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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Clay County, South Dakota

Clay County has an effective property tax rate of 1.26%. On the median home value of $232,300, that's roughly $2,937 per year. Median household income is $56,850.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
1.26%
median tax $2,937 ÷ median home $232,300
Median Home Value1
$232,300
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$56,850
per-capita $30,824
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$2,937
at 1.26% 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.

MetricClay CountySouth Dakota (state context)
Effective property tax rate11.26%1.01%
Median home value1$232,300—
State income tax3No state income taxNo state income tax
State sales tax36.11% combined6.11% 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 Clay County, SD

Property owners in Clay County, South Dakota, face an effective tax rate of 1.264%, which sits above the statewide median of 1.014% and well above the national median of 0.794%. Among South Dakota's 66 counties, this one ranks 11th highest for property tax rate. The median home value of $232,300 produces a median annual real-estate tax bill of $2,937, a figure shaped by both the rate and local housing prices. Households here earn a median of $56,850, with per-capita income at $30,824. Vermillion, the largest community in the county, anchors a region where property taxes run noticeably higher than what most Americans pay. That gap signals a heavier reliance on property taxes to fund local services, and buyers weighing a move here should account for the added annual cost relative to state and national norms.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Clay County, SD?
The effective rate is 1.26% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 1.26% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($232,300), the estimated annual bill is about $2,937.
Is Clay County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 1.01% 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 Clay 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 Clay 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.