Kansas: 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.