Property Taxes 101

Urbandale has a long history of fiscal responsibility, maintaining one of the lowest city tax levy rates in the metro area while providing high-quality services like public safety, roads, parks, and libraries. When comparing property taxes across states, it’s important to remember that city government funding varies widely across the United States. Some states may have lower property tax rates but make up for it with higher sales taxes, income taxes, or special fees for things like emergency services and road maintenance. In Iowa, property taxes are the primary funding source for local government services, including streets, police and fire protection, schools, libraries, and emergency management. That means Urbandale’s ability to maintain excellent services while keeping costs low is a value-driven success story—but understanding exactly where your property taxes go can still be confusing.

Why Do Property Taxes Feel So Confusing?

If you’ve ever looked at your property tax bill and thought, “Why is this so complicated?”—you’re not alone. A common misconception is that property taxes all go to the City of Urbandale—but in reality, the City is just one of several separate entities that collect property taxes. Additionally, that State of Iowa sets a "rollback" rate which adds even more complexity to the process.

So let's break it down: When you review your property tax statement, you'll notice that the amount being taxed is less than the actual value of your home. That’s because Iowa has something called a rollback, which lowers the portion of a property’s value that can actually be taxed. If you own property in Iowa, you should have recently received a letter from your County about upcoming budget hearings. That letter can be confusing so we've created this page to help you understand the mailing.

Two Key Property Values You Should Know:

An important fact that is often forgotten: a property has two values 1) Assessed Value, which should represent market value as determined by your county auditor, and 2) Taxable Value, which is a lesser amount used to calculate property taxes. The Taxable Value is calculated by taking the Assessed Value multiplied by the State Rollback Rate (currently 47.43% and next year decreasing to 44.53%).

If a home has an Assessed Value of $100,000 and the State Rollback Rate is 47.43% (or 0.4743 in decimal form): 

This means the property is only taxed on $47,430 rather than the full $100,000

Property Taxable Value Calculator

Property Taxable Value Calculator







The Largest Portion of Your Tax Bill:

The largest portion of your tax bill goes to funding schools. One might assume that property taxes fund a single government, but that’s not the full picture. The City of Urbandale and your local school district are separate entities, each with its own budget, leadership, and taxing authority. Even if the City lowers its tax rate, your total bill might still go up if your school district, county, or other taxing entities increase their rates.

  • The City of Urbandale is responsible for funding public safety (police & fire), parks, streets, libraries, garbage collection, snow plowing, and other city services.
  • Your School District (Urbandale Community School District, Waukee Community School District, or another district) is a separate entity that sets its own budget and tax rate to fund schools, teachers, and facilities.
  • Your County (Polk or Dallas) is yet another separate government responsible for courts, the sheriff’s office, public health, and county roads.
  • Other Entities such as the sanitary sewer district, community college, and DART also levy their own tax rates.

Where Does Your Property Tax Money Go?

Each year, all of these different government bodies and entities set their own property tax levies. When you pay your property taxes, that money is divided among all of them. Here’s an example of how a property tax dollar is split in Urbandale:

Polk County and are located in Urbandale School District Graphic
  • If you live in Polk County and are located in Urbandale School District:
    • City of Urbandale: 25.7¢
    • Urbandale School District: 46.0¢
    • Polk County: 17.3¢
    • Other taxing entities (college, state, hospital, assessor, transit, etc.): 11.0¢
Dallas County and are located in Waukee School District Graphic
  • If you live in Dallas County and are located in Waukee School District:
    • City of Urbandale: 11.1¢
    • Waukee School District: 66.1¢
    • Dallas County: 13.1¢
    • Other taxing entities (college, state, hospital, assessor, transit, etc.): 9.7¢
Property Tax Calculator

Property Tax Calculator

The City of Urbandale is Only a Portion of Your Taxes

Because each entity sets its own tax levy, the City of Urbandale only controls the city’s portion of your property tax bill. Even if the City lowers its tax rate, your total bill might still go up if your school district, county, or other taxing entities increase their rates.

Using the Calculator:

Input your property's taxable value. Your property has two values 1) Assessed Value, which should represent market value as determined by your county auditor, and 2) Taxable Value, which is a lesser amount used to calculate property taxes. The Taxable Value is calculated by taking the Assessed Value multiplied by the State Rollback Rate. There's a formula at the top of this page to help you calculate that number. 

The City's levy rate for fiscal year 26/27 is $9.98 per $1,000 of taxable valuation, and that number has been pre-populated for you.

Enter "0" if you don't know the levy rates for your school, county, or other. 

Still Have Questions?

We know property taxes can be confusing, but we want to make them easier to understand. Give us a call and we'd be happy to help you!