County Property Tax Honesty Gap
The difference between the actual tax increase and the change in the mill rate has created an honesty gap in taxpayers’ minds. For example, Allen County raised property taxes by 359% between 1997 and 2022 but the county mill rate went up 77%. The 282-point difference is the honesty gap. Data provided by the Kansas Department of Revenue. Percentages rounded to two decimals.
| County | 1997-2022 Tax Change | 1997-2022 Mill Change | 1997-2022 Honesty Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allen | 359.06 | 77.18 | 281.87 |
| Anderson | 274.71 | 43.87 | 230.84 |
| Atchison | 219.91 | 19.14 | 200.76 |
| Barber | 233.88 | 57.66 | 176.22 |
| Barton | 189.28 | 49.48 | 139.80 |
| Bourbon | 178.67 | 41.14 | 137.54 |
| Brown | 207.67 | -17.42 | 225.09 |
| Butler | 266.66 | 9.73 | 256.93 |
| Chase | 121.44 | 2.01 | 119.43 |
| Chautauqua | 113.46 | 23.87 | 89.60 |
| Cherokee | 110.22 | 2.50 | 107.72 |
| Cheyenne | 305.76 | 85.08 | 220.67 |
| Clark | 83.53 | 17.03 | 66.50 |
| Clay | 239.87 | 0.04 | 239.83 |
| Cloud | 198.65 | 16.84 | 181.81 |
| Coffey | 161.67 | 114.35 | 47.32 |
| Comanche | 180.21 | 118.21 | 61.99 |
| Cowley | 264.43 | 73.93 | 190.49 |
| Crawford | 161.90 | 30.07 | 131.84 |
| Decatur | 173.36 | 20.42 | 152.95 |
| Dickinson | 357.27 | 70.75 | 286.51 |
| Doniphan | 272.53 | 5.10 | 267.43 |
| Douglas | 474.31 | 87.40 | 386.91 |
| Edwards | 124.36 | 25.62 | 98.74 |
| Elk | 145.90 | 46.24 | 99.66 |
| Ellis | 223.16 | 21.17 | 201.99 |
| Ellsworth | 138.87 | 16.20 | 122.67 |
| Finney | 173.90 | 73.34 | 100.56 |
| Ford | 165.30 | 28.21 | 137.09 |
| Franklin | 223.76 | 17.38 | 206.38 |
| Geary | 272.50 | 31.52 | 240.99 |
| Gove | 281.38 | 51.39 | 229.99 |
| Graham | 118.10 | 9.80 | 108.31 |
| Grant | 8.39 | 120.63 | -112.24 |
| Gray | 199.49 | 21.05 | 178.45 |
| Greeley | 158.86 | 103.31 | 55.54 |
| Greenwood | 152.50 | 59.45 | 93.05 |
| Hamilton | 38.18 | 74.58 | -36.40 |
| Harper | 105.53 | -6.80 | 112.32 |
| Harvey | 206.36 | 42.41 | 163.94 |
| Haskell | 167.75 | 267.99 | -100.24 |
| Hodgeman | 113.52 | 11.59 | 101.93 |
| Jackson | 278.47 | 38.43 | 240.04 |
| Jefferson | 202.97 | 16.85 | 186.12 |
| Jewell | 235.16 | 18.97 | 216.19 |
| Johnson | 310.31 | 16.12 | 294.19 |
| Kearny | 90.72 | 327.05 | -236.33 |
| Kingman | 210.81 | 83.96 | 126.85 |
| Kiowa | 163.21 | 46.77 | 116.44 |
| Labette | 163.81 | 55.35 | 108.46 |
| Lane | 159.80 | 28.29 | 131.51 |
| Leavenworth | 336.54 | 26.04 | 310.50 |
| Lincoln | 238.28 | 21.07 | 217.21 |
| Linn | 220.37 | 45.96 | 174.41 |
| Logan | 222.94 | 30.03 | 192.92 |
| Lyon | 198.49 | 20.40 | 178.09 |
| Marion | 334.38 | 85.14 | 249.24 |
| Marshall | 234.61 | 1.70 | 232.91 |
| McPherson | 172.66 | 8.30 | 164.37 |
| Meade | 198.12 | 76.03 | 122.09 |
| Miami | 238.34 | -2.12 | 240.46 |
| Mitchell | 424.45 | 115.06 | 309.38 |
| Montgomery | 187.77 | 42.11 | 145.66 |
| Morris | 269.67 | 66.18 | 203.49 |
| Morton | 58.63 | 247.23 | -188.59 |
| Nemaha | 230.25 | -10.24 | 240.48 |
| Neosho | 182.87 | 41.42 | 141.45 |
| Ness | 147.41 | 36.98 | 110.43 |
| Norton | 116.16 | -7.17 | 123.33 |
| Osage | 438.07 | 126.95 | 311.11 |
| Osborne | 270.36 | 46.18 | 224.18 |
| Ottawa | 274.01 | 49.01 | 225.00 |
| Pawnee | 154.69 | 40.75 | 113.94 |
| Phillips | 195.94 | 66.41 | 129.53 |
| Pottawatomie | 199.54 | 22.78 | 176.76 |
| Pratt | 254.48 | 33.43 | 221.06 |
| Rawlins | 133.27 | -13.31 | 146.58 |
| Reno | 226.93 | 71.70 | 155.23 |
| Republic | 170.16 | 5.95 | 164.21 |
| Rice | 76.01 | -27.57 | 103.59 |
| Riley | 319.33 | 24.10 | 295.23 |
| Rooks | 104.52 | -7.14 | 111.66 |
| Rush | 115.75 | 32.81 | 82.94 |
| Russell | 142.59 | 24.99 | 117.60 |
| Saline | 345.82 | 114.21 | 231.61 |
| Scott | 274.56 | 93.42 | 181.14 |
| Sedgwick | 146.00 | -2.74 | 148.74 |
| Seward | 105.70 | 60.52 | 45.18 |
| Shawnee | 185.11 | 34.06 | 151.05 |
| Sheridan | 129.12 | -8.38 | 137.51 |
| Sherman | 225.49 | 56.30 | 169.20 |
| Smith | 247.69 | 39.02 | 208.67 |
| Stafford | 134.42 | 19.30 | 115.13 |
| Stanton | 87.51 | 207.65 | -120.14 |
| Stevens | 25.69 | 286.49 | -260.80 |
| Sumner | 150.14 | 3.50 | 146.65 |
| Thomas | 273.74 | 63.06 | 210.68 |
| Trego | 142.53 | -0.12 | 142.65 |
| Wabaunsee | 283.03 | 50.13 | 232.90 |
| Wallace | 258.43 | 101.86 | 156.57 |
| Washington | 205.35 | -9.60 | 214.95 |
| Wichita | 174.22 | 33.44 | 140.78 |
| Wilson | 159.29 | 25.76 | 133.53 |
| Woodson | 201.60 | 68.60 | 133.00 |
| Wyandotte | 256.64 | 35.61 | 221.03 |