Polk County, Iowa property tax
The median homeowner in Polk County, Iowa pays $4,364 a year in property tax on a home worth $248,400, an effective rate of 1.76%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.76%, Polk County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. Houses here are worth $248,400, 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.
Inside Iowa it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #3 of 97, against a statewide 1.43%. At the other end of the same state, Lyon County charges 0.92%. A spread that wide inside one state is normal, because school districts, not states, set most of the levy.
The median home costs 3.04 times the median household income of $81,621, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 67.07% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. At 497,441 residents the county is large enough that its median blends several distinct housing markets.
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
| Polk County | Iowa | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.76% | 1.43% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $4,364 | $2,795 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $248,400 | $195,900 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,113 | $949 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $81,621 | $73,147 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.04× | 2.68× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 16.36% | 15.57% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 67.07% | 71.53% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 497,441.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linn County | 1.66% | $3,396 | $204,400 |
| Scott County | 1.52% | $3,221 | $212,500 |
| Johnson County | 1.56% | $4,587 | $293,100 |
| Black Hawk County | 1.53% | $2,790 | $182,400 |
| Woodbury County | 1.48% | $2,542 | $172,000 |
Polk County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Polk County, Iowa?
The effective rate is 1.76% of home value, from a median tax bill of $4,364 against a median home value of $248,400. That is 0.78 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Polk County?
Roughly $7,040 a year at the county effective rate of 1.76%.
Is Polk County expensive compared with the rest of Iowa?
It ranks #3 of 97 Iowa counties by effective property tax rate, and #164 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.33 points above the Iowa average of 1.43%.
What does housing cost in Polk County?
The median home is worth $248,400 and median gross rent is $1,113 a month. Median household income is $81,621, which puts the home at 3.04 times annual income and rent at 16.36% of it.