Property tax in Cole County, Missouri
The median property tax bill in Cole County, Missouri is $1,769 a year, which is about 0.77% of the county's median home value of $229,600. That effective rate is higher than the typical Missouri county (0.7%) 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 Cole County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Cole County's average effective rate of 0.77% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $1,768 / year
Property tax in Cole County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,769 |
| Median home value | $229,600 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.77% |
| Typical Missouri county rate | 0.7% |
| 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 Cole County compare in Missouri?
Among Missouri's 115 counties, Cole County has the 40th highest effective property-tax rate: 39 rank higher and 75 rank lower. That is on the higher side for Missouri. Nationally, it ranks 1679th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Missouri county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Cole County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Cole County's 21,098 owner-occupied homes, 15.9% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 38.4% pay at least $2,000, and 7.3% pay under $800. Another 4% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 1,538 | 7.3% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 6,235 | 29.6% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 4,391 | 20.8% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 4,745 | 22.5% |
| $3,000 or more | 3,355 | 15.9% |
| No property tax paid | 834 | 4% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,773 and owners without one pay $1,764. That is within 10% either way, so in Cole County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Cole County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $1,769 is about 1.8% of the median income of Cole County homeowner households, $97,095 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 67.9% of Cole 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 Cole County?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,415 in 2015-2019 to $1,769 in 2020-2024, a 25% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 41.5%, from $162,300 to $229,600. 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 Cole County
Cole County borders 5 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County, MO | 0.85% | $2,328 | $272,800 |
| Callaway County, MO | 0.77% | $1,548 | $201,600 |
| Cole County, MO (this county) | 0.77% | $1,769 | $229,600 |
| Moniteau County, MO | 0.68% | $1,245 | $181,900 |
| Osage County, MO | 0.59% | $1,307 | $223,300 |
| Miller County, MO | 0.57% | $1,102 | $192,600 |
How is a home assessed in Cole County?
Missouri assesses homes at 19% of market value in every county, Cole County included. How Missouri assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Cole County?
No. Missouri has no general homestead exemption; relief comes through the income-tested Property Tax Credit and the county-option senior freeze. That is the Missouri rule, and it applies in Cole County. Missouri's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Cole County?
One annual bill, due no later than December 31, with mailed payments credited by postmark. Collectors typically mail bills in November. There is no statewide installment plan, though a county may adopt one by ordinance.
That is the Missouri rule. Cole County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Cole County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the County Board of Equalization, then the Missouri State Tax Commission. The filing deadline is typically the second Monday in July (county Board of Equalization). That is the Missouri rule; Cole County sets the exact dates and forms. The Missouri appeal process step by step.
Missouri rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Missouri 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 Cole 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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Missouri income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Missouri actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Cole County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Cole County, Missouri: 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.