Property tax in McKenzie County, North Dakota
The median property tax bill in McKenzie County, North Dakota is $1,491 a year, which is about 0.43% of the county's median home value of $349,600. That effective rate is lower than the typical North Dakota county (0.92%) 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 McKenzie County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at McKenzie County's average effective rate of 0.43% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $1,503 / year
Property tax in McKenzie County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,491 |
| Median home value | $349,600 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.43% |
| Typical North Dakota county rate | 0.92% |
| 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 McKenzie County compare in North Dakota?
Among North Dakota's 53 counties, McKenzie County has the 51st highest effective property-tax rate: 50 rank higher and 2 rank lower. That places it among the least taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 2857th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every North Dakota county ranked.
How much do homeowners in McKenzie County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across McKenzie County's 3,202 owner-occupied homes, 12.2% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 36.5% pay at least $2,000, and 17.8% pay under $800. Another 11.9% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 570 | 17.8% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 849 | 26.5% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 232 | 7.2% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 778 | 24.3% |
| $3,000 or more | 391 | 12.2% |
| No property tax paid | 382 | 11.9% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $2,078 and owners without one pay $1,090. 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 McKenzie County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $1,491 is about 1.2% of the median income of McKenzie County homeowner households, $120,227 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 53.4% of McKenzie 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 McKenzie County?
The survey cannot tell. The median bill was $1,293 in 2015-2019 and $1,491 in 2020-2024, but that $198 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 McKenzie County
McKenzie County borders 8 counties, 3 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roosevelt County, MT | 1.28% | $1,522 | $118,800 |
| Golden Valley County, ND | 0.89% | $1,104 | $123,900 |
| Richland County, MT | 0.74% | $1,934 | $263,000 |
| Williams County, ND | 0.68% | $1,939 | $284,800 |
| Wibaux County, MT | 0.61% | $598 | $98,600 |
| Dunn County, ND | 0.61% | $1,665 | $275,000 |
| Mountrail County, ND | 0.52% | $1,209 | $232,700 |
| McKenzie County, ND (this county) | 0.43% | $1,491 | $349,600 |
| Billings County, ND | 0.37% | $1,211 | $331,000 |
How is a home assessed in McKenzie County?
North Dakota assesses homes at 4.5% of market value in every county, McKenzie County included. How North Dakota assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in McKenzie County?
Not as an exemption. North Dakota's Primary Residence Credit takes up to $1,600 off the tax bill; apply online with the Tax Commissioner between January 1 and April 1 each year. That is the North Dakota rule, and it applies in McKenzie County. North Dakota's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in McKenzie County?
North Dakota bills once a year and lets you split it in half. The whole year's tax becomes due January 1 following the year it was levied, the first half goes delinquent after March 1 and the second after October 15, with penalties added at each missed date. If you pay the full year on or before February 15 the county treasurer takes 5% off the general real estate taxes, and that discount is calculated before the Primary Residence Credit is subtracted.
North Dakota splits the bill into 2 installments. That is the North Dakota rule. McKenzie County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your McKenzie County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the your local board of equalization, then the county board, then the State Board of Equalization. The filing deadline is typically April for the local board, then the first 10 days of June for the county board. That is the North Dakota rule; McKenzie County sets the exact dates and forms. The North Dakota appeal process step by step.
North Dakota rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the North Dakota 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 McKenzie 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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North Dakota income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what North Dakota actually taxes.
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Sales tax in McKenzie County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for McKenzie County, North Dakota: 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.