Iowa · FIPS 19169 · ACS 2020–2024
Story County, Iowa property tax rate
Homeowners in Story County paid a median of $3,632 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $258,700 (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±0.07% margin · Iowa: 1.33%
- $3,632Median tax per yearIowa: $2,897 · U.S.: $3,119
- $258,700Median home valueIowa: $208,000
- 21,599Owner-occupied homes56% of households own
| Measure | Story County | Iowa | U.S. | Story County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 1.36% | 1.33% | 0.94% | 1.41% | −0.05 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $3,632 | $2,897 | $3,119 | $3,586 | +$46 (+1.3%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $3,773 | $3,091 | $3,489 | $3,740 | +$33 (+0.9%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $3,466 | $2,633 | $2,576 | $3,394 | +$72 (+2.1%) |
| Median home value | $258,700 | $208,000 | $332,700 | $243,600 | +$15,100 (+6.2%) |
| Total taxes paid | $84,308,600 | $3,218,828,300 | $360,573,527,500 | $83,706,600 |
How Story County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $13.63 a year, against $13.27 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in Iowa: 79 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: 1.36% of value; homes without one: 1.37%. Median bills: $3,773 and $3,466.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (−0.05 pts) and the median tax changed +$46 (+1.3%). 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% ± 0.07% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 21,599 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 |
| Buena Vista County | 1.36% | $1,931 | $159,500 |
| 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.