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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Butler County, Iowa

Butler County has an effective property tax rate of 1.35%. On the median home value of $165,400, that's roughly $2,226 per year. Median household income is $73,715.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
1.35%
median tax $2,226 ÷ median home $165,400
Median Home Value1
$165,400
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$73,715
per-capita $37,766
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$2,226
at 1.35% 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.

MetricButler CountyIowa (state context)
Effective property tax rate11.35%1.32%
Median home value1$165,400—
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 Butler County, IA

Butler County's effective property tax rate of 1.346% edges past Iowa's statewide median of 1.319%, placing it 41st among the state's 99 counties. That ranking lands the county just above the middle of the pack within Iowa, where property taxes generally run well higher than the national median of 0.794%. A median home value of $165,400 generates an annual real-estate tax bill of $2,226, set against a median household income of $73,715 and per-capita income of $37,766. Those figures describe a rural county anchored by Allison, Aplington, and Aredale, where home values stay below what buyers pay in many metro markets even as the tax rate itself sits slightly above average. The gap between Iowa's rate and the national figure is the more striking signal here: homeowners in this part of the country shoulder a noticeably heavier property tax load than most Americans.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Butler County, IA?
The effective rate is 1.35% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 1.35% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($165,400), the estimated annual bill is about $2,226.
Is Butler 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 Butler 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 Butler 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.