Des Moines property tax rate
Polk County, Iowa · 2026–27 rates
Combined rate, 2026–27
40.19182to46.09503per $1,000 of taxable value, depending on where in Des Moines the property is
10 tax areas
Why the rate depends on the address
An Iowa property is taxed by every levy authority in its tax district: the county, the city or township, the school district, and others such as community colleges, hospitals, and fire or ambulance districts. Des Moines spans more than one combination of these, so this page shows each one.
Your tax bill, or your county's appraisal or assessment office, lists the units for your property.
How Des Moines compares
- Des Moines' lowest combined rate, 40.19182 per $1,000, is above the Polk County median of 33.72631 and above the Iowa median of 26.34594.
- In its Saydel schools area, the combined rate fell 2.1% from 2021–22 (41.0685) to 2026–27 (40.19182).
- Rates across Des Moines' 10 areas differ by 5.90321 per $1,000, so the address matters.
Medians are of the lowest combined rate in each place, across 38 places in Polk County. Percent changes compare two published rates; a rate change isn't the same as a bill change, because values change too.
Estimate your 2026–27 bill
Use taxable value: assessed value × the residential rollback (44.5345% for 2026–27 bills), less any exemptions. $150,000 is about a $337,000 home.
Estimated annual tax before unit-specific exemptions
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Credits, such as the homestead credit, reduce the bill further. Rates shown are for standard districts; TIF and urban renewal areas can differ.
Combined rate by year
| Area | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 | 2025–26 | 2026–27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlisle schools | 45.99167 | 45.86007 | 45.95881 | 45.68759 | 45.64371 | 44.92549 |
| Des Moines Independent schools (district 770131) | 44.23787 | 43.20826 | 43.12496 | 42.44952 | 42.32446 | 43.74496 |
| Des Moines Independent schools · Urb Wind-HTS SS | 44.62507 | 43.58672 | 43.51432 | 42.850 | 42.71722 | 44.15439 |
| Johnston schools (district 770137) | 45.94069 | 45.61531 | 40.97569 | 41.66373 | 42.63106 | 42.61235 |
| Johnston schools · Urb SS | 46.14953 | 45.83202 | 41.18998 | 41.87711 | 42.8455 | 42.8189 |
| Saydel schools | 41.0685 | 40.75379 | 40.96851 | 40.85127 | 40.4477 | 40.19182 |
| Southeast Polk schools | 43.62097 | 43.30635 | 43.41307 | 43.21759 | 43.13744 | 43.11995 |
| Urbandale schools (district 770947) | 46.16791 | 45.85879 | 45.96573 | 45.71532 | 45.65041 | 45.6856 |
| Urbandale schools · Urb Wind-HTS SS | — | — | — | — | 46.04317 | 46.09503 |
| West Des Moines schools | 41.33771 | 41.02177 | 41.13107 | 39.99322 | 39.93169 | 40.74256 |
Combined rate per $1,000 of taxable value, as published for each year. A dash means no rate is on file for that year.
Places in Polk County with similar rates
How property tax works in Iowa
Our Iowa property tax guide covers how assessments and rates work, when bills are due, relief programs and how to appeal.
Where these rates come from
Source: Iowa Department of Management, Consolidated Property Tax Rates by Tax District, FY2027. Retrieved 2026-10-27.
Rates are shown exactly as published. Where the state doesn't publish a combined total, the combined figure is the sum of the published unit rates and is labelled that way. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].
Get the Des Moines rates when they're published
One email when new rates are out, and one before the appeal deadline. Nothing else.