Howard County, Iowa property tax
The median homeowner in Howard County, Iowa pays $1,744 a year in property tax on a home worth $133,900, an effective rate of 1.30%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.30%, Howard County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. That combination is the usual one. Houses here are worth $133,900 against a national $303,400, and a smaller tax base has to be taxed at a higher percentage to fund the same schools and roads. Whether the state also leans on property tax by choice, as several do in place of an income tax, is a separate question the rate alone cannot answer.
It ranks #60 of 97 Iowa counties by effective rate, against a statewide 1.43%, and #572 nationally. The state runs from 1.79% in Union County down to 0.92% in Lyon County.
The median home costs 1.99 times the median household income of $67,336, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 76.61% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. This is a small rural county of 9,459 people. Five-year survey estimates for places this size carry wide margins of error, so treat the figures as approximate.
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
| Howard County | Iowa | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.30% | 1.43% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $1,744 | $2,795 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $133,900 | $195,900 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $699 | $949 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $67,336 | $73,147 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 1.99× | 2.68× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 12.46% | 15.57% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 76.61% | 71.53% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 9,459.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humboldt County | 1.29% | $1,889 | $146,900 |
| Emmet County | 1.48% | $1,570 | $106,200 |
| Clarke County | 1.46% | $2,335 | $160,200 |
| Sac County | 1.03% | $1,423 | $138,400 |
| Davis County | 1.52% | $2,217 | $146,000 |
Howard County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Howard County, Iowa?
The effective rate is 1.30% of home value, from a median tax bill of $1,744 against a median home value of $133,900. That is 0.32 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Howard County?
Roughly $5,200 a year at the county effective rate of 1.30%.
Is Howard County expensive compared with the rest of Iowa?
It ranks #60 of 97 Iowa counties by effective property tax rate, and #572 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.13 points below the Iowa average of 1.43%.
What does housing cost in Howard County?
The median home is worth $133,900 and median gross rent is $699 a month. Median household income is $67,336, which puts the home at 1.99 times annual income and rent at 12.46% of it.