Idaho · County property tax · ACS 2024
Gem County Property Taxes
The median homeowner in Gem County pays $1,418 a year, an effective rate of 0.33%, well below the U.S. average.
- $1,418
- Median tax / yr · Below-median bill
- 0.33%
- Effective rate · Very low rate
- -29%
- vs U.S. average
- #40 of 44
- rank in ID
The verdict
Homeowners in Gem County pay a median $1,418 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 0.33%, more affordable than 96% of U.S. counties (Census ACS 2024).
- $1,418
- Median annual tax bill, 2024
- 0.33%
- Effective rate on median home
- #113 of 3135
- U.S. counties by tax burden
- -29%
- vs the national average bill
Effective rate is the median property tax bill divided by the median home value ($428,700). U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024.
Census Bureau ACS property tax data for Idaho. Population: 20,614. Owner-occupied homes: 5,811.
The median annual property tax in Gem County is $1,418, which is 30% lower than the Idaho state average and 29% below the national average. The effective tax rate is 0.33% on a median home value of $428,700. Property taxes represent 2.2% of the median household income in this county.
Gem County's rate standing among U.S. counties
Primary signal
The effective rate is a national tailwind
Gem County's 0.33% effective rate is among the lowest of 3,135 tracked counties: roughly 96% pay a higher rate.
Decision signal 2
High among Idaho counties by effective rate
Gem County ranks #40 of 44 counties in Idaho by effective rate (9% of in-state counties pay a lower rate).
Decision signal 3
The bill sits well below the national median
Homeowners in Gem County pay a median annual property tax of $1,418, well below the national median and well below the Idaho state median. On a $428,700 median home, that works out to an effective rate of 0.33% once the local assessment base and millage are combined.
Decision signal 4
Income and the tax bill sit in the middle band
Property taxes in Gem County run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 2.2% of the $64,605 median household income.
Informational notice
Figures describe the median homeowner household in Gem County as reported to the Census Bureau; your parcel can differ. Not tax, legal, or financial advice: check the county assessor or a qualified professional before decisions that depend on these numbers.
The rate gave way faster than almost anywhere
Between the 2020 and 2024 releases the median home value in Gem County rose 115.8%, from $198,700 to $428,700. The effective rate fell 46.2% over the same span, a steeper move than in 100% of U.S. counties.
The median bill still rose 16.0%, to $1,418. Where the rate drops this far and the bill rises anyway, what changed is the value the rate is applied to.
Effective rate is the published median bill divided by the published median home value, so the two multiply back to the bill exactly; the rate's movement here is derived from those two figures rather than read from the rounded published rate. Both are ACS 5-year survey estimates for the median owner-occupied household, compared across non-overlapping releases. They describe what the Census published, not a local policy, assessment, or exemption change.
How to read this county's bill
Bills rose across 2020-2024, from $1,222 to $1,418, a gain of 16%. This is a comparison of published ACS medians, not an explanation of a particular property's assessment or tax bill.
The fullest band here is the $800 to $1,499 range, holding 1,953 of 5,811 owner-occupied homes (33.6%). The band shows where the largest share of reported owner-occupied households falls; it is not an individual-bill estimate.
Household income sits in the second quarter nationally and the effective rate in the lowest, so the median bill takes 2.2% of median household income. Both figures point the same way, which is unusual enough that the ratio above is worth reading rather than assumed.
The share above is the median annual bill divided by median household income, a ratio of two county-level medians rather than a household-by-household figure.
What Gem County Homeowners Actually Pay
The single largest group of Gem County homeowners, 1,953 of 5,811 owner-occupied homes (33.6%), pays $800 to $1,499 a year. The median is one point in this spread, not a typical bill.
- Less than $800 16.6% (964)
- $800 to $1,499 33.6% (1,953)
- $1,500 to $1,999 14.6% (848)
- $2,000 to $2,999 17.6% (1,020)
- $3,000 or more 10.3% (599)
Census ACS 2024, table B25102. Bands and the no-tax share sum to 100%.
427 homes here (7.3%) report no real estate tax at all. Exemptions are set by state: how Idaho handles assessments and appeals.
With vs Without Mortgage
Mortgaged and non-mortgaged homeowners in Gem County pay about the same bill, a 5% gap.
Gem County's effective rate vs peers
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024.
Gem County's effective rate is higher than 9% of the 44 counties in Idaho - ranking #40 of 44.
Where Gem County sits among every U.S. county
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value)
0.33% Among the most affordable more affordable than 96% of 3,135 U.S. counties
Show national distribution
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more U.S. counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024
Among the lowest-taxed counties in the country
At 0.33%, Gem County sits in the lowest 4% of all U.S. counties by effective property-tax rate. A low rate does not by itself mean a low bill: the median here is $1,418, and what a homeowner actually pays depends as much on local home values as on the rate.
Gem County vs Benchmarks
| Metric | Gem County | Idaho Avg | U.S. Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Tax Below-median bill | |||
| Effective Tax Rate Very low rate | |||
| Median Home Value | |||
| Tax as % of income Below-median income burden | 2.2% | - | - |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates. Tax-burden differences across rows reflect millage decisions, assessment-ratio practices, and the residential-vs-commercial mix of each tax base.
Gem County is QUIET · LIGHT on ACS medians, still verify your parcel card before quoting the county figure. Estimate appeal savings · Idaho counties.
Gem County rate trail · QUIET
| Year | Median Tax (vs prior release) | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,418 -1.7% | 0.33% |
| 2023 | $1,443 +5.0% | 0.39% |
| 2022 | $1,374 +8.0% | 0.42% |
| 2021 | $1,272 +4.1% | 0.56% |
| 2020 | $1,222 | 0.61% |
Each row is a separate ACS 5-year release, and consecutive releases share four of their five survey years. The percentage beside each bill is therefore movement in the published estimate against the previous release, not a single year's tax change. The two releases largely describe the same households. For change over time, compare releases that do not overlap.
Gem County: tax-to-income at 2.2%
Counties near Gem County's effective rate
On effective rate, Gem County sits nearest Fannin County (GA), Rio Blanco County (CO), Park County (CO).
On published median-tax change, the nearest matches are Hughes County (OK), Orange County (VA), Buchanan County (MO).
How peers are chosen
These are the nearest cross-state matches in the published Census data, not neighboring counties or recommendations. Peers are rebuilt with each data release; see the calculation method.
Similar effective rates
Similar published median-tax changes, 2020–2024
Gem County: only 5% of returns show Schedule A real-estate tax
Tax year 2022: 480 of 9,100 returns from Gem County reported real estate taxes, averaging $2,415 - 40% of those reporters sat in the $100-200k AGI band.
What this IRS county file does not say
Amounts are reported before the SALT cap, not deducted; the share is of filers, not homeowners. Source: IRS SOI county data, tax year 2022.
Other Counties in Idaho
Gem County rate FAQs
- What is the average property tax in Gem County, Idaho?
- The median annual property tax in Gem County is $1,418, an effective rate of 0.33% on a $428,700 median home (Census ACS, 2024).
- What is the tax affordability score for Gem County?
- Gem County, Idaho scores B- (69/100) on PlainPropertyTax's tax affordability composite across 5 Census ACS dimensions (effective rate, bill size, income share, mortgage gap, and home-value/income). Its strongest scored dimension here is rate relief at A+ (0.33%). The score compares published county medians to U.S. percentiles, it is not a personal bill and not advice to buy, sell, appeal, or relocate.
- How does Gem County property tax compare to the national average?
- Property taxes in Gem County run well below the national median of $1,993, an effective rate of 0.33% versus 0.92% nationally.
- What percentage of income goes to property taxes in Gem County?
- Property taxes in Gem County run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 2.2% of the $64,605 median household income.
- Are property taxes increasing in Gem County?
- The ACS median property-tax bill for Gem County climbed 16.0% between the 2020 and 2024 5-year releases, from $1,222 to $1,418, a 4-year span. These are survey estimates covering five years each, so this compares the two releases furthest apart rather than consecutive ones, which overlap and would mostly measure the same households twice.
What to do with Gem County's QUIET rate
Gem County's $1,418 median bill sits well below the U.S. median - still size a parcel estimate; local millage and exemptions move the real bill. Estimate your bill →
Gem County ranks #40 of 44 Idaho counties by effective rate - on the lower-burden half of the state ACS set. Idaho overview →
Nationwide peers by effective rate (then bill)
Rate-first peers for Gem County's QUIET effective rate, then a disjoint out-of-state bill set so the two neighborhoods stay distinct.
Similar effective rate
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS effective rate. This county: 0.33%.
Similar median bill
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS median annual tax. This county: $1,418/yr. Rate peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Read with Gem County
Nearest ABS(median_tax) ACS peers for Gem County (QUIET · LIGHT), replacing the old fixed Keep exploring strip.
QUIET LIGHT
Gallia County, OH
ABS(median_tax) peer · tied with Gem County at $1,418/yr; rate 0.91% vs Gem County 0.33%.
Southampton County, VA
ABS(median_tax) peer · tied with Gem County at $1,418/yr; rate 0.66% vs Gem County 0.33%.
Goshen County, WY
ABS(median_tax) peer · $1,419/yr (near-tied bill ABS $1); rate 0.59% vs Gem County 0.33%.
Lake of the Woods County, MN
ABS(median_tax) peer · $1,419/yr (near-tied bill ABS $1); rate 0.66% vs Gem County 0.33%.
Idaho county set
State ACS overview for every published Idaho county rate and median bill.
Assessment cycle basics
Gem County stamps QUIET · LIGHT - how assessed value and millage become the ACS median bill.
Data vintage and method
Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.
Property tax data reflects median amounts paid by homeowners. Effective rates are calculated as median tax divided by median home value.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, county median real-estate taxes · 2024 Gem County (QUIET · LIGHT) - ACS medians, not a parcel bill.