Property owners in Marion County paid 1.7% of the value of their homes in property taxes in the fourth quarter of 2024, which is more than 1.5 times the national average, according to the real estate analysis posted by South Central Reporter.
The median sales price of a Marion County home in the fourth quarter of 2024 was $70,000, based on data from the 129 properties sold during that time. In 2024, the median tax bill for the county was $1,185, which is 1.7% of the median value of the homes that were taxed.
This is 1.5 times higher than the average effective property tax rate of 1.11% in the U.S. in 2023.
The analysis of Marion County real estate data showed homeowners in Alma, Wamac, and Central City paid the highest rates.
The above article calculates the effective property tax rate for 2024 using estimated inflation values and 2021 tax data provided by the county. In some cases, the actual effective property tax rate may vary slightly.
The U.S. housing market has surged in recent years, with its total value approaching $50 trillion in 2024—nearly five times its value in 2000.
“The value of America’s housing market will likely cross the $50 trillion threshold in the next 12 months as there are not enough homes being listed to push prices down,” said Redfin Economics Research Lead Chen Zhao.
The following table compares Alma with some other cities belonging to Marion County by their median effective property tax rate, calculated using sales and property tax data from the fourth quarter of 2024.
| City | Q4 2024 Sales | Q4 2024 Median Price | Median tax 2024 | Effective tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alma | 3 | $18,000 | $1,122 | 6.2% |
| Wamac | 2 | $5,100 | $232 | 4.6% |
| Central City | 5 | $12,000 | $474 | 3.9% |
| Iuka | 6 | $37,500 | $1,227 | 3.3% |
| Sandoval | 5 | $36,864 | $946 | 2.6% |
| Kell | 2 | $47,000 | $1,061 | 2.3% |
| Centralia | 59 | $65,000 | $1,191 | 1.8% |
| Kinmundy | 2 | $68,500 | $1,211 | 1.8% |
| Salem | 37 | $135,000 | $1,585 | 1.2% |
| Odin | 4 | $85,700 | $842 | 1% |
| Patoka | 2 | $112,500 | $1,044 | 0.9% |
