Home property values are up in Jackson County. See where your school district stands
Residential property values in Jackson County increased by around 40% overall since the last assessment period in 2021, county data shows.
Jackson County Assessment Department Director Gail McCann Beatty had previously told The Star that the average property value increase this year was around 30%. But this number has risen as county assessors finalize their valuations and processed value review agreements.
In recent months, high property valuations have caused concern among Jackson County residents, some of whom have taken steps to challenge their assessments. Tens of thousands of property owners have appealed their assessments since May.
Data provided by the assessment department shows the overall increase in residential property values at just over 40%. This increase includes the high property value increases homeowners are seeing around the county, as well as the added prices of newly built residences.
County data breaks down property value increases by taxing jurisdiction — not by geographical units like ZIP code or neighborhood.
This map shows the overall increase in residential property values by school district in Jackson County.
Hover over your school district to see the percent change in total residential property values between 2021 and 2023. Your own home’s value may have risen by more or less than this overall number.
The largest percentage increases were in more rural parts of the county, while the lowest were closer to Kansas City. But all school districts saw total values rise by over 30% since 2021.
The assessment department will next update its summary data around Sept. 1, a spokesperson told The Star. But until then, available numbers offer a glimpse of how residential property values have risen around the county.
What do overall property value increases show about recent trends?
The school district with the largest increase in total residential property values was the Lone Jack School District, with an increase of nearly 62% since 2021, when the last property assessments were conducted.
The lowest increases were seen in the Blue Springs and Grandview school districts, both with around 34% increases. The Kansas City Public School District was the next-lowest with an increase of around 37%.
One factor driving these increases is the rising value of the same properties in 2023 that were assessed in 2021. Homeowners have reported increases as high as 90% and above.
But 2023’s value totals also include newly-built property that didn’t exist in 2021. This artificially raises the percentage by which values in the county increased.
Residential property values are assessed in Jackson County every odd-numbered year.
In total, the value of all the county’s residential properties jumped from around $7.7 billion in 2021 to over $10.8 billion in 2023 — an increase of just over 40%. By comparison, the same increase between 2019 and 2021 was just 8%.
What do I need to know about appealing my property valuation?
The deadline to appeal your property valuation was Monday, July 31. If you submitted an appeal, you should receive a notice of your hearing time and date before the county’s Board of Equalization around 7-10 days before the hearing.
Homeowners who have filed an appeal but have not yet received their hearing notice can also walk into the department’s 1300 Washington Street location in Kansas City on any weekday between 8:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. for an in-person review. However, only the first 50 walk-ins will be seen each day.
Your property value ultimately determines the property taxes you will pay. But an increase in value doesn’t necessarily mean you will see an increase in taxes. Some taxing jurisdictions are required to only collect as much in taxes as their budgets will allow — meaning that if property values go up, the percentage they collect goes down.
Do you have more questions about property values in the Kansas City area? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
This story was originally published August 2, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
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