Property Tax in Tulsa County, Oklahoma
Homeowners in Tulsa County, Oklahoma pay a median of $2,161 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $213,500. 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 Tulsa County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $2,161 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Tulsa County, and $213,500 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 Tulsa County is 1.01% (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.
Tulsa County by the numbers
| Measure | Tulsa County | Oklahoma | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $2,161 | $1,520 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $213,500 | $185,900 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.01% | 0.82% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $180 | $127 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Tulsa County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Oklahoma: #3 of 77 counties
- Median home value rank in Oklahoma: #8 of 77
- Population rank in Oklahoma: #2 of 77 (673,708 residents)
- Population density rank: #1 of 77 (1,181 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Oklahoma: #66 of 77 (570 sq mi, 0.8% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $180; per $1,000 of home value: $1.01
How Tulsa County compares
Of the 77 Oklahoma counties with published data, 2 have a higher median property tax bill than Tulsa County's $2,161, putting the county at #3 in the state. Its bill is about 42% higher than the state median of $1,520 and about 27% lower 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 1.01%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #8 within Oklahoma.
Some extra context for Tulsa County: the median bill works out to about $180 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,012 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 673,708 people — the #2 most populous county in Oklahoma, spread over 570 square miles, a density of about 1,181 people per square mile. Its median home value, $213,500, ranks #8 among the state's 77 counties with data.
Nationally, Tulsa County's median bill of $2,161 ranks #943 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 30% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 16.9% of Oklahoma's population, its median home value is about 15% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 10.12% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Tulsa County to the most expensive county, Cleveland County ($2,288), is $127 a year.
Counties nearest Tulsa County in the Oklahoma ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland County, OK | $2,288 | $222,800 | 1.03% |
| Canadian County, OK | $2,259 | $230,300 | 0.98% |
| Oklahoma County, OK | $2,045 | $207,800 | 0.98% |
| Payne County, OK | $1,884 | $217,700 | 0.86% |
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Tulsa County's derived rate of 1.01%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $4,048 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 Tulsa County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Tulsa 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Tulsa County, Oklahoma?
The median real estate tax paid in Tulsa County, Oklahoma is $2,161 per year, on a median home value of $213,500 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Tulsa County, Oklahoma?
On a derived basis, 1.01%: the county's median tax bill of $2,161 divided by its median home value of $213,500. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Tulsa County compare with the rest of Oklahoma?
Tulsa County ranks #3 of 77 Oklahoma counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $2,161 is about 42% higher than the Oklahoma median of $1,520.
How are property taxes calculated in Tulsa County, Oklahoma?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Tulsa County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $2,161 on a median home value of $213,500.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Tulsa County, Oklahoma?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Tulsa 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.