The property tax you pay each year is determined by your property’s value and the tax rates in the districts where you live. If you’ve never had to pay property taxes before, sorting out how it all works can be a little overwhelming.

To make it easy, licensed broker and

insurance

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has collected all the info you need about property taxes in Hamilton County,

Iowa

. Read on to find out what exactly property taxes are, how to pay them, and where your money goes.

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Property tax 101

Like all taxes, property taxes can be hard to understand. Here are some basics to get you started:

Local governments like counties, cities, and school districts assign property taxes

Property taxes are used to pay for public services like education and emergency services

They apply to real property, like land, houses, and buildings

Tax amounts are assigned by local tax assessors using the value of your home and the local tax rate

Property tax amounts frequently change based on the market and local government budgets

Property taxes collected from a community are used by their local government

MORE: How to get a hybrid or electric car tax credit

What is the property tax rate in Hamilton County?

The property tax rate in Hamilton County, Iowa is 1.44% of the home’s assessed value. Based on average home values in the area, that’s about $1,300. This percentage is above the Iowa state average of 1.29% and the national average of 1.1%.

How Hamilton County property taxes are determined

Local governments create budgets every year, and they use property taxes to fund those budgets. To meet budget needs, counties, cities, and other taxing units assess home values in their jurisdictions and then determine what their tax rate should be as a percentage of those values.

Your property tax amount will be the value of your property multiplied by the taxing unit’s tax rate.

How is your property’s value determined? Since taxing units decide their tax rates based on home values, they first have to determine what those values are. A local tax assessor will use a percentage of your home’s market value to determine your home’s assessed value, so the two numbers are different.

For more information, take a look at the

Iowa Treasury’s Property Tax FAQ page

What do Hamilton County property taxes pay for?

Hamilton County, Iowa uses property taxes to fund the following:

K-12 schools

Public health

Libraries

Emergency services

Roads, bridges, and other infrastructure

As a majority-rural county in Iowa, the taxing units that receive the biggest cut of your property taxes are the school districts, followed by the county itself. The Iowa Treasury has provided a

chart of this information

that you can see for yourself.

You will receive detailed information about where your tax dollars are going on your property tax statement. The Iowa Treasury has also provided a

labeled sample statement

to help you understand yours.

MORE: How to deduct a car accident from your taxes

How to pay property taxes in Hamilton County

Property taxes in Hamilton County, IA can be paid in one full installment in September or in two installments split between September and March.

The first installment is due by September 1st and is considered delinquent after the 30th. The second installment is due by March 1st and is considered delinquent after the 31st. Try not to let your property taxes become delinquent, because they’ll start accruing interest!

Some lenders roll your property taxes into your mortgage (called paying in escrow). If that’s the case for you, you’ll receive an informational statement from the government. This won’t be a bill since you won’t have any tax due, but you should keep it for your records.

If you’re a property owner in Hamilton County and your taxes are not rolled into your mortgage, you have a couple of options for paying your bill. You can pay:

Online using the

Iowa Treasury website

and selecting Hamilton County on the map.

By mail by sending your payment with your statement stub to the following address: Hamilton County Courthouse, 2300 Superior Street, Suite 7, Webster City, Iowa 50595

By dropbox by including your stub and your payment in an envelope and placing it in the white drop box at the address above.

MORE: Iowa Electric Vehicle Incentives

How to save money on homeowners and car insurance in Iowa

Whether you own a home in rural Hamilton County or a big city like Des Moines, you’ll have to pay property taxes and other homeownership costs—like home insurance. Luckily, with

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When are property taxes due in Hamilton County?

Property taxes in Hamilton County, Iowa are due either in one installment on September 1st or in two installments on September 1st and March 1st.

How do I get my Iowa property tax statement?

In Hamilton County, you will receive your property tax statement in the mail.

Are property taxes high in Hamilton County?

Hamilton County property taxes are around $1,300 per year for an average home, which is equal to 1.44%. This percentage rate is slightly higher than the state and national averages.

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