50321 Property Tax Rate
Des Moines, Iowa · Part of Polk County
Effective Tax Rate
1.95%
177.8% above state avgMedian Annual Tax
$5,736
$478/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$5,736
Monthly
$478
Eff. Rate
1.95%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 50321 means for your housing budget
Use this ZIP page to compare recurring tax burden before you compare listing prices. The numbers below are Census ZCTA estimates, so they are strongest for neighborhood comparison and weakest for parcel-specific tax planning.
Monthly escrow signal
$478/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.67 percentage points above the Iowa average
Iowa average: 1.28%
Data confidence
High confidenceThe Census margin of error is $437, about 8% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Polk County assessor.
- Check homestead, senior, veteran, and disability exemptions.
- Ask whether purchase triggers reassessment or value-cap reset.
- Review school district and special assessment boundaries.
Lower-rate similar ZIPs
This is informational content, not tax, legal, or mortgage advice. Local assessor records remain the source of truth for a specific property.
Data confidence ledger
Can you trust ZIP 50321 for comparison?
ACS vintage
2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Five-year Census ZCTA estimates.
ZCTA caveat
Census area, not parcel boundary
USPS ZIP routes and taxing districts can differ inside the same area.
Field completeness
3/3 required fields
Median tax, home value, and derived rate are present.
MOE status
Strong ACS confidence
$437 tax MOE, 8% of the median tax estimate.
Last site refresh
March 10, 2026
Dataset and page-quality audit run locally before publication.
County fallback
County advisory available
Polk County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 50321
Use the ZIP estimate to compare neighborhoods, then verify these parcel-level inputs before relying on a payment estimate.
Assessed value
The ZCTA median home value is $294,100, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 1.95%, derived from median tax paid divided by median home value.
Exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, disability, and local exemptions can reduce taxable value. Confirm eligibility before estimating escrow.
Reassessment
A purchase can change assessed value depending on Iowa and county rules. Ask how sale price affects the next assessment cycle.
Escrow impact
The median tax paid in this ZCTA equals about $478 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Polk County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 50321 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 50321
1.95%
Effective rate
Iowa Avg
1.28%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in Iowa
Higher than 98% of ZIP codes in Iowa(98th percentile, 908 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 50321
Property owners in ZIP code 50321 (Des Moines, Iowa) pay a median of $5,736/year in property taxes on homes valued at $294,100. This translates to an effective tax rate of 1.95%, which is 53% above the Iowa state average of 1.28%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 50321 is approximately $478, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Polk County. This is $3,671 more than the Iowa average of $2,065/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in Iowa, 50321 has higher property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 50147 (1.94%) and 50315 (1.92%).
In Des Moines, property taxes represent approximately 7.4% of the median household income of $77,636, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
Iowa's triennial reassessment system will update your Polk County property to current fair market value within three years with no legislative cap on assessment increases. Polk County homeowners qualify for the Homestead Property Tax Exemption reducing taxable assessed value by approximately 25% and the Homestead Property Tax Credit for qualifying incomes; file your homestead exemption claim with the Polk County Assessor within 90 days of closing. File a written Assessment Appeal with the Polk County Board of Review within 45 days of receiving your Notice of Assessment if the assessed value does not align with recent comparable sales in your area.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 50321?
How much are property taxes in Des Moines, IA (50321)?
How does ZIP 50321 compare to the Iowa average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 50321?
What county is ZIP code 50321 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$437. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 50321 is part of Polk County, Iowa. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Polk County on TaxByCounty →Explore Des Moines, IA
View all 11 ZIP codes in Des Moines with property tax comparisons.
View Des Moines Property Tax Rates →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 50321
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
50314
Des Moines, IA
0.56 percentage points lower than ZIP 50321.
Rate
1.39%
Tax
$2,033
Quality
101
50309
Des Moines, IA
0.56 percentage points lower than ZIP 50321.
Rate
1.39%
Tax
$3,987
Quality
96
50317
Des Moines, IA
0.23 percentage points lower than ZIP 50321.
Rate
1.73%
Tax
$2,850
Quality
101
50313
Des Moines, IA
0.22 percentage points lower than ZIP 50321.
Rate
1.73%
Tax
$2,797
Quality
101
50320
Des Moines, IA
0.19 percentage points lower than ZIP 50321.
Rate
1.76%
Tax
$3,655
Quality
101
50316
Des Moines, IA
0.18 percentage points lower than ZIP 50321.
Rate
1.77%
Tax
$2,426
Quality
101
50311
Des Moines, IA
0.14 percentage points lower than ZIP 50321.
Rate
1.82%
Tax
$4,139
Quality
101
50315
Des Moines, IA
0.04 percentage points lower than ZIP 50321.
Rate
1.92%
Tax
$3,141
Quality
101
Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates (ZCTA level). ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census approximations of USPS ZIP codes.
Estimates are informational only and should not be used as financial or legal advice.