Story County, Iowa property tax
The median homeowner in Story County, Iowa pays $3,586 a year in property tax on a home worth $243,600, an effective rate of 1.47%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.47%, Story 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 $3,586 is what actually leaves a household's account, and it is the number worth comparing between places.
It ranks #28 of 97 Iowa counties by effective rate, against a statewide 1.43%, and #390 nationally. The state runs from 1.79% in Union County down to 0.92% in Lyon County.
The median home costs 3.53 times the median household income of $69,006, close to the national 3.86. Incomes run below the national median, and house prices run below it too, which is what keeps the ratio ordinary. The county has 98,592 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
| Story County | Iowa | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.47% | 1.43% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $3,586 | $2,795 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $243,600 | $195,900 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,019 | $949 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $69,006 | $73,147 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.53× | 2.68× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 17.72% | 15.57% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 55.98% | 71.53% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 98,592.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubuque County | 1.26% | $2,848 | $226,100 |
| Pottawattamie County | 1.61% | $2,961 | $183,600 |
| Dallas County | 1.45% | $4,849 | $333,400 |
| Woodbury County | 1.48% | $2,542 | $172,000 |
| Black Hawk County | 1.53% | $2,790 | $182,400 |
Story County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Story County, Iowa?
The effective rate is 1.47% of home value, from a median tax bill of $3,586 against a median home value of $243,600. That is 0.49 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Story County?
Roughly $5,880 a year at the county effective rate of 1.47%.
Is Story County expensive compared with the rest of Iowa?
It ranks #28 of 97 Iowa counties by effective property tax rate, and #390 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.04 points above the Iowa average of 1.43%.
What does housing cost in Story County?
The median home is worth $243,600 and median gross rent is $1,019 a month. Median household income is $69,006, which puts the home at 3.53 times annual income and rent at 17.72% of it.