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Winnebago County

8 cities · 6 school districts · How counties work

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$3,110 a yearproperty tax on a $200,000 home in a typical town here, FY27 (a rate of $36.88 per $1,000 of taxable value)1
$2,260 a yearon a $200,000 home in the countryside, FY27 ($26.80 per $1,000)
$21.4Mcounty budget, FY27
$941.7Mtaxable value, 2025 valuations (+16.3% in 5 years)

Who runs it

The Board of Supervisors sets the county budget and its property tax; the other officers run elections, records, taxes and law enforcement.

No officials known yet.

Meetings and agendas

What the Board of Supervisors is deciding: each agenda, the resolutions and ordinances on it, and a plain-language summary.2

Board of Supervisors · Tuesday, November 10, 2026UpcomingAgenda (PDF)

AI summary

  • Canvas the results of the 2026 General Election.
  • Discuss the 2028 budget request from the Winnebago County Library Association.
  • Discuss Forest City's potential use of the Courthouse grounds.
  • Review tax-related items including 2023 assessment refunds, Family Farm Tax Credits, the annual TIF report, and the annual cash report.
  • Discuss drainage matters from the Auditor’s office and secondary road matters from the County Engineer.
  • Consider a resolution to change the classification of 200th Avenue between 368th and 380th Street from Level B to Level A.
Board of Supervisors · Friday, November 6, 2026Agenda (PDF)

AI summary

  • Discuss the vacancy for the Winn-Worth Betco Director position, including the job description, potential job advertisements, and the future of the organization and its 28E agreement.
  • Consider approving a contract for Melissa Michaelis.
  • Review economic development reports from each county.
Board of Supervisors · Tuesday, November 3, 2026Agenda (PDF)

AI summary

  • Discuss potential changes to road service levels on 200th Ave between 368th St and 380th St.
  • Review personnel matters within the County Engineer’s Office.
  • Consider releasing a bond to Larson Contracting for the Public Health Building.
  • Discuss drainage matters with the Auditor’s office and secondary road matters with the County Engineer.
  • Discuss claims for refunds of taxes paid for 2023 assessments.
Board of Supervisors · Tuesday, October 27, 2026Agenda (PDF)

AI summary

  • The Auditor’s office and County Engineer Scott Meinders will lead discussions regarding drainage and secondary road matters.
  • The Board will consider approving a final voucher for road project 95-CO95-2025HMA.
  • The Board will consider a resolution to support Veterans and Operation Green Light.
Board of Supervisors · Tuesday, October 20, 2026Agenda (PDF)

AI summary

  • Discuss the potential purchase of real estate located in King Township, Section 27.
  • Review updates regarding drainage matters and secondary road matters.
  • Consider approving a resolution to create a new fund, the renewal of the HIPAA Program, and equipment purchases for the Secondary Road department.
  • Hold a closed session to discuss legal strategy regarding current or upcoming lawsuits.
Board of Supervisors · Tuesday, October 13, 2026Agenda (PDF)
Board of Supervisors · Tuesday, October 6, 2026Agenda (PDF)
Board of Supervisors · Tuesday, September 29, 2026Agenda (PDF)

Property taxes

Rates over time

Typical combined rate per $1,000 of taxable value, and the county government’s own rural levy.

In citiesRuralCounty levy
0$10$20$30$40’20’22’24’26’27In citiesRuralCounty levy
0$10$20$30$40’20’21’22’23’24’25’26’27In citiesRuralCounty levy
Show the numbers
YearIn citiesRuralCounty’s rural levy
FY27$36.88$26.80$13.30
FY26$39.68$28.38$14.97
FY25$37.57$27.22$14.61
FY24$39.54$28.27$15.52
FY23$34.32$25.17$12.75
FY22$34.81$26.48$13.21
FY21$35.90$26.46$13.35
FY20$35.97$25.90$12.74

Rates by city, FY27

Typical combined rate in each city, per $1,000 of taxable value.

Show the numbers
CityTypical rateSince FY22
Buffalo Center$36.54-0.0%
Forest City$37.37-0.7%
Fort Dodge$44.96+1.7%
Lake Mills$36.01+3.4%
Leland$34.90+14.8%
Rake$31.02+2.2%
Scarville$30.29-10.1%
Thompson$37.22+7.0%

Compared with places this size3

Winnebago County’s countywide property tax rate of $8.49 per $1,000 is the 2nd highest of 43 Iowa counties with 7,000–15,000 people. The middle of the group is $6.03.

Decatur County: $9.59Montgomery County: $8.08Clarke County: $7.88Louisa County: $7.80Union County: $7.65Davis County: $7.37Page County: $7.34Wright County: $6.87Greene County: $6.83Harrison County: $6.69Howard County: $6.54Allamakee County: $6.45Pocahontas County: $6.38Sac County: $6.36Shelby County: $6.31Butler County: $6.28Worth County: $6.25Guthrie County: $6.24Floyd County: $6.16Emmet County: $6.16Hamilton County: $6.03Mills County: $5.90Kossuth County: $5.79Monroe County: $5.79Calhoun County: $5.75Humboldt County: $5.74Keokuk County: $5.64Mitchell County: $5.64Monona County: $5.63Lucas County: $5.40Van Buren County: $5.29Grundy County: $5.20Chickasaw County: $5.13Franklin County: $5.11Adair County: $5.09Appanoose County: $5.06Cass County: $4.75Palo Alto County: $4.48Hancock County: $4.00Lyon County: $3.96Cherokee County: $3.89O'Brien County: $3.59Winnebago County: $8.49$3.59 lowest$9.59 highestmiddle
See all 43
#PlaceRate per $1,000People
1Decatur County$9.597,656
2Winnebago County$8.4910,383
3Montgomery County$8.0810,063
4Clarke County$7.889,524
5Louisa County$7.8010,630
6Union County$7.6511,955
7Davis County$7.379,193
8Page County$7.3415,038
9Wright County$6.8712,729
10Greene County$6.838,662
11Harrison County$6.6914,626
12Howard County$6.549,360
13Allamakee County$6.4514,184
14Pocahontas County$6.387,006
15Sac County$6.369,533
16Shelby County$6.3111,821
17Butler County$6.2814,156
18Worth County$6.257,307
19Guthrie County$6.2410,774
20Floyd County$6.1615,008
21Emmet County$6.169,162
22Hamilton County$6.0314,856
23Mills County$5.9014,717
24Kossuth County$5.7914,408
25Monroe County$5.797,373
26Calhoun County$5.759,711
27Humboldt County$5.749,617
28Keokuk County$5.649,855
29Mitchell County$5.6410,632
30Monona County$5.638,429
31Lucas County$5.408,758
32Van Buren County$5.297,217
33Grundy County$5.2012,405
34Chickasaw County$5.1311,719
35Franklin County$5.1110,024
36Adair County$5.097,431
37Appanoose County$5.0612,106
38Cass County$4.7513,024
39Palo Alto County$4.488,809
40Hancock County$4.0010,616
41Lyon County$3.9612,378
42Cherokee County$3.8911,658
43O'Brien County$3.5914,260

What’s taxed

$941.7M of taxable value in 2025 valuations, +16.3% since 2020. Who carries the load, by kind of property:

  • Farmland and farm buildings$358.2M37%
  • Homes$304.9M32%
  • Industrial$158.8M17%
  • Commercial$92.7M10%
  • Utilities, railroads and other$43.7M5%
Show the numbers
Valuation yearHomesFarmlandCommercialIndustrialTotal
2025$304.9M$358.2M$92.7M$158.8M$941.7M
2024$304.7M$321.4M$80.9M$153.7M$887.5M
2023$297.2M$310.3M$80.2M$127.3M$844.7M
2022$259.8M$304.8M$79.9M$115.3M$792.3M
2021$246.5M$296.0M$85.5M$115.4M$774.5M
2020$243.8M$297.6M$82.4M$155.6M$809.5M
2019$237.4M$288.2M$79.8M$156.2M$790.7M
2018$233.2M$279.1M$74.8M$156.1M$771.1M

Budget and spending

Where each dollar of the county’s budget goes, FY27

Roads & transportation: 23¢ of every dollar23¢Debt payments: 23¢ of every dollar23¢Public safety & legal services: 21¢ of every dollar21¢Administration: 10¢ of every dollar10¢Physical health & social services: 8¢ of every dollar8¢Everything else: 15¢ of every dollar15¢$1$1
Where it goesOf each dollarCounties this size (42)
Roads & transportation23¢35¢
Debt payments23¢4¢
Public safety & legal services21¢20¢
Administration10¢12¢
Physical health & social services8¢5¢
Everything else15¢23¢

Planned spending from all funds. “Counties this size” is the average for the 42 counties closest in size (7,000–15,000 people).

The county’s budget

Winnebago County plans to spend $21.4M in FY27, from property taxes, state and federal money, fees and its reserves. It spent $18.9M in FY25.

  • Roads & transportation$4.9M23%
  • Debt payments$4.8M23%
  • Public safety & legal services$4.5M21%
  • Administration$2.1M10%
  • Physical health & social services$1.7M8%
  • Parks, libraries, extension & environment$1.3M6%
  • Capital projects$1.0M5%
  • Services to residents (records, elections, licenses)$1.0M5%
  • Other$10,0000%

Its property tax levies, FY27

Dollars per $1,000 of taxable value. Everyone in the county pays the countywide levies; people outside cities also pay the rural ones, which mostly pay for roads and rural services.

  • General Basic · countywide$4.94
  • General Supplemental · countywide$2.69
  • 422D EMS · countywide$0.50
  • Debt Service · countywide$0.35
  • Countywide · countywide$8.49
  • Rural Basic · rural$3.94
  • Rural Supplemental · rural$0.88
  • Total Rural · rural$13.30

Sales tax and state money

Local option sales tax collected

The extra local sales tax voters approved, collected by the state and paid back to the county and its cities.

$1.6M
’14’16’18’20’22’24
Show the numbers
YearCollected
FY24$1.6M
FY23$1.5M
FY22$1.5M
FY21$1.5M
FY20$1.4M
FY19$1.3M
FY18$1.2M
FY17$1.1M
FY16$1.1M
FY15$1.1M
FY14$1.2M

State payments to the county and its cities

Sales tax collected for them and property tax credits paid on residents’ behalf: $2.5M in FY26. The newest year may be partial.

$3.3M
$328,279
’20’21’22’23’24’25’26’27
Who received them, FY26
  • Winnebago County$1.3M53%
  • City of Forest City$620,59725%
  • City of Lake Mills$291,18112%
  • City of Buffalo Center$120,9725%
  • City of Thompson$66,9053%
  • City of Leland$31,6171%
  • City of Rake$27,9421%
  • City of Scarville$9,3300%
Show the numbers
ProgramFY27FY26FY25FY24FY23FY22FY21FY20
Local option sales tax$133,664$1.7M$1.6M$1.7M$1.6M$1.7M$1.6M$1.3M
Homestead property tax credit–$558,677$547,619$561,003$513,258$523,072$531,299$535,045
Ag land and family farm tax credits$194,615$235,899$243,445$225,552$226,006$231,738$231,714$295,861
Business property tax credit––$657,698$819,394$533,363$541,157$552,096$552,820
Elderly and disabled property tax credit–$13,988$16,538$17,262$12,800$12,396$14,426$18,088
Military service property tax credit–––$6,218$6,538$6,936$7,307$7,538

Elections

Local races from civicAPI and county auditors for Winnebago County; official results are on each county auditor’s site.

Places in the county

At the Statehouse and in Congress4

David D. Rowley (Sen. 5)Henry Stone (Rep. 9)

U.S. House:District 4

Cities

Buffalo CenterForest CityFort DodgeLake MillsLelandRakeScarvilleThompson

School districts

Forest CityFort DodgeLake MillsNorth IowaTitonkaWoden-Crystal Lake