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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Otter Tail County, Minnesota

Otter Tail County has an effective property tax rate of 0.77%. On the median home value of $273,000, that's roughly $2,093 per year. Median household income is $72,255.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.77%
median tax $2,093 ÷ median home $273,000
Median Home Value1
$273,000
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$72,255
per-capita $39,580
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$2,093
at 0.77% 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.

MetricOtter Tail CountyMinnesota (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.77%0.98%
Median home value1$273,000—
State income tax3top rate 9.85%top rate 9.85%
State sales tax38.14% combined8.14% 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 Otter Tail County, MN

Otter Tail County’s effective property tax rate of 0.767% sits below both the Minnesota statewide median of 0.985% and the national median of 0.794%. Among Minnesota’s 87 counties, it ranks 77th for property tax rate, placing it in the lower portion statewide. That gap shows up in actual bills: with a median home value of $273,000, the median annual real-estate tax comes to $2,093. Households here earn a median of $72,255, while per-capita income is $39,580. The county’s rate advantage over the state average is meaningful, though its edge over the national figure is narrower. Communities such as Battle Lake, Bluffton, and Clitherall fall within the county. What this signals is a jurisdiction that taxes property at a lighter clip than most of its home state, which can matter for affordability and for how far housing dollars stretch across the area.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Otter Tail County, MN?
The effective rate is 0.77% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.77% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($273,000), the estimated annual bill is about $2,093.
Is Otter Tail County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 0.98% 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 Otter Tail 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 Otter Tail 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.