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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Van Buren County, Iowa

Van Buren County has an effective property tax rate of 1.18%. On the median home value of $114,600, that's roughly $1,355 per year. Median household income is $61,161.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
1.18%
median tax $1,355 ÷ median home $114,600
Median Home Value1
$114,600
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$61,161
per-capita $33,900
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$1,355
at 1.18% 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.

MetricVan Buren CountyIowa (state context)
Effective property tax rate11.18%1.32%
Median home value1$114,600—
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 Van Buren County, IA

In Van Buren County, Iowa, homes sell for a median of $114,600, and the annual property tax bill on such a home averages $1,355. That works out to an effective rate of 1.182%, which sits below Iowa's statewide median of 1.319% and places the county 78th among the state's 99 counties for property tax rate. Compared with the national median effective rate of 0.794%, though, buyers here pay a higher share of home value in taxes. Households earning the median income of $61,161 would owe roughly two percent of that in real-estate taxes. Keosauqua, the county seat, anchors a housing market that includes Cantril and Mount Sterling. Low purchase prices keep the dollar amount owed each year smaller than in many places, even though the rate itself runs above the national figure.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Van Buren County, IA?
The effective rate is 1.18% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 1.18% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($114,600), the estimated annual bill is about $1,355.
Is Van Buren 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 Van Buren 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 Van Buren 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.