Missouri · County property tax · ACS 2024
Lawrence County Property Taxes
The median homeowner in Lawrence County pays $1,032 a year, an effective rate of 0.59%, well below the U.S. average.
- $1,032
- Median tax / yr · Low bill
- 0.59%
- Effective rate · Below-median rate
- -48%
- vs U.S. average
- #87 of 115
- rank in MO
The verdict
Homeowners in Lawrence County pay a median $1,032 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 0.59%, more affordable than 73% of U.S. counties (Census ACS 2024).
- $1,032
- Median annual tax bill, 2024
- 0.59%
- Effective rate on median home
- #846 of 3135
- U.S. counties by tax burden
- -48%
- vs the national average bill
Effective rate is the median property tax bill divided by the median home value ($175,100). U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024.
Tax affordability score · Lawrence County, MO
70/100
5 ACS dimensions · release 2024
Comparative score against U.S. county percentiles on Census ACS medians (effective rate, bill, income share, mortgage gap, home-value/income). Higher means more affordable on those published medians, not a recommendation to buy, sell, appeal, or move, and not your personal tax bill. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.
Median tax as a share of Lawrence County's median household income
Lawrence County's median annual property-tax bill vs U.S. counties
Lawrence County's effective rate vs U.S. county percentiles (ACS 2024)
Mortgaged vs free-and-clear median bill gap in Lawrence County
Median home value relative to Lawrence County's median income
Read the chart values
- Income room: 78/100 (B+) · 1.7%
- Bill size: 76/100 (B+) · $1,032/yr
- Rate relief: 73/100 (B) · 0.59%
- Mortgage premium: 55/100 (C) · +$265
- Housing pressure: 53/100 (C-) · 2.86×
Track this county alongside up to five others. Saved figures refresh when the annual source data changes.
Census Bureau ACS property tax data for Missouri. Population: 38,593. Owner-occupied homes: 10,785.
The median annual property tax in Lawrence County is $1,032, which is 47% lower than the Missouri state average and 48% below the national average. The effective tax rate is 0.59% on a median home value of $175,100. Property taxes represent 1.7% of the median household income in this county.
What This Data Tells Us About Lawrence County
Primary signal
The bill sits well below the national median
Homeowners in Lawrence County pay a median annual property tax of $1,032, well below the national median and well below the Missouri state median. On a $175,100 median home, that works out to an effective rate of 0.59% once the local assessment base and millage are combined.
Decision signal 2
High among Missouri counties by effective rate
Lawrence County ranks #87 of 115 counties in Missouri by effective rate (24% of in-state counties pay a lower rate).
Decision signal 3
Income carries a light tax share
Property taxes in Lawrence County run a bit below the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 1.7% of the $61,215 median household income.
Decision signal 4
The effective rate sits near the national middle
Lawrence County's 0.59% effective rate sits near the middle of 3,135 tracked counties (more affordable than 73%).
This page is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Figures describe the median homeowner household in Lawrence County as reported to the Census Bureau, your own bill can differ based on your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, special districts, and municipal overlays. Always consult your county assessor, tax collector, or a qualified professional before making 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 Lawrence County rose 51.9%, from $115,300 to $175,100. The effective rate fell 22.5% over the same span, a steeper move than in 89% of U.S. counties.
The median bill still rose 17.7%, to $1,032. 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 $877 to $1,032, a gain of 18%. 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 3,849 of 10,785 owner-occupied homes (35.7%). The band shows where the largest share of reported owner-occupied households falls; it is not an individual-bill estimate.
Both figures cluster near the middle of the national range, and the median bill comes to 1.7% of median household income. Counties like this are the reason a national average exists at all, and also the reason it explains so little.
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 Lawrence County Homeowners Actually Pay
The single largest group of Lawrence County homeowners, 3,849 of 10,785 owner-occupied homes (35.7%), pays $800 to $1,499 a year. The median is one point in this spread, not a typical bill.
- Less than $800 33.1% (3,565)
- $800 to $1,499 35.7% (3,849)
- $1,500 to $1,999 13.0% (1,398)
- $2,000 to $2,999 9.0% (972)
- $3,000 or more 4.0% (428)
Census ACS 2024, table B25102. Bands and the no-tax share sum to 100%.
573 homes here (5.3%) report no real estate tax at all. Exemptions are set by state: how Missouri handles assessments and appeals.
With vs Without Mortgage
Mortgaged homeowners in Lawrence County pay a substantially higher bill, 30% more, pointing to a wide home-value gap between the two groups.
How Lawrence County compares
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024.
Lawrence County's effective rate is higher than 24% of the 115 counties in Missouri - ranking #87 of 115 for property tax burden.
Where Lawrence County sits among every U.S. county
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value)
0.59% Among the most affordable more affordable than 73% 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
Below Missouri on both measures
Lawrence County's effective rate runs 31% under the Missouri median and its bill 47% under. Both sitting on the same side means the gap is not a valuation artefact: a county can post a low rate purely because its homes are expensive, but then the bill rises to meet the state. Here it does not, so the $1,032 median bill reflects a genuinely lighter charge than the Missouri norm rather than a different denominator. Compare it against the state page before reading anything into the county rank.
Lawrence County vs Benchmarks
| Metric | Lawrence County | Missouri Avg | U.S. Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Tax Low bill | |||
| Effective Tax Rate Below-median rate | |||
| Median Home Value | |||
| Tax as % of income Light income burden | 1.7% | - | - |
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.
Lawrence County stamps QUIET · LIGHT - still check the parcel card
On Lawrence County's published figures (QUIET · LIGHT), a $175,100 median home carries a $1,032 median bill, so every 10% off an assessed value is worth about $103 a year at the same rate. Whether an appeal is worth filing depends on your own parcel. Use our free Appeal Savings Estimator to run your own numbers, then read our step-by-step appeal guide for the procedure in Missouri.
Property Tax History · QUIET · LIGHT
| Year | Median Tax (vs prior release) | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,032 +6.5% | 0.59% |
| 2023 | $969 +1.9% | 0.61% |
| 2022 | $951 +3.5% | 0.65% |
| 2021 | $919 +4.8% | 0.76% |
| 2020 | $877 | 0.76% |
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.
Tax Burden
Tax Affordability Score
An effective rate well below the national average of 0.92% puts Lawrence County in the "Very Affordable" band for property tax burden.
How this score is calculated: a 1-10 scale derived mechanically from the ratio of this county's effective rate to the national average effective rate (0.92%) - a ratio at or below 0.5× scores 10, a ratio at or above 2.0× scores 1, with a linear scale between. It is a factual comparison of Census figures only, not a recommendation, quality rating, or endorsement of Lawrence County or any other county.
Counties with similar tax profiles
On effective rate, Lawrence County sits nearest Itawamba County (MS), Covington County (MS), St. Charles Parish (LA).
On published median-tax change, the nearest matches are Greene County (AR), Osage County (KS), Hale County (AL).
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
What tax filers report in Lawrence County
Of the 16,780 federal returns filed from Lawrence County in 2022, 430 (2.6% of filers) itemised and reported real estate taxes on Schedule A, averaging $2,137 each. The largest group was filers with adjusted gross income of $100-200k, who accounted for 33% of the county's reporting returns.
Two things this does not say. The amount is what filers reported, recorded before the $10,000 cap on combined state and local tax deductions applies, so it is not the amount deducted. And the share is of everyone who files a return, not of homeowners: most filers now take the standard deduction, so a minority itemise at all. Source: IRS Statistics of Income county data, tax year 2022.
Other Counties in Missouri
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Lawrence County property tax compare to the national average? ▼
What percentage of income goes to property taxes in Lawrence County? ▼
What is the tax affordability score for Lawrence County? ▼
Are property taxes increasing in Lawrence County? ▼
What is the average property tax in Lawrence County, Missouri? ▼
What to do with Lawrence County's numbers
- Lawrence County's $1,032 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 →
- Income burden is light here: about 1.7% of Lawrence County's $61,215 median household income goes to the property-tax bill.
- Lawrence County ranks #87 of 115 Missouri counties by effective rate - on the lower-burden half of the state ACS set. Missouri overview →
- If Lawrence County's assessment looks high versus the $175,100 typical home, check Missouri's filing window and evidence rules before the notice deadline passes. How to appeal →
Effective-rate definition
Effective rate is the county median tax divided by the county median home value ($175,100); your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, and local levies determine your actual bill. U.S. Census Bureau ACS · 2024.
Nationwide peers by effective rate & median bill
Two PlainPropertyTax-derived comparison paths for Lawrence County, both outside Missouri so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice. Axes stay disjoint: median-bill peers exclude the effective-rate peer set.
Similar effective rate
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS effective rate. This county: 0.59%.
Similar median bill
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS median annual tax. This county: $1,032/yr. Rate peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Read with Lawrence County
Nearest ABS(median_tax) ACS peers for Lawrence County (QUIET · LIGHT), replacing the old fixed Keep exploring strip.
QUIET LIGHT
Chariton County, MO
ABS(median_tax) peer · tied with Lawrence County at $1,032/yr; rate 0.64% vs Lawrence County 0.59%.
Leflore County, MS
ABS(median_tax) peer · $1,033/yr (near-tied bill ABS $1); rate 1.02% vs Lawrence County 0.59%.
Bollinger County, MO
ABS(median_tax) peer · $1,034/yr (near-tied bill ABS $2); rate 0.58% vs Lawrence County 0.59%.
Dodge County, GA
ABS(median_tax) peer · $1,030/yr (near-tied bill ABS $2); rate 0.87% vs Lawrence County 0.59%.
Missouri county set
State ACS overview for every published Missouri county rate and median bill.
Assessment cycle basics
Lawrence 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.
Share and download this county card
Editorial standards and provenance
PlainPropertyTax is rendered directly from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on the Census ACS county-level record for Lawrence County. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-09.