Iowa · FIPS 19021 · ACS 2020–2024
Buena Vista County, Iowa property tax rate
Homeowners in Buena Vista County paid a median of $1,931 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $159,500 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 1.36% of home value, 3% above the Iowa rate of 1.33% and 45% above the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 1.36%Effective tax rate±0.18% margin · Iowa: 1.33%
- $1,931Median tax per yearIowa: $2,897 · U.S.: $3,119
- $159,500Median home valueIowa: $208,000
- 5,525Owner-occupied homes73% of households own
| Measure | Buena Vista County | Iowa | U.S. | Buena Vista County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 1.36% | 1.33% | 0.94% | 1.29% | +0.07 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $1,931 | $2,897 | $3,119 | $1,822 | +$109 (+6.0%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $2,125 | $3,091 | $3,489 | $1,983 | +$142 (+7.2%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $1,725 | $2,633 | $2,576 | $1,529 | +$196 (+12.8%) |
| Median home value | $159,500 | $208,000 | $332,700 | $146,900 | +$12,600 (+8.6%) |
| Total taxes paid | $14,637,800 | $3,218,828,300 | $360,573,527,500 | $13,541,500 |
How Buena Vista County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $13.62 a year, against $13.27 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in Iowa: 78 of 92 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 88% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 1.50% of value; homes without one: 1.19%. Median bills: $2,125 and $1,725.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate rose (+0.07 pts) and the median tax changed +$109 (+6.0%). The two 5-year surveys share four years of responses, so year-to-year moves are small and partly noise.
- Margin of error: the effective rate is 1.36% ± 0.18% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 5,525 owner-occupied homes.
Iowa counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinton County | 1.34% | $2,461 | $160,600 |
| Humboldt County | 1.34% | $2,011 | $155,800 |
| Winnebago County | 1.35% | $1,781 | $135,000 |
| Jefferson County | 1.35% | $2,311 | $163,400 |
| Des Moines County | 1.36% | $2,058 | $136,500 |
| Story County | 1.36% | $3,632 | $258,700 |
| Dallas County | 1.37% | $5,001 | $355,600 |
| Wapello County | 1.37% | $1,974 | $125,100 |
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table-based summary file: B25090 (aggregate real estate taxes), B25082 (aggregate home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes), B25077 (median home value) and B25003 (tenure); files dated January 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, same tables (files dated October 31, 2024), for the comparison column.
- Geography names: Census Bureau Geos20245YR.txt (file dated January 22, 2026).
Effective rate = total real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied homes ÷ their total value, as reported by owners to the Census Bureau. It is not a millage rate. Your bill depends on your assessed value, exemptions (such as homestead) and local levies.