North Dakota · County property tax · ACS 2024
Nelson County Property Taxes
The median homeowner in Nelson County pays $1,044 a year, an effective rate of 0.75%, well below the U.S. average.
- $1,044
- Median tax / yr
- 0.75%
- Effective rate
- -48%
- vs U.S. average
- #37 of 53
- rank in ND
The verdict
Homeowners in Nelson County pay a median $1,044 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 0.75%, more affordable than 55% of U.S. counties.
- $1,044
- Median annual tax bill, 2024
- 0.75%
- Effective rate on median home
- #1425 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 ($139,700). U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024.
Census Bureau ACS property tax data for North Dakota. Owner-occupied homes: 1,005.
The median annual property tax in Nelson County is $1,044, which is 58% lower than the North Dakota state average and 48% below the national average. The effective tax rate is 0.75% on a median home value of $139,700. Property taxes represent 1.6% of the median household income in this county.
What This Data Tells Us About Nelson County
Homeowners in Nelson County pay a median annual property tax of $1,044, well below the national median and far below the North Dakota state median. On a $139,700 median home, that works out to an effective rate of 0.75% once the local assessment base and millage are combined.
Property taxes in Nelson County run a bit below the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 1.6% of the $67,193 median household income. Since 2023, the published ACS median estimate has climbed 13.6%, from $919 to $1,044. This compares two release estimates; it does not identify a local policy, assessment, exemption, or household-bill cause.
This page is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Figures describe the median homeowner household in Nelson 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.
With vs Without Mortgage
In Nelson County, mortgaged homeowners pay 27% more than those without a mortgage, a gap that typically tracks higher home values rather than a different tax rate.
How Nelson County compares
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024.
Nelson County's effective rate is higher than 30% of the 53 counties in North Dakota - ranking #37 of 53 for property tax burden.
Where Nelson County sits among every U.S. county
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value)
0.75% more affordable than 55% of 3,135 U.S. counties
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
Nelson County vs Benchmarks
| Metric | Nelson County | North Dakota Avg | U.S. Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Tax | $1,044 | $2,468 | $1,993 |
| Effective Tax Rate | 0.75% | 0.99% | 0.92% |
| Median Home Value | $139,700 | $249,900 | $227,791 |
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.
Think your Nelson County property tax bill is too high?
A successful appeal can lower your assessed value by 10-25%, cutting your annual tax bill by hundreds or thousands of dollars. Use our free Appeal Savings Estimator to project savings on your specific home, then read our step-by-step appeal guide for the exact procedure in North Dakota.
Property Tax History
| Year | Median Tax | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,044 +13.6% | 0.75% |
| 2023 | $919 +7.4% | 0.80% |
| 2022 | $856 +16.6% | 0.80% |
| 2021 | $734 +10.7% | 0.74% |
| 2020 | $663 | 0.69% |
Tax Burden
Tax Affordability Score
An effective rate notably lower than the national average of 0.92% puts Nelson 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 Nelson County or any other county.
Other Counties in North Dakota
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average property tax in Nelson County, North Dakota? ▼
How does Nelson County property tax compare to the national average? ▼
What percentage of income goes to property taxes in Nelson County? ▼
Are property taxes increasing in Nelson County? ▼
What this means in Nelson County
How to use Nelson County's property-tax numbers, for budgeting, comparison, or an appeal.
- At Nelson County's 0.75% effective rate, a $139,700 home implies about $1,044/yr, plug in your own home's value to estimate your bill. Estimate your bill
- Nelson County ranks #37 of 53 counties in North Dakota by effective rate, compare it against the rest of the state before you judge your bill. North Dakota overview
- If your assessed value looks high relative to Nelson County's typical home, you may have grounds to appeal, most jurisdictions have a filing window each year. How to appeal
Effective rate is the county median tax divided by the county median home value ($139,700); your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, and local levies determine your actual bill. U.S. Census Bureau ACS · 2024.
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.
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 Nelson County. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-09.