51578 Property Tax Rate
Westphalia, Iowa · Part of Shelby County
Effective Tax Rate
1.48%
32.3% below state avgMedian Annual Tax
$1,397
$116/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$1,397
Monthly
$116
Eff. Rate
1.48%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 51578 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
$116/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.20 percentage points above the Iowa average
Iowa average: 1.28%
Data confidence
Use cautionThe Census margin of error is $529, about 38% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Shelby 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 51578 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
High margin of error
$529 tax MOE, 38% of the median tax estimate.
Last site refresh
March 10, 2026
Dataset and page-quality audit run locally before publication.
County fallback
County context only
Shelby County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 51578
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 $94,500, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 1.48%, 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 $116 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Shelby County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 51578 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 51578
1.48%
Effective rate
Iowa Avg
1.28%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in Iowa
Higher than 78% of ZIP codes in Iowa(78th percentile, 908 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 51578
Property owners in ZIP code 51578 (Westphalia, Iowa) pay a median of $1,397/year in property taxes on homes valued at $94,500. This translates to an effective tax rate of 1.48%, which is 16% above the Iowa state average of 1.28%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 51578 is approximately $116, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Shelby County. This is $668 less than the Iowa average of $2,065/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in Iowa, 51578 has higher property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 50837 (1.48%) and 50668 (1.48%).
In Westphalia, property taxes represent approximately 1.3% of the median household income of $108,646, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
If you're considering purchasing a home in 51578, keep in mind that property taxes are based on the assessed value assigned by the local assessor, which may differ from the purchase price. In some states, properties are reassessed at or near the sale price upon transfer of ownership. For the most current tax information for a specific property, consult Shelby County's tax assessor directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 51578?
How much are property taxes in Westphalia, IA (51578)?
How does ZIP 51578 compare to the Iowa average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 51578?
What county is ZIP code 51578 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$529. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 51578 is part of Shelby County, Iowa. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Shelby County on TaxByCounty →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 51578
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
51530
Earling, IA
0.35 percentage points lower than ZIP 51578.
Rate
1.12%
Tax
$1,693
Quality
71
51562
Panama, IA
0.34 percentage points lower than ZIP 51578.
Rate
1.14%
Tax
$1,795
Quality
82
51565
Portsmouth, IA
0.33 percentage points lower than ZIP 51578.
Rate
1.15%
Tax
$1,344
Quality
82
51570
Shelby, IA
0.29 percentage points lower than ZIP 51578.
Rate
1.18%
Tax
$2,230
Quality
77
51446
Irwin, IA
0.24 percentage points lower than ZIP 51578.
Rate
1.24%
Tax
$1,168
Quality
77
51531
Elk Horn, IA
0.23 percentage points lower than ZIP 51578.
Rate
1.24%
Tax
$1,645
Quality
77
51537
Harlan, IA
0.05 percentage points lower than ZIP 51578.
Rate
1.43%
Tax
$2,311
Quality
82
51527
Defiance, IA
0.01 percentage points lower than ZIP 51578.
Rate
1.46%
Tax
$1,688
Quality
77
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.