Property Tax in Sarpy County, Nebraska
The median real estate tax bill in Sarpy County, Nebraska is $5,157 per year, and the median home is worth $287,600. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Sarpy County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $5,157 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Sarpy County, and $287,600 is the middle home value. Neither figure describes a specific property — together they describe the typical homeowner's situation in the county.
The derived effective rate for Sarpy County is 1.79% (median tax ÷ median value). Treat it as an estimate for comparison only: it comes from survey medians of different households, not from the county's rate schedule.
Sarpy County by the numbers
| Measure | Sarpy County | Nebraska | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $5,157 | $3,350 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $287,600 | $223,800 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.79% | 1.50% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $430 | $279 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Sarpy County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Nebraska: #1 of 93 counties
- Median home value rank in Nebraska: #1 of 93
- Population rank in Nebraska: #3 of 93 (194,051 residents)
- Population density rank: #2 of 93 (815 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Nebraska: #93 of 93 (237 sq mi, 0.3% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $430; per $1,000 of home value: $1.79
How Sarpy County compares
The median tax bill in Sarpy County is about 54% higher than the state median ($3,350 for Nebraska) and about 74% higher than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #1 out of 93 Nebraska counties with published Census data — 0 counties in the state have a higher median bill.
Comparisons cut both ways: a county can have a modest rate but high bills because homes are expensive, or a high rate but modest bills because homes are cheaper. Sarpy County's derived rate of 1.79% sits above the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Sarpy County: the median bill works out to about $430 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,793 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 194,051 people — the #3 most populous county in Nebraska, spread over 237 square miles, a density of about 815 people per square mile. Its median home value, $287,600, ranks #1 among the state's 93 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 117 record a higher median tax bill than Sarpy County — it sits in the top 4% nationally. The county holds roughly 9.9% of Nebraska's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $287,600 versus $223,800), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.79% adds up to about 17.93% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Grant County, medians $853 — $4,304 less than Sarpy County per year.
Counties nearest Sarpy County in the Nebraska ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County, NE | $4,295 | $245,800 | 1.75% |
| Washington County, NE | $4,106 | $278,300 | 1.48% |
Sarpy County and its population peers
Counties of a similar size can tax very differently. The table below shows the counties closest to Sarpy County in population across the United States, with their median bills and home values. Within the group of 9, Sarpy County ($5,157) ranks the highest by median tax paid.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler County, PA | 195,870 | $2,950 | $275,600 | 1.07% |
| Sangamon County, IL | 195,217 | $3,369 | $170,300 | 1.98% |
| Livingston County, MI | 195,143 | $3,269 | $331,100 | 0.99% |
| Charlotte County, FL | 195,083 | $2,581 | $291,000 | 0.89% |
| Santa Rosa County, FL | 193,719 | $1,809 | $302,100 | 0.60% |
| El Dorado County, CA | 192,299 | $4,510 | $640,500 | 0.70% |
| Beaufort County, SC | 192,123 | $2,022 | $407,600 | 0.50% |
| Iredell County, NC | 191,800 | $1,843 | $292,300 | 0.63% |
The closest population match is Santa Rosa County, Florida (193,719 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $1,809 on a median home value of $302,100 — $3,348 more than Sarpy County pays.
Sarpy County's nearest population neighbours within Nebraska are Douglas County (585,461 residents, median tax $4,295 on a median value of $245,800); Lancaster County (323,673 residents, median tax $4,055 on a median value of $258,900); Hall County (62,431 residents, median tax $2,854 on a median value of $207,900); Buffalo County (50,323 residents, median tax $3,435 on a median value of $236,800). Comparing them is a reminder that even inside one state's rules, the bill follows local home values and local district rates more than anything decided at the state level.
How the tax is worked out
Think of the final bill as three ingredients: the assessed value of the property, the exemptions subtracted from it, and the combined rate of every district the property sits in. Sarpy County's medians imply a derived rate of 1.79%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $7,172 a year, or around $598 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Illustrative bills in Sarpy County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 1.79% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Sarpy County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 1.50% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $2,690 | $224 |
| $250,000 | $4,482 | $374 |
| $350,000 | $6,276 | $523 |
| $500,000 | $8,965 | $747 |
| $750,000 | $13,448 | $1,121 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in Sarpy County
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in Sarpy County; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Sarpy County, Nebraska?
The median real estate tax paid in Sarpy County, Nebraska is $5,157 per year, on a median home value of $287,600 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Sarpy County, Nebraska?
The derived effective rate is 1.79% — the median bill ($5,157) expressed as a share of the median home value ($287,600). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Sarpy County compare with the rest of Nebraska?
Sarpy County ranks #1 of 93 Nebraska counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $5,157 is about 54% higher than the Nebraska median of $3,350.
How are property taxes calculated in Sarpy County, Nebraska?
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 Sarpy County is $5,157 of tax on a $287,600 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Sarpy County, Nebraska?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Sarpy County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.