Cole County, Missouri property tax
The median homeowner in Cole County, Missouri pays $1,728 a year in property tax on a home worth $214,400, an effective rate of 0.81%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.81%, Cole County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. That puts the median bill at $1,728. Rates this low usually mean the state, rather than the county, carries more of the school funding.
It ranks #29 of 108 Missouri counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.88%, and #1,440 nationally. The state runs from 1.22% in St. Louis County down to 0.38% in Wright County.
The median home costs 2.93 times the median household income of $73,273, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 67.36% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. The county has 76,924 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
| Cole County | Missouri | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.81% | 0.88% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $1,728 | $1,887 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $214,400 | $215,600 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $804 | $996 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $73,273 | $68,920 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.93× | 3.13× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 13.17% | 17.34% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 67.36% | 67.94% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 76,924.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Girardeau County | 0.67% | $1,404 | $208,300 |
| Buchanan County | 0.80% | $1,253 | $156,600 |
| St. Francois County | 0.75% | $1,161 | $155,100 |
| Christian County | 0.75% | $1,878 | $249,700 |
| Lincoln County | 0.77% | $1,731 | $224,800 |
Cole County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Cole County, Missouri?
The effective rate is 0.81% of home value, from a median tax bill of $1,728 against a median home value of $214,400. That is 0.17 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Cole County?
Roughly $3,240 a year at the county effective rate of 0.81%.
Is Cole County expensive compared with the rest of Missouri?
It ranks #29 of 108 Missouri counties by effective property tax rate, and #1440 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.07 points below the Missouri average of 0.88%.
What does housing cost in Cole County?
The median home is worth $214,400 and median gross rent is $804 a month. Median household income is $73,273, which puts the home at 2.93 times annual income and rent at 13.17% of it.