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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Pottawattamie County, Iowa

Pottawattamie County has an effective property tax rate of 1.57%. On the median home value of $195,700, that's roughly $3,067 per year. Median household income is $73,602.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
1.57%
median tax $3,067 ÷ median home $195,700
Median Home Value1
$195,700
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$73,602
per-capita $37,477
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$3,067
at 1.57% 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.

MetricPottawattamie CountyIowa (state context)
Effective property tax rate11.57%1.32%
Median home value1$195,700—
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 Pottawattamie County, IA

Pottawattamie County's effective property tax rate of 1.567% runs well above both benchmarks that matter here. Iowa's statewide median sits at 1.319%, and the county's rate places it 8th among the state's 99 counties—firmly in the upper tier for Iowa. Nationally, the gap is even wider, since the U.S. median effective rate is just 0.794%, roughly half what property owners in this county pay. That difference shows up in real dollars: with a median home value of $195,700, the median annual tax bill reaches $3,067. Households earning the median income of $73,602 devote a noticeable share of that to property taxes, and per-capita income of $37,477 is a further reminder that the tax load here is heavier than what most Americans face. Communities such as Council Bluffs, Carter Lake, and Avoca all sit within this higher-tax environment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Pottawattamie County, IA?
The effective rate is 1.57% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 1.57% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($195,700), the estimated annual bill is about $3,067.
Is Pottawattamie 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 Pottawattamie 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 Pottawattamie 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.