Des Moines County, Iowa property tax
The median homeowner in Des Moines County, Iowa pays $2,097 a year in property tax on a home worth $137,000, an effective rate of 1.53%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.53%, Des Moines County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. Houses here are worth $137,000, below the national $303,400. Part of any high rate is arithmetic rather than policy: a smaller tax base has to be taxed harder to raise the same money.
It ranks #15 of 97 Iowa counties by effective rate, against a statewide 1.43%, and #316 nationally. The state runs from 1.79% in Union County down to 0.92% in Lyon County.
The median home costs 2.26 times the median household income of $60,662, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 72.7% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. With 38,597 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Des Moines County | Iowa | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.53% | 1.43% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $2,097 | $2,795 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $137,000 | $195,900 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $908 | $949 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $60,662 | $73,147 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.26× | 2.68× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 17.96% | 15.57% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 72.7% | 71.53% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 38,597.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper County | 1.42% | $2,518 | $176,800 |
| Marshall County | 1.51% | $2,030 | $134,100 |
| Webster County | 1.48% | $2,047 | $138,500 |
| Sioux County | 1.16% | $2,722 | $235,600 |
| Wapello County | 1.64% | $1,854 | $112,900 |
Des Moines County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Des Moines County, Iowa?
The effective rate is 1.53% of home value, from a median tax bill of $2,097 against a median home value of $137,000. That is 0.55 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Des Moines County?
Roughly $6,120 a year at the county effective rate of 1.53%.
Is Des Moines County expensive compared with the rest of Iowa?
It ranks #15 of 97 Iowa counties by effective property tax rate, and #316 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.1 points above the Iowa average of 1.43%.
What does housing cost in Des Moines County?
The median home is worth $137,000 and median gross rent is $908 a month. Median household income is $60,662, which puts the home at 2.26 times annual income and rent at 17.96% of it.