Property Tax in Ramsey County, Minnesota
Homeowners in Ramsey County, Minnesota pay a median of $3,767 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $304,900. Those are the Census Bureau's published medians for the county (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023) — the typical bill and the typical home value for owner-occupied households.
What the Ramsey County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Ramsey County homeowners pay more than $3,767 a year and half pay less. The exact bill for any one home depends on its assessed value, exemptions, and which school, municipal and special districts cover it.
Set against the median home value of $304,900, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 1.24%. That rate is an estimate computed from the two medians — no county publishes a rate calculated this way — but it adjusts for home prices, which makes comparisons between counties more meaningful.
The key figures for Ramsey County
| Measure | Ramsey County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $3,767 |
| Median home value | $304,900 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.24% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $314 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,235 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $4,940 |
For context, the Minnesota medians are $3,184 of tax on $305,500 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Ramsey County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Minnesota: #5 of 87 counties
- Median home value rank in Minnesota: #10 of 87
- Population rank in Minnesota: #2 of 87 (544,438 residents)
- Population density rank: #1 of 87 (3,576 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Minnesota: #87 of 87 (152 sq mi, 0.2% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $314; per $1,000 of home value: $1.24
How Ramsey County compares
Of the 87 Minnesota counties with published data, 4 have a higher median property tax bill than Ramsey County's $3,767, putting the county at #5 in the state. Its bill is about 18% higher than the state median of $3,184 and about 27% higher than the national median of $2,969.
Rates and values pull in opposite directions: an expensive housing market can produce big bills at ordinary rates. Here the derived rate is 1.24%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #10 within Minnesota.
Some extra context for Ramsey County: the median bill works out to about $314 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,235 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 544,438 people — the #2 most populous county in Minnesota, spread over 152 square miles, a density of about 3,576 people per square mile. Its median home value, $304,900, ranks #10 among the state's 87 counties with data.
Nationally, Ramsey County's median bill of $3,767 ranks #264 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 8% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 9.5% of Minnesota's population, its median home value is about 0% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 12.35% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Ramsey County to the most expensive county, Carver County ($4,380), is $613 a year.
Counties nearest Ramsey County in the Minnesota ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County, MN | $4,195 | $393,500 | 1.07% |
| Washington County, MN | $4,012 | $400,900 | 1.00% |
| Chisago County, MN | $3,668 | $326,600 | 1.12% |
| Dakota County, MN | $3,610 | $362,100 | 1.00% |
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Ramsey County's derived rate of 1.24%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $4,940 a year. That is only an illustration using the derived rate — a real bill is computed from the property's assessed value, its exemptions, and the combined rates of its specific taxing districts, so it can be higher or lower.
The usual sequence is: the local assessor values the property; exemptions are applied; the taxable value is multiplied by the combined local rates; and the county bills and collects the tax, distributing it to the schools, municipalities and districts that levied it.
Checking your assessment in Ramsey County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Ramsey County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
More Minnesota counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Ramsey County, Minnesota?
The median real estate tax paid in Ramsey County, Minnesota is $3,767 per year, on a median home value of $304,900 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Ramsey County, Minnesota?
Dividing Ramsey County's median tax bill ($3,767) by its median home value ($304,900) gives a derived effective rate of 1.24%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Ramsey County compare with the rest of Minnesota?
Ramsey County ranks #5 of 87 Minnesota counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $3,767 is about 18% higher than the Minnesota median of $3,184.
How are property taxes calculated in Ramsey County, Minnesota?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in Ramsey County is $3,767 of tax on a $304,900 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Ramsey County, Minnesota?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Ramsey County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.