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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Buchanan County, Iowa

Buchanan County has an effective property tax rate of 1.36%. On the median home value of $176,000, that's roughly $2,390 per year. Median household income is $78,236.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
1.36%
median tax $2,390 ÷ median home $176,000
Median Home Value1
$176,000
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$78,236
per-capita $36,527
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$2,390
at 1.36% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricBuchanan CountyIowa (state context)
Effective property tax rate11.36%1.32%
Median home value1$176,000—
State income tax3top rate 3.80%top rate 3.80%
State sales tax36.94% combined6.94% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Buchanan County, IA

Property taxes in Buchanan County run at an effective rate of 1.358%, which sits slightly above Iowa's statewide median of 1.319%. That gap is narrow, but it places the county 38th among Iowa's 99 counties for property tax rate, landing it just past the middle of the pack. Against the national median of 0.794%, however, the difference is far more striking — Buchanan County's rate is roughly 1.7 times the U.S. figure. A median home here, valued at $176,000, carries an annual real-estate tax bill of about $2,390, set against a median household income of $78,236 and per-capita income of $36,527. Independence is the largest of the county's principal communities, alongside Aurora and Hazleton. What this signals is a county whose property tax load tracks closely with Iowa norms but stands well above what most American homeowners pay.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Buchanan County, IA?
The effective rate is 1.36% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 1.36% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($176,000), the estimated annual bill is about $2,390.
Is Buchanan County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 1.32% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Buchanan County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Buchanan County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.