Property Tax

What is Property Tax

Property tax is a tax primarily levied on immovable property like land and buildings (real property), as well as on tangible personal property that is movable, like vehicles and equipment. Property taxes have historically been levied by governments or other authorities for over a thousand years.

Levying & Collecting Property Taxes

The City of Webster Groves levies (or sets) the property tax rates for property in the jurisdiction of the City. St. Louis County acts as the collector of the tax revenue and remits to the City the appropriate amounts after collection.

Impact of Property Taxes in Webster Groves

Property Taxes include four separate revenue streams.

  1. Real Property Taxes (land and improvements)
  2. Personal Property Taxes (cars, equipment, etc.)
  3. Utility Property Taxes
  4. Financial Institution Taxes

Together, all property taxes, provide a very stable revenue source for city services. Property Taxes flow into the General Fund, Debt Service Fund, Street Improvement Fund, Police & Fire Pension Fund, and the City's three business districts - Old Webster, Old Orchard, and Crossroads.

In Fiscal Year 2022 (Tax Year 2021) property tax revenue for the City of Webster Groves was $5,253,192.85. This represents 19.04% of all revenue for the City, and 7.45% of the City's General Fund revenue.

Assessment and Classification

By state law, property is assessed and classified for value by the County Assessor at certain intervals. 

  • Real Property (land and improvement) is assessed in January of an odd-numbered year
  • Personal Property (vehicles, equipment, etc.) is assessed in January every year
  • Automobile values are determined by the October issue of the National Automobile Dealers Association.

Following the determination of value, a percentage of the appraised (market) value is assigned as the assessed value.

Classification Percentage of Market Value
Real PropertyPersonal Property
Residential19%Historic Autos5%
Commercial32%Vehicles & Boats33 1/3%

SEE INTERACTIVE PROPERTY VALUE AND TAX DATA

The links below provide you an interactive 3-D experience to realize the full value of real property (land and improvements) and the taxes paid on real property in Webster Groves. Click to see how much each parcel is worth and how much tax was paid.

Appraised Property Values
Real Property Tax Amount

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • Data is from Tax Year 2021 and comes from the St. Louis County Department of Revenue. The City of Webster Groves' trusts that the data is correct but makes no guarantee about the collector's data. 
  • Property Tax Amount represents the total real property tax bill for the parcel owner. Please refer to the below charts for an indication of what % of the total is paid to each government agency.

View St. Louis County Real Estate Tax Records.

PROPERTY TAX FLOWS TO SEVERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

Property Taxes collected on Webster Groves property is divided among several government agencies. The Webster Groves School District and County Special School District are the biggest recipients of property tax revenues. Below images show the ratio of tax revenue as split among the many government entities. Also shown is an example of an actual tax bill for a home valued at $397,530, the average home price in Webster Groves according to Zillow.

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Tax Year 2022 Certified Tax Rates

  1. Webster Groves City and Municipal Library 2022 Tax Rate Certification
  2. Crossroads Business District 2022 Tax Rate Certification
  1. Old Orchard Business District 2022 Tax Rate Certification
  2. Old Webster Business District 2022 Tax Rate Certification

Other Revenue-Related Materials

These resources are from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)

City Property Tax Presentations & Meetings

Information and presentations from relevant meetings to the issue of property taxes will be posted here.