Dealing with property taxes is part of homeownership. When tax rates vary from state to state—even county to county—and can change with market fluctuations, it can be hard to understand your tax obligations.

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Property tax 101

Here’s what you need to know if you’ve never paid property taxes before:

Your local government assigns property taxes to pay for public works and community services (like law enforcement, fire safety, libraries, and education)

Most property taxes apply to real property like buildings, homes, and land

A local tax assessor will determine your property taxes using assigned rates based on market values and a local tax rate

Property taxes can change frequently based on local budgets and market conditions

Essentially, local governments use property taxes to fund public resources used by the people who paid for them.

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What is the property tax rate in Polk County?

Polk County’s average tax rate is 0.59% of assessed home values—about two-thirds of the state average of 0.91%. You should expect to pay about $658 a year in property taxes based on that rate.

You can find a more detailed breakdown of the current proposed tax rates on the

Polk County website.

How Polk County property taxes are determined

Property taxes in Polk County are set by the county assessor on a property-by-property basis using a complicated formula.

But, to give you an idea of the basics, local property tax rates are based on the statistical median of all taxable properties in Polk County. The median property tax formula also includes a percentage of home value and median household income.

If you want to estimate your property taxes for 2022, Polk County has provided a

handy calculation tool

on its website.

What do Polk County property taxes pay for?

Polk County funnels property tax revenue into a variety of community services, including:

Roads and highways

Transportation

Libraries

Museums

Public housing

Public health

Law enforcement

Watershed management

Mosquito control

Regional sewer system

K-12 and community education

Building safety

How to pay property taxes in Polk County

Polk County property taxes are due every year on December 31. The Collectors Office uses postmark dates to determine if payments are delinquent. If you’re late in making your property tax payments, you can expect to pay a delinquency fee.

Luckily, the Polk County Collector’s office has provided several convenient ways to pay your property taxes. You can pay by mail, online, through your mortgage payment, or in person. Here’s how:

By mail: Make your check payable to the Polk County Collector's Office and send it to Polk County Collector, 102 E Broadway #6, Bolivar, MO 65613.

In-person: Head to the county courthouse on Broadway Street and 100 East and pay at the County Collectors' office.

Online: You can use an e-check, direct deposit, credit, or debit card to pay your Polk County property taxes—just be aware that your payments may be subject to a convenience fee.

Through your mortgage: If you choose to include property taxes in your mortgage payment, Polk County will send tax information to your mortgage lender. Check with your lender to set this up.

No matter how you choose to pay your property taxes, you’ll need to have your Tax ID on hand. You can find this number on the left side of your tax statementmailed to you in November.

MORE:

Missouri car insurance laws—all you need to know

How to save money on homeowners and car insurance in Missouri

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