Columbia County, Wisconsin property tax
The median homeowner in Columbia County, Wisconsin pays $3,826 a year in property tax on a home worth $258,700, an effective rate of 1.48%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.48%, Columbia County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. Houses here are worth $258,700, 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.
It ranks #25 of 70 Wisconsin counties by effective rate, against a statewide 1.51%, and #386 nationally. The state runs from 2.04% in Milwaukee County down to 0.80% in Vilas County.
The median home costs 3.12 times the median household income of $82,792, close to the national 3.86. With 58,322 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
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
| Columbia County | Wisconsin | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.48% | 1.51% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $3,826 | $3,746 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $258,700 | $247,400 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $926 | $1,045 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $82,792 | $75,670 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.12× | 3.27× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 13.42% | 16.57% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 76.9% | 67.89% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 58,322.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calumet County | 1.52% | $3,830 | $252,100 |
| Waupaca County | 1.49% | $2,876 | $192,800 |
| Grant County | 1.44% | $2,683 | $186,300 |
| Sauk County | 1.50% | $3,646 | $242,400 |
| Chippewa County | 1.16% | $2,754 | $237,700 |
Columbia County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Columbia County, Wisconsin?
The effective rate is 1.48% of home value, from a median tax bill of $3,826 against a median home value of $258,700. That is 0.5 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Columbia County?
Roughly $5,920 a year at the county effective rate of 1.48%.
Is Columbia County expensive compared with the rest of Wisconsin?
It ranks #25 of 70 Wisconsin counties by effective property tax rate, and #386 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.03 points below the Wisconsin average of 1.51%.
What does housing cost in Columbia County?
The median home is worth $258,700 and median gross rent is $926 a month. Median household income is $82,792, which puts the home at 3.12 times annual income and rent at 13.42% of it.