How Oklahoma property tax works
- Assessment ratio: each county assesses real property at between 11% and 13.5% of fair cash value. Oklahoma and Tulsa counties use 11%; Cleveland and Canadian counties use 12%.
- Millage is tax per $1,000 of assessed value and adds the county, the city, the school district, the career tech district and the library and health districts.
- The cap: a homestead's taxable value can't rise more than 3% a year (5% for other property), except in a year the property is sold or improved.
A $250,000 home in Oklahoma or Tulsa County is assessed at $27,500; after the $1,000 homestead exemption, $26,500 is taxable.
2025 millage in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metros
Totals for each city and school district combination. The last column is the tax on a $250,000 homestead (11% ratio, minus the $1,000 homestead exemption).
| City (school district) | County | Total mills | Effective rate | Tax on $250,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bixby (Bixby) | Tulsa | 137.15 | 1.51% | $3,634 |
| Tulsa (Union) | Tulsa | 136.74 | 1.50% | $3,624 |
| Tulsa (Tulsa Public Schools) | Tulsa | 134.01 | 1.47% | $3,551 |
| Broken Arrow (Broken Arrow) | Tulsa | 128.66 | 1.42% | $3,409 |
| Oklahoma City (OKCPS) | Oklahoma | 122.90 | 1.35% | $3,257 |
| Oklahoma City (Edmond schools) | Oklahoma | 120.32 | 1.32% | $3,188 |
| Midwest City (Mid-Del) | Oklahoma | 119.58 | 1.32% | $3,169 |
| Owasso (Owasso) | Tulsa | 112.68 | 1.24% | $2,986 |
| Edmond (Edmond) | Oklahoma | 105.16 | 1.16% | $2,787 |
The school district is the largest piece. In Oklahoma City, Oklahoma City Public Schools levies 65.49 mills, the county 23.14 and the city 15.16. Edmond has no city property tax at all, and Owasso none either, which is why both come in lowest.
Tulsa County's rates for 2026 have already been set: Tulsa in Tulsa Public Schools drops to 132.31, Broken Arrow to 128.08, while Union and Bixby edge up to 138.71 and 138.83.
Across all of Tulsa County, the average 2024 levy was 127.5 mills; in Oklahoma County 119.5, Cleveland 119.2 and Canadian 107.9.
Exemptions and relief
- Homestead exemption: $1,000 off assessed value, worth roughly $90 to $140 a year. Apply with the county assessor.
- Additional homestead exemption: another $1,000 for households with income of $30,000 or less.
- Senior valuation freeze: owners 65+ with household income at or below the county's HUD median income can freeze their home's taxable value. Apply by March 15. See senior freezes by state.
- Property tax refund: up to $200 for owners 65+ or totally disabled with income of $12,000 or less.
State Question 847 on the November 2026 ballot
On November 3, 2026, Oklahoma voters decide State Question 847. It would lower the annual cap on taxable value increases for homesteads from 3% to 1.75% and for other property from 5% to 4%, starting in tax year 2027. It would also repeal the separate rule barring increases in fair cash value for homesteads of people 65 and older, though the senior freeze program would stay. We'll update this page with the result. See the 2026 property tax ballot measures.
Deadlines and appeals
- Payments: bills go out around November 1. Pay the first half (or all) by December 31 and the second half by March 31.
- Appeals: file an informal protest within 30 days of the mailing of a notice of increased valuation (or by the first Monday in April if your value didn't change), then appeal to the County Board of Equalization within 15 days of the assessor's decision. See our appeal guide.
Where these numbers come from
Tulsa County totals are our sums of the 2025 levies approved by the Tulsa County Excise Board (the Tulsa Public Schools total matches the assessor's figure), and 2026 rates are from the Tulsa County Assessor's school district rate sheet. Oklahoma County rates are from the county assessor's 2025 tax rates. Assessment ratios, county average levies and the cap rules are from the Oklahoma Tax Commission's 2024 Ad Valorem Statistics. Exemptions, refunds and deadlines are from the Tulsa County Assessor's guide. SQ 847 details are from Oklahoma Policy Institute's ballot summary. For ZIP-level data, start from our Oklahoma page.