Oklahoma property tax by county

Property tax rate by county in Oklahoma

Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103 and B25077.

Why county rates vary so much

Property tax is set locally, not by the state, so the rate depends on the county, city, school district, and special districts where a home sits, and on how those local budgets compare to local home values. A county with low home values can still have a high effective rate if its local budgets are large, and a wealthy county can have a low effective rate. The effective rate shown here is the median tax bill divided by the median home value, which is the standard way to compare places; your own bill depends on your assessment and any exemptions.

For Oklahoma's income and retirement taxes, see Oklahoma income tax and Oklahoma retirement taxes.

How does Oklahoma assess homes for property tax?

Oklahoma has no single statewide assessment ratio. The constitution requires real property to be assessed at no less than 11% and no more than 13.5% of fair cash value, and each county picks its own percentage inside that band, so what applies to you depends on where you live. A county cannot raise its percentage without a vote of its own registered voters, and never by more than one point in a year.

Every parcel is valued each year as of January 1, and the assessor must physically inspect each one at least once every four years. Between sales and improvements, growth in a parcel's taxable value is capped at 3% a year if it has a homestead exemption or is agricultural land, and 5% for everything else. The cap resets when the property sells or you build an addition.

Is there a homestead exemption in Oklahoma?

Yes. Oklahoma has a homestead exemption of $1,000, applied to assessed value on an owner-occupied primary residence. Read this one carefully: it is $1,000 of assessed value, not $1,000 off your bill and not $1,000 of market value. Since counties assess at only 11% to 13.5% of market value, the actual saving is $1,000 multiplied by your local millage, usually somewhere around $80 to $130 a year. Apply once on Form 921 with your county assessor by March 15 and it stays in place while you own and occupy the home.

Other state relief for homeowners:

• Seniors and disabled owners: Oklahoma's main age-65 benefit is a value freeze rather than a dollar exemption. A head of household 65 or older on January 1 can lock the fair cash value of their homestead in place for as long as they own it, occupy it and stay under the income limit. That limit is not a statewide figure: it is the federal HUD estimated median income for your own county, so it differs county to county and changes annually. Separately, any head of household with gross household income of $30,000 or less last year can claim an additional $1,000 of assessed value exempt, regardless of age. Both are claimed on Form 994 by March 15.
• Disabled veterans: There is no dollar cap here. A veteran certified by the VA at 100% permanent service-connected disability is exempt from property tax on the full fair cash value of their homestead, and it passes to the surviving spouse. If the household sells and buys another Oklahoma home, the new one is exempt to the same extent from the year of purchase. Claim it on Form 998 with a current VA award letter.
• There is no separate owner-occupancy credit; the homestead exemption is that benefit. One more program is worth knowing: a head of household 65 or older or totally disabled with gross household income of $12,000 or less can claim a refund of property tax paid above 1% of household income, capped at $200, on the Oklahoma income tax return by June 30.

Oklahoma sets these rules and each county's property tax office applies them, which is where the application, the filing deadline and the form come from. Some counties add programs of their own; where we have checked a county, its page lists them.

When are property taxes due in Oklahoma?

Tax becomes due November 1. Pay the whole bill, or at least half of it, before January 1; if you pay nothing by then the entire year goes delinquent on January 1. If you paid the first half on time, the second half is due before April 1. Unpaid tax accrues 1.5% a month until the interest equals the tax itself.

Oklahoma splits the bill into 2 installments. That is the state rule. Each county issues and collects its own bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.

How do you appeal a property assessment in Oklahoma?

You contest the assessed value with the County assessor (informal protest), then the county board of equalization. The filing deadline is typically 30 days from the date your valuation increase notice was mailed. Oklahoma runs a two-step process and the first step is mandatory. File a written protest with the assessor on Form 974 within 30 calendar days of the mailing date on your notice; miss that and the value becomes final for the year. The assessor must hold an informal hearing and decide within 7 days, and you then have 15 days to appeal to the county board of equalization on Form 976. If your value did not change but you still think it is wrong, you can protest by the first Monday in April.

Oklahoma property-tax rules from primary state sources (revenue department and statute), reviewed September 7, 2026. Exemption amounts and credits change; confirm the current figures with your county assessor. Sources: assessment, exemptions, due dates, appeals.