Scott County, Iowa property tax
The median homeowner in Scott County, Iowa pays $3,221 a year in property tax on a home worth $212,500, an effective rate of 1.52%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.52%, Scott County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. The rate is high and the housing is cheap, and those two facts are connected. The bill of $3,221 is what actually leaves a household's account, and it is the number worth comparing between places.
It ranks #16 of 97 Iowa counties by effective rate, against a statewide 1.43%, and #328 nationally. The state runs from 1.79% in Union County down to 0.92% in Lyon County.
The median home costs 2.78 times the median household income of $76,363, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 69.6% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. The county has 174,302 residents, which is small enough that the medians describe a reasonably coherent market.
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
| Scott County | Iowa | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.52% | 1.43% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $3,221 | $2,795 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $212,500 | $195,900 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $958 | $949 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $76,363 | $73,147 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.78× | 2.68× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 15.05% | 15.57% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 69.6% | 71.53% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 174,302.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson County | 1.56% | $4,587 | $293,100 |
| Black Hawk County | 1.53% | $2,790 | $182,400 |
| Linn County | 1.66% | $3,396 | $204,400 |
| Woodbury County | 1.48% | $2,542 | $172,000 |
| Dallas County | 1.45% | $4,849 | $333,400 |
Scott County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Scott County, Iowa?
The effective rate is 1.52% of home value, from a median tax bill of $3,221 against a median home value of $212,500. That is 0.54 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Scott County?
Roughly $6,080 a year at the county effective rate of 1.52%.
Is Scott County expensive compared with the rest of Iowa?
It ranks #16 of 97 Iowa counties by effective property tax rate, and #328 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.09 points above the Iowa average of 1.43%.
What does housing cost in Scott County?
The median home is worth $212,500 and median gross rent is $958 a month. Median household income is $76,363, which puts the home at 2.78 times annual income and rent at 15.05% of it.