Walworth County, South Dakota property tax
The median homeowner in Walworth County, South Dakota pays $1,866 a year in property tax on a home worth $130,000, an effective rate of 1.44%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.44%, Walworth County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. Houses here are worth $130,000, 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 South Dakota it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #2 of 36, against a statewide 1.09%. At the other end of the same state, Oglala Lakota County charges 0.44%. 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 $62,722, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 74.25% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. This is a small rural county of 5,298 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
| Walworth County | South Dakota | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.44% | 1.09% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $1,866 | $2,590 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $130,000 | $236,800 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $962 | $912 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $62,722 | $72,421 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.07× | 3.27× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 18.41% | 15.11% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 74.25% | 68.64% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 5,298.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brule County | 0.85% | $1,744 | $205,500 |
| Dewey County | 1.34% | $1,009 | $75,400 |
| Kingsbury County | 0.99% | $1,588 | $159,600 |
| Day County | 1.03% | $1,598 | $155,100 |
| Tripp County | 0.90% | $1,237 | $137,100 |
Walworth County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Walworth County, South Dakota?
The effective rate is 1.44% of home value, from a median tax bill of $1,866 against a median home value of $130,000. That is 0.46 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Walworth County?
Roughly $5,760 a year at the county effective rate of 1.44%.
Is Walworth County expensive compared with the rest of South Dakota?
It ranks #2 of 36 South Dakota counties by effective property tax rate, and #436 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.35 points above the South Dakota average of 1.09%.
What does housing cost in Walworth County?
The median home is worth $130,000 and median gross rent is $962 a month. Median household income is $62,722, which puts the home at 2.07 times annual income and rent at 18.41% of it.