County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Putnam County, Missouri

Putnam County has an effective property tax rate of 1.01%. On the median home value of $119,500, that's roughly $1,211 per year. Median household income is $63,510.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
1.01%
median tax $1,211 ÷ median home $119,500
Median Home Value1
$119,500
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$63,510
per-capita $35,778
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$1,211
at 1.01% 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.

MetricPutnam CountyMissouri (state context)
Effective property tax rate11.01%0.70%
Median home value1$119,500
State income tax3top rate 4.80%top rate 4.80%
State sales tax38.44% combined8.44% 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 Putnam County, MO

Property taxes in Putnam County, Missouri, run higher than what most Americans and most Missourians pay. The county's effective rate of 1.013% sits above the statewide median of 0.705% and the national figure of 0.794%, placing it 8th among Missouri's 115 counties. That ranking signals a county where property tax collections carry real weight relative to home values. A median-priced home here, valued at $119,500, generates an annual tax bill of about $1,211. With median household income at $63,510 and per-capita income at $35,778, that bill equals roughly two percent of a typical household's yearly earnings. Communities such as Unionville, Livonia, and Worthington fall within this taxing structure, and owners there should expect to pay more than the state or national average for comparable property.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Putnam County, MO?
The effective rate is 1.01% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 1.01% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($119,500), the estimated annual bill is about $1,211.
Is Putnam County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 0.70% 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 Putnam 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 Putnam 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.