Timely, Uniform, Fair
The St. Louis County Assessor's Department is responsible for the equalization of property assessments throughout St. Louis County, including the City of Duluth. It is the Assessor's responsibility to ensure each property is equally and uniformly assessed.
To do this, the Department estimates a property's market value and classifies it according to its use for property tax purposes.
By law, every parcel in the county must be viewed by an assessor at least once every five years. In addition, every year assessors visit any parcel with new construction, alterations or improvements.
Wildfire Property Damage Reporting
If you have property that was damaged in the recent wildfires in St. Louis County, please fill out the form following the link. The information will be used for future communication relating to potential relief:
Private Property Damage Report Form
Estimated Market Values & Valuation Notices
An update for taxpayers in FAIRBANKS TOWNSHIP
Fairbanks Township was not able to hold its scheduled Local Board of Appeal and Equalization (LBAE) on May 14, 2025, due to wildfires in the area. The township was under a mandatory evacuation order on the date of the meeting, and the evacuation order was not lifted in time for the township to give proper notice for a rescheduled meeting.
Any property owner in Fairbanks wishing to appeal their estimated market value or classification for the 2025 assessment may still do so. This can be done by first contacting the assessors for the area, who can explain the revised appeal process:
Brian Grahek, Appraisal Supervisor (218) 471-7733
Max Carlson, Residential Appraiser (218) 471-7272
Please note that the appeal process will not account for the value of property damaged by the recent fires, as the 2025 assessment is based on an assessment date of January 2, 2025. Damaged properties may qualify for Local Option Abatements and Credits, and assessor staff will soon be visiting these properties to determine their eligibility for property tax relief.
Property Tax Refunds
The Minnesota Department of Revenue provides for two types of property tax refunds:
- Regular Homestead Credit Refund: for homesteaders whose property taxes exceed a specified percentage of household income. For taxes payable in 2025, the homeowner’s household income must have been less than $139,320 in 2024 to be eligible.
- Special Homestead Credit Refund: for homestead properties where the net property tax increase exceeds a set percentage, and the increase is $100 or more (the tax increase cannot be due to new construction). There is no income limitation for this refund. For property taxes payable in 2025, the percentage increase must be twelve percent or more, and the maximum refund is $1,000.
Both programs require an application to the Department of Revenue using the M1PR form, which is available online on the Department of Revenue website. The deadline for filing a 2025 return is August 15, 2025. Some taxpayers may qualify for the special refund even if they do not qualify for the regular refund. For additional information on these programs, please contact to the Department of Revenue directly at (800) 652-9094, or visit their website.
Reappraisal Areas for 2025 Assessment (Taxes Payable 2026)
Below is a map of the areas scheduled for reappraisal this year. For jurisdictions scheduled for reappraisal this year, an appraiser from our office will be visiting your property at some point in the next few months. Postcard notifications of this will be mailed out to affected taxpayers soon. Unfortunately, that postcard listed the wrong telephone number for our Hibbing office; please call 218-312-8389 to schedule an interior inspection in the Hibbing area. The appraiser will have county identification and will be requesting permission to view the interior of your property, which you may decline. If you are not at home at the time, the appraiser will leave a business card to let you know they have done an exterior inspection of your property.
This reappraisal is required by state law and is done to ensure that our property data is accurate. Accurate property data is foundational to our ability to determine a fair and equitable estimated market value of your property for tax purposes.
If you have additional questions or would like to set up an appointment for an interior inspection, please contact the closest Assessor's Office.
