Union County, Iowa property tax
The median homeowner in Union County, Iowa pays $2,108 a year in property tax on a home worth $117,800, an effective rate of 1.79%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.79%, Union 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 $2,108 is what actually leaves a household's account, and it is the number worth comparing between places.
Inside Iowa it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #1 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 2.07 times the median household income of $56,813, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 72.11% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. This is a small rural county of 12,038 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
| Union County | Iowa | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.79% | 1.43% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $2,108 | $2,795 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $117,800 | $195,900 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $683 | $949 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $56,813 | $73,147 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.07× | 2.68× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 14.43% | 15.57% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 72.11% | 71.53% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 12,038.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyon County | 0.92% | $1,983 | $215,600 |
| Chickasaw County | 1.10% | $1,804 | $164,400 |
| Appanoose County | 1.25% | $1,501 | $119,800 |
| Shelby County | 1.27% | $1,976 | $156,200 |
| Grundy County | 1.07% | $1,929 | $180,500 |
Union County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Union County, Iowa?
The effective rate is 1.79% of home value, from a median tax bill of $2,108 against a median home value of $117,800. That is 0.81 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Union County?
Roughly $7,160 a year at the county effective rate of 1.79%.
Is Union County expensive compared with the rest of Iowa?
It ranks #1 of 97 Iowa counties by effective property tax rate, and #147 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.36 points above the Iowa average of 1.43%.
What does housing cost in Union County?
The median home is worth $117,800 and median gross rent is $683 a month. Median household income is $56,813, which puts the home at 2.07 times annual income and rent at 14.43% of it.