Property tax in Kay County, Oklahoma
The median property tax bill in Kay County, Oklahoma is $821 a year, which is about 0.66% of the county's median home value of $124,700. That effective rate is higher than the typical Oklahoma county (0.63%) 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 Kay County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Kay County's average effective rate of 0.66% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $823 / year
Property tax in Kay County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $821 |
| Median home value | $124,700 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.66% |
| Typical Oklahoma county rate | 0.63% |
| 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 Kay County compare in Oklahoma?
Among Oklahoma's 77 counties, Kay County has the 28th highest effective property-tax rate: 27 rank higher and 49 rank lower. That is on the higher side for Oklahoma. Nationally, it ranks 2053rd of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Oklahoma county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Kay County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Kay County's 11,609 owner-occupied homes, 5.1% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 14.6% pay at least $2,000, and 46.3% pay under $800. Another 5.2% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 5,379 | 46.3% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 2,906 | 25% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 1,025 | 8.8% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 1,104 | 9.5% |
| $3,000 or more | 588 | 5.1% |
| No property tax paid | 607 | 5.2% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,050 and owners without one pay $627. 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 Kay County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $821 is about 1.2% of the median income of Kay County homeowner households, $70,024 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 69.2% of Kay 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 Kay County?
Yes. The median bill went from $704 in 2015-2019 to $821 in 2020-2024, a 16.6% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 35.4%, from $92,100 to $124,700. 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 Kay County
Kay County borders 6 counties, 2 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cowley County, KS | 1.65% | $1,999 | $120,900 |
| Sumner County, KS | 1.58% | $2,130 | $135,100 |
| Garfield County, OK | 0.87% | $1,389 | $160,100 |
| Noble County, OK | 0.8% | $1,172 | $146,400 |
| Osage County, OK | 0.69% | $1,248 | $182,100 |
| Kay County, OK (this county) | 0.66% | $821 | $124,700 |
| Grant County, OK | 0.49% | $513 | $105,700 |
How is a home assessed in Kay County?
Oklahoma sets the assessment rules and Kay County applies them. How Oklahoma assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Kay County?
Yes, but it is small. Oklahoma's homestead exemption is $1,000 of assessed value, usually worth around $80 to $130 a year. Apply once on Form 921 with the county assessor by March 15. That is the Oklahoma rule, and it applies in Kay County. Oklahoma's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Kay County?
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 Oklahoma rule. Kay County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Kay County property assessment
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. That is the Oklahoma rule; Kay County sets the exact dates and forms. The Oklahoma appeal process step by step.
Oklahoma rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Oklahoma 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 Kay 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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Oklahoma income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Oklahoma actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Kay County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Kay County, Oklahoma: 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.