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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Palo Alto County, Iowa

Palo Alto County has an effective property tax rate of 1.20%. On the median home value of $123,200, that's roughly $1,474 per year. Median household income is $72,781.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
1.20%
median tax $1,474 ÷ median home $123,200
Median Home Value1
$123,200
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$72,781
per-capita $37,828
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$1,474
at 1.20% 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.

MetricPalo Alto CountyIowa (state context)
Effective property tax rate11.20%1.32%
Median home value1$123,200—
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 Palo Alto County, IA

Palo Alto County’s effective property tax rate of 1.196% sits below Iowa’s statewide median of 1.319%, placing it 76th among the state’s 99 counties. That gap signals a lighter tax load than much of Iowa, though it remains far above the national median of 0.794%. A home valued at $123,200 carries an annual tax bill near $1,474, set against a median household income of $72,781 and per-capita income of $37,828. Emmetsburg, the largest community here alongside Curlew and Cylinder, anchors a county where property taxes take a smaller share of income than in higher-ranked Iowa counties, but still exceed what a comparable home would owe in most of the country.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Palo Alto County, IA?
The effective rate is 1.20% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 1.20% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($123,200), the estimated annual bill is about $1,474.
Is Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto 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 Palo Alto 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.