53098 Property Tax Rate
Watertown, Wisconsin · Part of Dodge County
Effective Tax Rate
1.65%
23.9% above state avgMedian Annual Tax
$3,964
$330/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$3,964
Monthly
$330
Eff. Rate
1.65%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 53098 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
$330/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.25 percentage points above the Wisconsin average
Wisconsin average: 1.40%
Data confidence
High confidenceThe Census margin of error is $184, about 5% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Dodge 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 53098 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
$184 tax MOE, 5% 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
Dodge County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 53098
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 $239,700, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 1.65%, 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 Wisconsin and county rules. Ask how sale price affects the next assessment cycle.
Escrow impact
The median tax paid in this ZCTA equals about $330 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Dodge County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 53098 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 53098
1.65%
Effective rate
Wisconsin Avg
1.40%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in Wisconsin
Higher than 84% of ZIP codes in Wisconsin(84th percentile, 761 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 53098
Property owners in ZIP code 53098 (Watertown, Wisconsin) pay a median of $3,964/year in property taxes on homes valued at $239,700. This translates to an effective tax rate of 1.65%, which is 18% above the Wisconsin state average of 1.40%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 53098 is approximately $330, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Dodge County. This is $765 more than the Wisconsin average of $3,199/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in Wisconsin, 53098 has higher property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 53594 (1.65%) and 54021 (1.65%).
In Watertown, property taxes represent approximately 5.4% of the median household income of $73,147, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
Wisconsin taxes primary residences at full market value with no state cap, but the Homestead Credit and Lottery and Gaming Credit (both income-based) can significantly reduce your tax bill — apply for both credits on your state return after purchase. Dodge County reassesses at sale; verify with the Dodge County Assessor that your homestead classification is recorded correctly, which is required to claim state credits. Request your assessed value and comparable sales data from the Dodge County Assessor, and file an appeal with the Board of Review if the assessment appears inflated.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 53098?
How much are property taxes in Watertown, WI (53098)?
How does ZIP 53098 compare to the Wisconsin average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 53098?
What county is ZIP code 53098 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$184. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 53098 is part of Dodge County, Wisconsin. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Dodge County on TaxByCounty →Explore Watertown, WI
View all 2 ZIP codes in Watertown with property tax comparisons.
View Watertown Property Tax Rates →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 53098
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
53094
Watertown, WI
0.00 percentage points lower than ZIP 53098.
Rate
1.65%
Tax
$3,700
Quality
89
53922
Burnett, WI
0.49 percentage points lower than ZIP 53098.
Rate
1.17%
Tax
$3,090
Quality
89
53579
Reeseville, WI
0.40 percentage points lower than ZIP 53098.
Rate
1.26%
Tax
$2,875
Quality
89
53078
Rubicon, WI
0.38 percentage points lower than ZIP 53098.
Rate
1.27%
Tax
$4,378
Quality
89
53059
Neosho, WI
0.30 percentage points lower than ZIP 53098.
Rate
1.35%
Tax
$4,226
Quality
89
53035
Iron Ridge, WI
0.29 percentage points lower than ZIP 53098.
Rate
1.37%
Tax
$3,693
Quality
89
53003
Ashippun, WI
0.28 percentage points lower than ZIP 53098.
Rate
1.37%
Tax
$2,650
Quality
84
53006
Brownsville, WI
0.27 percentage points lower than ZIP 53098.
Rate
1.38%
Tax
$3,167
Quality
89
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.