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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Clarke County, Iowa

Clarke County has an effective property tax rate of 1.60%. On the median home value of $161,100, that's roughly $2,578 per year. Median household income is $71,641.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
1.60%
median tax $2,578 ÷ median home $161,100
Median Home Value1
$161,100
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$71,641
per-capita $37,883
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$2,578
at 1.60% 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.

MetricClarke CountyIowa (state context)
Effective property tax rate11.60%1.32%
Median home value1$161,100—
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 Clarke County, IA

Clarke County’s effective property tax rate of 1.600% sits well above both the Iowa median of 1.319% and the national median of 0.794%. Among the state’s 99 counties, it ranks 6th highest, placing it firmly in the upper tier for property taxation. That elevated rate translates into a median annual real-estate tax bill of $2,578 on a median home value of $161,100. With median household income at $71,641 and per-capita income at $37,883, homeowners in places like Osceola carry a noticeably heavier property tax load than the average Iowan or American. The gap between this county’s rate and the national figure is especially wide, signaling that property taxes here claim a larger share of household resources than in most of the country.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Clarke County, IA?
The effective rate is 1.60% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 1.60% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($161,100), the estimated annual bill is about $2,578.
Is Clarke 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 Clarke 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 Clarke 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.