Polk County closing costs
The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for Polk County, Iowa - the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.
- Effective transfer tax
- 0.16%
- ≈ $640 on a $400,000 home
- Typical lender + 3rd-party fees
- $2,935
- median of 6,252 purchase loans · HMDA 2023
Polk County compared with Iowa counties
In the verified Iowa county records we have, Polk County's effective transfer-tax rate ranks #1 of 1 by highest rate. At $400,000, the county-specific transfer tax is $640, which is the same as the state-level calculation before city surtaxes.
- County rank
- #1 of 1
- within verified Iowa county pages
- Tax at $400,000
- $640
- state baseline $640
- HMDA fee sample
- 6,252
- purchase loans in 2023
Polk County transfer-tax data: official source linked on this page, reviewed 2026-Q2.
Transfer tax in Polk County
Iowa real estate transfer tax is a STATE tax under Iowa Code Chapter 428A, not a county-imposed rate, so county_transfer_tax_rate = null. Rate is $0.80 per $500 of consideration (or fraction thereof) with the first $500 EXEMPT — effectively ~0.0016 (0.16%) of the amount of consideration above $500. The GRANTOR (seller) customarily pays the transfer tax at recording. The county recorder collects it but distributes 82.75% to the Iowa Department of Revenue and retains only 17.25% in the county general fund — it is not a county surtax stacked on top of a state tax. A Declaration of Value (DOV) form must accompany the deed unless an exemption under 428A.2 is cited; the recorder must refuse to record if tax is unpaid or the DOV is missing. No city/municipal transfer tax exists in Iowa (Des Moines, the county seat, levies none) — city_transfer_tax_rate = null. Recording fees are uniform statewide, not county-specific. Seller pays transfer tax; buyer typically pays recording fee on the deed.
Recording fees in Polk County
Iowa statewide uniform recording fees (set by Iowa Code 331.604 / 428A.2): $7.00 for the first page of a document, $5.00 for each additional page. A deed/conveyance carries an additional $5.00 auditor transfer fee per separate parcel (add $5.00 to the first-page fee for each additional parcel, $50.00 maximum for additional parcels). Polk County therefore states a deed recording fee of $12.00 for the first page (the $7.00 base page fee + $5.00 transfer fee for one parcel) plus $5.00 each additional page. Documents with more than one transaction add $7.00 per transaction. Source: Polk County Recorder Recording Fees page (https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/county-recorder/real-estate-department/recording-fees/).
Official recorder: Polk County recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.
What lenders actually charge in Polk County
Across 6,252 home-purchase mortgages originated in Polk County in 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services such as appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — were $2,935, of which about $1,382 was the lender’s own origination charges. That is reported loan-level data from every lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act — not a national average — so it reflects what buyers in this county actually paid. Lender fees vary widely, so comparing a few rate quotes is the single biggest lever on your closing total.
Source: FFIEC HMDA Data Browser ↗ (2023 purchase originations, FIPS 19153, ODC-BY 1.0). Median total loan costs exclude prepaids and escrow.
Estimate your Polk County closing costs
Pre-set to Iowa. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax in Polk County?
Polk County (Iowa): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 0.16%. Iowa real estate transfer tax is a STATE tax under Iowa Code Chapter 428A, not a county-imposed rate, so county_transfer_tax_rate = null. Rate is $0.80 per $500 of consideration (or fraction thereof) with the first $500 EXEMPT — effectively ~0.0016 (0.16%) of the amount of consideration above $500. The GRANTOR (seller) customarily pays the transfer tax at recording. The county recorder collects it but distributes 82.75% to the Iowa Department of Revenue and retains only 17.25% in the county general fund — it is not a county surtax stacked on top of a state tax. A Declaration of Value (DOV) form must accompany the deed unless an exemption under 428A.2 is cited; the recorder must refuse to record if tax is unpaid or the DOV is missing. No city/municipal transfer tax exists in Iowa (Des Moines, the county seat, levies none) — city_transfer_tax_rate = null. Recording fees are uniform statewide, not county-specific. Seller pays transfer tax; buyer typically pays recording fee on the deed.
What are recording fees in Polk County?
Iowa statewide uniform recording fees (set by Iowa Code 331.604 / 428A.2): $7.00 for the first page of a document, $5.00 for each additional page. A deed/conveyance carries an additional $5.00 auditor transfer fee per separate parcel (add $5.00 to the first-page fee for each additional parcel, $50.00 maximum for additional parcels). Polk County therefore states a deed recording fee of $12.00 for the first page (the $7.00 base page fee + $5.00 transfer fee for one parcel) plus $5.00 each additional page. Documents with more than one transaction add $7.00 per transaction. Source: Polk County Recorder Recording Fees page (https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/county-recorder/real-estate-department/recording-fees/).
How much are closing costs in Polk County?
Closing costs in Polk County follow Iowa's structure plus this county's specific transfer-tax and recording fees. Use the calculator below for an estimate; for the exact recording schedule, the county recorder is the authoritative source.
What do lenders charge in fees in Polk County?
In 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services like appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — across 6,252 home-purchase mortgages in Polk County were about $2,935, of which roughly $1,382 was the lender's own origination charges. This is reported loan-level data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; actual fees vary by lender, so comparing quotes matters.