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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Union County, Iowa

Union County has an effective property tax rate of 1.80%. On the median home value of $122,000, that's roughly $2,197 per year. Median household income is $57,772.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
1.80%
median tax $2,197 ÷ median home $122,000
Median Home Value1
$122,000
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$57,772
per-capita $31,697
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$2,197
at 1.80% 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.

MetricUnion CountyIowa (state context)
Effective property tax rate11.80%1.32%
Median home value1$122,000—
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 Union County, IA

Union County sits at the top of Iowa's 99 counties for property tax rate, with an effective rate of 1.801 percent. That's well above the statewide median of 1.319 percent and more than double the national median of 0.794 percent. A home valued at the median $122,000 carries an estimated annual tax bill of $2,197. Households earning the median $57,772 would see roughly 3.8 percent of that income go toward real-estate taxes. Communities like Afton, Arispe, and Thayer fall under this county's tax structure, so homeowners there face the same elevated rate. Ranking first statewide signals that property taxes here run higher than almost anywhere else in Iowa, a meaningful consideration for anyone weighing a move or a purchase in the area.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Union County, IA?
The effective rate is 1.80% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 1.80% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($122,000), the estimated annual bill is about $2,197.
Is Union 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 Union 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 Union 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.