Des Moines Metro Property Tax Estimator
Estimate the property tax on a home in any of the 12 cities this site covers, using the rate each county auditor certified for its taxing districts. Figures are for the bills paid in September 2026 and March 2027, which are based on values as of January 1, 2025.
The homestead box starts ticked, but a new owner must file a homestead claim with the assessor by July 1 of the year it is claimed for (Iowa Code §425.2), so someone buying now first gets the 10% homestead exemption on January 1, 2027 values, not this credit (Department of Revenue).
How this estimate was figured
District: —. This is an estimate, not tax advice. It leaves out special assessments, the disabled veteran homestead credit, the disabled and senior citizens property tax credit, and any city tax exemption on new construction. Your county treasurer's statement is the bill that counts. Everything runs in your browser.
How Iowa figures a home's property tax
- Assessed value. The city or county assessor values the home as of January 1.
- Rollback. Only part of that value is taxed. The Iowa Department of Revenue sets the share each year for all residential property in the state (Iowa Code §441.21). For values as of January 1, 2025 it is 44.5345% (the Department's 2025 order).
- Exemptions come off the taxable value: $6,500 if the owner was 65 or older by January 1 of the assessment year (§425.1A), and $4,000 for an eligible veteran who has claimed the military service exemption (§426A.11). Both amounts come from the same 2023 law (2023 Iowa Acts, chapter 71, in the Code's history notes), which the Department of Revenue calls HF 718.
- Levy rate. Divide by 1,000 and multiply by your taxing district's consolidated rate, the total of every levy on the parcel.
- Homestead credit. If you own and live in the home and have claimed it, the credit equals the levy on the first $4,850 of value (§425.1).
- Installments and rounding. The tax can be paid in two halves (§445.36), which the county tables call September and March. Dallas County's rate table says the net tax is rounded to the nearest even whole dollar so the halves are equal, which changes the bill by $1 at most. The Polk and Warren tables do not say how they round, so the estimator rounds only Dallas County bills and shows the others to the cent.
This is the method in the Department of Revenue's own worked example on its homestead credit and exemption page. The tax year matters: the September and March bills are for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, and they use values as of January 1, 2025.
Why one city has several rates
The rate on a tax bill is the sum of every taxing body that reaches the parcel: the city, the school district, the county, the community college (DMACC), the assessor and a few smaller levies such as the regional transit levy. School districts do not follow city lines, and the county portion differs from one county to the next, so homes in the same city can carry quite different rates. A few neighborhoods add a special district on top: a self-supported municipal improvement district (SSMID, Iowa Code chapter 386), a sanitary sewer district, a cemetery levy or a recreational lake district.
West Des Moines shows it well. The city levy is the same everywhere in the city, but the school and county parts are not:
| Part of West Des Moines | City | School | County and everything else | Total per $1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas Co., West Des Moines schools | 10.80000 | 13.04633 | 6.09317 | 29.93950 |
| Dallas Co., Van Meter schools | 10.80000 | 15.99442 | 6.09317 | 32.88759 |
| Dallas Co., Van Meter schools, Badger Creek district | 10.80000 | 15.99442 | 6.59317 | 33.38759 |
| Dallas Co., Waukee schools | 10.80000 | 17.48983 | 6.09317 | 34.38300 |
| Polk Co., West Des Moines schools | 10.80000 | 13.04633 | 11.07643 | 34.92276 |
| Warren Co., Norwalk schools | 10.80000 | 16.56335 | 7.86761 | 35.23096 |
| Polk Co., West Des Moines schools, Urbandale-Windsor Heights sanitary sewer district | 10.80000 | 13.04633 | 11.48586 | 35.33219 |
| Polk Co., Des Moines Independent schools | 10.80000 | 16.04873 | 11.07643 | 37.92516 |
"County and everything else" is the total less the city and school levies, as the county tables list them.
Rates by city
Every residential taxing district inside each city, from the Polk, Dallas and Warren county auditors' tables for January 1, 2025 values. Agricultural land, tax-increment (TIF) sub-districts that Dallas County lists separately, which carry the same rate as their base district, and city tax-exemption districts are left out. A city's parts in any other county are not covered here. The last column is what each $100,000 of assessed value adds before any credit or exemption: $100,000 × 44.5345% × the rate ÷ 1,000.
Des Moines
21 taxing districts in Polk and Warren counties, from $40.19182 to $46.09503 per $1,000 of taxable value.
| County | School district | Rate per $1,000 | Per $100,000 assessed, before credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk | Saydel | 40.19182 | $1,790 |
| Polk | West Des Moines | 40.74256 | $1,814 |
| Polk | Johnston | 42.61235 | $1,898 |
| Polk | Johnston, Urbandale sanitary sewer district | 42.81890 | $1,907 |
| Polk | Southeast Polk | 43.11995 | $1,920 |
| Polk | Des Moines Independent | 43.74496 | $1,948 |
| Polk | Des Moines Independent, Urbandale-Windsor Heights sanitary sewer district | 44.15439 | $1,966 |
| Polk | Carlisle | 44.92549 | $2,001 |
| Polk | Des Moines Independent, Downtown SSMID | 45.04496 | $2,006 |
| Polk | Des Moines Independent, Sherman Hill SSMID | 45.24496 | $2,015 |
| Polk | Des Moines Independent, Beaverdale SSMID | 45.49494 | $2,026 |
| Polk | Des Moines Independent, Roosevelt Cultural SSMID | 45.49498 | $2,026 |
| Polk | Urbandale | 45.68560 | $2,035 |
| Polk | Des Moines Independent, Highland Park SSMID | 45.99492 | $2,048 |
| Polk | Des Moines Independent, SW 9th Corridor SSMID | 45.99495 | $2,048 |
| Polk | Des Moines Independent, Ingersoll Grand SSMID | 45.99496 | $2,048 |
| Polk | Urbandale, Urbandale-Windsor Heights sanitary sewer district | 46.09503 | $2,053 |
| Warren | Des Moines Independent | 40.53614 | $1,805 |
| Warren | Norwalk | 41.05076 | $1,828 |
| Warren | Indianola | 41.60049 | $1,853 |
| Warren | Carlisle | 41.71667 | $1,858 |
West Des Moines
8 taxing districts in Dallas, Polk and Warren counties, from $29.93950 to $37.92516 per $1,000 of taxable value.
| County | School district | Rate per $1,000 | Per $100,000 assessed, before credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | West Des Moines | 29.93950 | $1,333 |
| Dallas | Van Meter | 32.88759 | $1,465 |
| Dallas | Van Meter, Badger Creek district | 33.38759 | $1,487 |
| Dallas | Waukee | 34.38300 | $1,531 |
| Polk | West Des Moines | 34.92276 | $1,555 |
| Polk | West Des Moines, Urbandale-Windsor Heights sanitary sewer district | 35.33219 | $1,574 |
| Polk | Des Moines Independent | 37.92516 | $1,689 |
| Warren | Norwalk | 35.23096 | $1,569 |
Waukee
4 taxing districts in Dallas County, from $33.94739 to $35.82677 per $1,000 of taxable value.
| County | School district | Rate per $1,000 | Per $100,000 assessed, before credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | Van Meter | 33.94739 | $1,512 |
| Dallas | Waukee, outside Walnut Township | 35.44280 | $1,578 |
| Dallas | Waukee, Walnut Township part | 35.45080 | $1,579 |
| Dallas | Adel-DeSoto-Minburn | 35.82677 | $1,596 |
Urbandale
13 taxing districts in Dallas and Polk counties, from $33.45648 to $39.90512 per $1,000 of taxable value.
| County | School district | Rate per $1,000 | Per $100,000 assessed, before credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | Waukee, Urbandale sanitary sewer district | 33.45648 | $1,490 |
| Dallas | Dallas Center-Grimes, Urbandale sanitary sewer district | 34.92186 | $1,555 |
| Polk | West Des Moines | 33.78969 | $1,505 |
| Polk | West Des Moines, Urbandale sanitary sewer district | 33.99624 | $1,514 |
| Polk | West Des Moines, Urbandale-Windsor Heights sanitary sewer district | 34.19912 | $1,523 |
| Polk | Johnston | 35.65948 | $1,588 |
| Polk | Johnston, Urbandale sanitary sewer district | 35.86603 | $1,597 |
| Polk | Des Moines Independent, Urbandale-Windsor Heights sanitary sewer district | 37.20152 | $1,657 |
| Polk | Urbandale | 38.73273 | $1,725 |
| Polk | Urbandale, Urbandale sanitary sewer district | 38.93928 | $1,734 |
| Polk | Urbandale, Urbandale-Windsor Heights sanitary sewer district | 39.14216 | $1,743 |
| Polk | Dallas Center-Grimes | 39.69857 | $1,768 |
| Polk | Dallas Center-Grimes, Urbandale sanitary sewer district | 39.90512 | $1,777 |
Clive
2 taxing districts in Dallas and Polk counties, from $33.13117 to $33.66293 per $1,000 of taxable value.
| County | School district | Rate per $1,000 | Per $100,000 assessed, before credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | Waukee | 33.13117 | $1,475 |
| Polk | West Des Moines | 33.66293 | $1,499 |
Ankeny
3 taxing districts in Polk County, from $33.17101 to $39.38787 per $1,000 of taxable value.
| County | School district | Rate per $1,000 | Per $100,000 assessed, before credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk | Saydel | 33.17101 | $1,477 |
| Polk | Ankeny | 36.67507 | $1,633 |
| Polk | North Polk | 39.38787 | $1,754 |
Johnston
One taxing district in Polk County.
| County | School district | Rate per $1,000 | Per $100,000 assessed, before credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk | Johnston | 37.05231 | $1,650 |
Altoona
3 taxing districts in Polk County, from $34.10154 to $38.60765 per $1,000 of taxable value.
| County | School district | Rate per $1,000 | Per $100,000 assessed, before credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk | Saydel | 34.10154 | $1,519 |
| Polk | Southeast Polk | 37.02967 | $1,649 |
| Polk | Bondurant-Farrar | 38.60765 | $1,719 |
Grimes
4 taxing districts in Dallas and Polk counties, from $34.80738 to $39.79064 per $1,000 of taxable value.
| County | School district | Rate per $1,000 | Per $100,000 assessed, before credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas | Dallas Center-Grimes | 34.80738 | $1,550 |
| Polk | Johnston | 35.75155 | $1,592 |
| Polk | Urbandale | 38.82480 | $1,729 |
| Polk | Dallas Center-Grimes | 39.79064 | $1,772 |
Indianola
One taxing district in Warren County.
| County | School district | Rate per $1,000 | Per $100,000 assessed, before credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren | Indianola | 37.36620 | $1,664 |
Norwalk
4 taxing districts in Polk and Warren counties, from $38.37867 to $41.44617 per $1,000 of taxable value.
| County | School district | Rate per $1,000 | Per $100,000 assessed, before credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk | Des Moines Independent | 41.07287 | $1,829 |
| Warren | Norwalk, Greenfield Township part | 38.37867 | $1,709 |
| Warren | Norwalk, Linn Township part | 38.44617 | $1,712 |
| Warren | Norwalk, Lakewood recreational lake district | 41.44617 | $1,846 |
Pleasant Hill
2 taxing districts in Polk County, from $37.65995 to $38.28496 per $1,000 of taxable value.
| County | School district | Rate per $1,000 | Per $100,000 assessed, before credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk | Southeast Polk | 37.65995 | $1,677 |
| Polk | Des Moines Independent | 38.28496 | $1,705 |
Smaller towns
20 smaller towns in the same county tables, with a row for each residential taxing district: the consolidated rate, the yearly tax on a home assessed at $300,000, the county and school district, where the rate ranks among all 107 residential city taxing districts covered here (the 24 cities with their own pages and these towns), and where the town's own city levy ranks among the 44 city levies. The tax is figured the way the estimator figures it: $300,000 × 44.5345% rollback ÷ 1,000 × the rate, less the homestead credit, with no exemptions.
| Town | Rate per $1,000 | Tax on $300,000 | County | School district | Rank of the 107 rates | City levy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ackworth | 29.94043 | $3,854.92 | Warren | Indianola | 4th lowest$7.70 below the median | 5.89994lowest of 44 |
| Alleman | 38.25132 | $4,924.97 | Polk | North Polk, Lincoln Township cemetery levy | 49th highest$0.61 above the median | 9.119727th lowest of 44 |
| Bouton | 42.93528 | $5,528 | Dallas | Perry | 15th highest$5.30 above the median | 19.24531highest of 44 |
| Cumming | 33.41312 | $4,302.04 | Warren | Norwalk | 16th lowest$4.22 below the median | 9.854868th lowest of 44 |
| Dawson | 33.87917 | $4,362 | Dallas | Perry | 20th lowest$3.76 below the median | 10.1892013th lowest of 44 |
| De Soto | 36.20971 | $4,662 | Dallas | Adel-DeSoto-Minburn | 41st lowest$1.43 below the median | 13.1829417th highest of 44 |
| Dexter | 33.04626 | $4,254 | Dallas | West Central Valley | 12th lowest$4.59 below the median | 18.688622nd highest of 44 |
| Elkhart | 40.84868 | $5,259.39 | Polk | North Polk | 26th highest$3.21 above the median | 12.0000022nd highest of 44 |
| Hartford | 34.32043 | $4,418.86 | Warren | Carlisle | 25th lowest$3.32 below the median | 10.1637612th lowest of 44 |
| Lacona | 35.74124 | $4,601.79 | Warren | Southeast Warren | 36th lowest$1.90 below the median | 13.3809415th highest of 44 |
| Linden | 30.87139 | $3,974 | Dallas | Panorama | 7th lowest$6.77 below the median | 15.618016th highest of 44 |
| Martensdale | 35.30705 | $4,545.89 | Warren | Martensdale-St. Marys | 31st lowest$2.33 below the median | 12.6325819th highest of 44 |
| Milo | 32.56526 | $4,192.87 | Warren | Southeast Warren, Belmont Township part | 9th lowest (both of Milo's districts)$5.07 below the median | 10.2049614th lowest of 44 |
| Milo | 32.56526 | $4,192.87 | Warren | Southeast Warren, Otter Township part | 9th lowest (both of Milo's districts)$5.07 below the median | 10.2049614th lowest of 44 |
| Minburn | 38.77633 | $4,992 | Dallas | Adel-DeSoto-Minburn | 42nd highest$1.14 above the median | 15.749565th highest of 44 |
| New Virginia | 29.09173 | $3,745.65 | Warren | Interstate 35 | 2nd lowest$8.55 below the median | 5.973102nd lowest of 44 |
| Redfield | 28.08738 | $3,616 | Dallas | West Central Valley | lowest$9.55 below the median | 13.7297413th highest of 44 |
| Runnells | 37.63716 | $4,845.90 | Polk | Southeast Polk, Camp Township cemetery levy | 54th lowestat the median | 11.7884322nd lowest of 44 |
| Sandyville | 30.09845 | $3,875.27 | Warren | Indianola | 5th lowest$7.54 below the median | 6.057963rd lowest of 44 |
| Spring Hill | 30.74716 | $3,958.79 | Warren | Norwalk | 6th lowest$6.89 below the median | 7.256404th lowest of 44 |
| St. Marys | 31.49451 | $4,055.01 | Warren | Martensdale-St. Marys | 8th lowest$6.14 below the median | 8.820046th lowest of 44 |
Rates from the Polk, Dallas and Warren county auditors' tables for January 1, 2025 values, for the bills paid September 2026 and March 2027. A rank counts from whichever end is nearer; the median of the 107 rates is $37.63716. Dallas County bills are rounded to the nearest even dollar (Dallas County's rate table). The Polk and Warren tables do not say how they round, so those bills are shown to the cent. The method is the estimator's. The Lincoln Township cemetery levy is named from the Polk County Auditor's Tax Authority Fund Levy Rates, which list LINCOLN-ALLEMAN CEMETERY, a township authority, at $0.28292 per $1,000 (row 391). The Camp Township cemetery levy is named from the Polk County Auditor's Tax Authority Fund Levy Rates, which list CAMP-RUNNELLS CEMETERY, a township authority, at $0.28878 per $1,000 (row 363).
As the county tables list them: ACKWORTH CITY/INDIANOLA SCH (Warren County State ID # 13); ALLEMAN CITY/N-POLK SCH/LINCOLN CEM (Polk County State District Code 770001); BOUTON CITY/PERRY SCH (Dallas County State base # 250065); CUMMING CITY/NORWALK SCH (Warren County State ID # 45); DAWSON CITY/PERRY SCH (Dallas County State base # 250066); DE SOTO CITY/ADM SCH (Dallas County State base # 250045); DEXTER CITY/WCV SCH (Dallas County State base # 250047); ELKHART CITY/N-POLK SCH (Polk County State District Code 770008); HARTFORD CITY/CARLISLE SCH (Warren County State ID # 7); LACONA CITY/SOUTHEAST WARREN SCH (Warren County State ID # 64); LINDEN CITY/PANORAMA SCH (Dallas County State base # 250053); MARTENSDALE CITY/MARTENSDALE-ST.MARYS SCH (Warren County State ID # 37); MILO CITY/SOUTHEAST WARREN SCH/BELMONT TWP (Warren County State ID # 52); MILO CITY/SOUTHEAST WARREN SCH/OTTER TWP (Warren County State ID # 218); MINBURN CITY/ADM SCH (Dallas County State base # 250061); NEW VIRGINIA CITY/INTERSTATE 35 SCH (Warren County State ID # 30); REDFIELD CITY/WCV SCH (Dallas County State base # 250049); RUNNELLS CITY/SE-POLK SCH/CAMP CEM (Polk County State District Code 770015); SANDYVILLE CITY/INDIANOLA SCH (Warren County State ID # 25); SPRING HILL CITY/NORWALK SCH (Warren County State ID # 42); ST. MARYS CITY/MARTENSDALE-ST.MARYS SCH (Warren County State ID # 34).
What changes for the bills paid in September 2027 and March 2028
Two changes already made apply to values as of January 1, 2026, which are taxed in the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2027:
- The Department of Revenue's 2026 order sets the residential rollback at 45.6926%.
- Senate File 2472 (2026) replaces the homestead credit with a homestead exemption of 10% of the home's taxable value, at least $5,500 and at most $20,000. The Department will adjust the $20,000 maximum for inflation for each assessment year from 2027 on (Department of Revenue). Owners who had the credit or exemption before July 1, 2026 get the new exemption without refiling if they still qualify.
The levy rates for that year are not set yet, so this page does not estimate those bills.
Sources
- Iowa Department of Revenue, Order Certifying Percentages for Assessment Limitations: percentages of 2025 actual value (dated October 27, 2025; issued November 1, 2025) (archived copy). Retrieved November 5, 2026. (original link) The Department's link now serves the 2026 order. The 2025 order is read from the copy archived on November 16, 2025; the Department's homestead guidance page uses the same 44.5345% for assessment year 2025.
- Iowa Department of Revenue, Order Certifying Percentages for Assessment Limitations: percentages of 2026 actual value (dated October 27, 2026; issued November 1, 2026). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Iowa Department of Revenue, Equalization and Assessment Limitations. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Iowa Department of Revenue, Homestead Tax Credit and Exemption. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Iowa Department of Revenue, Tax Credits and Exemptions. Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code 2026, section 425.1 (homestead credit fund). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code 2026, section 425.1A (homestead tax exemption, age 65 or older). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code 2026, section 425.2 (qualifying for the homestead credit: claim filed by July 1 of the year claimed; a buyer refiles). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code 2026, section 426A.11 (military service exemptions). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code 2026, section 441.21 (actual, assessed and taxable value). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code 2026, section 445.36 (payment in installments). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Iowa Legislature, Iowa Code 2026, chapter 386 (self-supported municipal improvement districts). Retrieved November 5, 2026.
- Polk County Auditor, Consolidated Tax Levy Rates For Polk County, Iowa: For 2025 Assessed Valuations, Taxes Payable September 2026 and March 2027 (City Non-Agricultural section). Retrieved November 5, 2026. (listing page)
- Dallas County Auditor, Dallas County Tax Rates for all Taxing Districts: January 1, 2025 Valuations for Taxes Payable in Fiscal Year 2026-2027. Retrieved November 5, 2026. (listing page)
- Warren County Auditor, Warren County Tax Rates for Property Assessed January 1, 2025 and to be Collected July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 (updated). Retrieved November 5, 2026. (listing page)
An estimate for planning, not tax advice. Check your parcel's district and value with the county assessor, and the amount due with the county treasurer.