Iowa · FIPS 19147 · ACS 2020–2024
Palo Alto County, Iowa property tax rate
Homeowners in Palo Alto County paid a median of $1,474 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $123,200 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 1.06% of home value, 20% below the Iowa rate of 1.33% and 13% above the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 1.06%Effective tax rate±0.12% margin · Iowa: 1.33%
- $1,474Median tax per yearIowa: $2,897 · U.S.: $3,119
- $123,200Median home valueIowa: $208,000
- 2,915Owner-occupied homes77% of households own
| Measure | Palo Alto County | Iowa | U.S. | Palo Alto County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 1.06% | 1.33% | 0.94% | 1.10% | −0.03 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $1,474 | $2,897 | $3,119 | $1,471 | +$3 (+0.2%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $1,524 | $3,091 | $3,489 | $1,598 | −$74 (-4.6%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $1,436 | $2,633 | $2,576 | $1,362 | +$74 (+5.4%) |
| Median home value | $123,200 | $208,000 | $332,700 | $119,300 | +$3,900 (+3.3%) |
| Total taxes paid | $5,367,300 | $3,218,828,300 | $360,573,527,500 | $5,266,500 |
How Palo Alto County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $10.65 a year, against $13.27 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in Iowa: 22 of 92 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 74% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.97% of value; homes without one: 1.16%. Median bills: $1,524 and $1,436.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (−0.03 pts) and the median tax changed +$3 (+0.2%). The two 5-year surveys share four years of responses, so year-to-year moves are small and partly noise.
- Margin of error: the effective rate is 1.06% ± 0.12% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 2,915 owner-occupied homes.
Iowa counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| O'Brien County | 1.03% | $1,701 | $173,100 |
| Kossuth County | 1.06% | $1,490 | $148,300 |
| Monona County | 1.06% | $1,467 | $142,900 |
| Pocahontas County | 1.06% | $1,111 | $98,100 |
| Cedar County | 1.08% | $2,568 | $211,300 |
| Louisa County | 1.08% | $1,751 | $150,100 |
| Sioux County | 1.08% | $2,801 | $250,100 |
| Poweshiek County | 1.11% | $2,563 | $209,300 |
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table-based summary file: B25090 (aggregate real estate taxes), B25082 (aggregate home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes), B25077 (median home value) and B25003 (tenure); files dated January 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, same tables (files dated October 31, 2024), for the comparison column.
- Geography names: Census Bureau Geos20245YR.txt (file dated January 22, 2026).
Effective rate = total real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied homes ÷ their total value, as reported by owners to the Census Bureau. It is not a millage rate. Your bill depends on your assessed value, exemptions (such as homestead) and local levies.