Property tax in Wayne County, Missouri
The median property tax bill in Wayne County, Missouri is $563 a year, which is about 0.52% of the county's median home value of $107,400. That effective rate is lower 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 Wayne County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Wayne County's average effective rate of 0.52% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $558 / year
Property tax in Wayne County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $563 |
| Median home value | $107,400 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.52% |
| 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 Wayne County compare in Missouri?
Among Missouri's 115 counties, Wayne County has the 99th highest effective property-tax rate: 98 rank higher and 16 rank lower. That places it among the least taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 2571st of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Missouri county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Wayne County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Wayne County's 3,471 owner-occupied homes, 1.3% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 3.4% pay at least $2,000, and 62.7% 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 | 2,177 | 62.7% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 829 | 23.9% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 230 | 6.6% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 72 | 2.1% |
| $3,000 or more | 44 | 1.3% |
| No property tax paid | 119 | 3.4% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $647 and owners without one pay $532. 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 Wayne County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $563 is about 1.1% of the median income of Wayne County homeowner households, $51,571 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 75.1% of Wayne 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 Wayne County?
The survey cannot tell. The median bill was $529 in 2015-2019 and $563 in 2020-2024, but that $34 difference is inside the Census's own margin of error for a county this size, so it could be sampling noise rather than a real change.
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 Wayne County
Wayne County borders 7 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County, MO | 0.71% | $1,130 | $159,000 |
| Iron County, MO | 0.68% | $810 | $119,300 |
| Butler County, MO | 0.67% | $967 | $145,100 |
| Stoddard County, MO | 0.66% | $939 | $143,300 |
| Bollinger County, MO | 0.58% | $1,034 | $179,800 |
| Wayne County, MO (this county) | 0.52% | $563 | $107,400 |
| Carter County, MO | 0.42% | $677 | $159,400 |
| Reynolds County, MO | 0.37% | $560 | $151,700 |
How is a home assessed in Wayne County?
Missouri assesses homes at 19% of market value in every county, Wayne County included. How Missouri assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Wayne 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 Wayne County. Missouri's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Wayne 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. Wayne County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Wayne 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; Wayne 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 Wayne 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 Wayne County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Wayne 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.