Washington State has property tax rates below the national average of 0.99%. More specifically, the state’s average effective tax rate is 0.84%.
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To calculate the exact amount of property tax you will owe requires your property's assessed value and the property tax rates based on your property's address. Please note that we can only estimate your property tax based on median property taxes in your area. There are typically multiple rates in a given area, because your state, county, local schools and emergency responders each receive funding partly through these taxes. In our calculator, we take your home value and multiply that by your county's effective property tax rate. This is equal to the median property tax paid as a percentage of the median home value in your county.
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Property taxes in Washington State are limited by a number of laws that put caps on the amount homeowners can be taxed, and the amount those taxes can increase in a given year. Specifically, the total of general, non-voter approved taxes cannot be more than 1%, and the total tax levy in an area cannot increase by more than 1% in a year.
As a result of those rules, Washington State has tax rates below the national average. The state’s average effective tax rate is 0.84%, though high home values mean the median annual property tax payment is $4,061.
If this tax structure appeals to you and you’re looking to buy or refinance property in Washington, take a look at our Washington State mortgage guide. It contains comprehensive information on mortgage rates and getting a mortgage in Washington.
A financial advisor can help you understand how homeownership fits into your overall financial goals. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three vetted financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
In Washington State, taxes on real estate account for about 30% of all state and local tax revenues. Property taxes pay for local services like fire protection, public schools and parks.
Taxes on an individual property are based on two factors: the assessed value of the property and the total tax rate that applies to that property. Assessed value is determined through annually revaluations based on market data, and physical inspections that take place at least once every six years.
Tax rates apply to those assessed values. They are calculated based on the total of assessed value in a given tax district, and the total budget of a given taxing authority. So, for example, if the sum of assessed values is $500,000 and taxing authority needs revenue of $2,500, the rate would be 0.5%.
Increases in a given taxing district’s levy are limited to 1% per year or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. Thus, if a county’s budget this year is $3,000, next year it cannot be more than $3,030. That limit does not apply to new levies, or in other special cases like annexation or new construction.
Property tax rates in the Evergreen State can be divided into two groups: general, non-voter approved rates, and voter-approved special levies. Non-voter approved rates are used to support the ongoing functions of municipalities and counties, while voter-approved levies have specific purposes (funding a parks district, for example).
The Washington State Constitution limits the total of all non-voter approved property tax rates to 1% on a given property. Even if your county rate is 1% and your city rate is 0.75%, your total general rate will still be 1%. There is no limit on voter-approved levies, so it is common for a total rate to exceed 1%.
Tax rates in Washington State are expressed in dollars per thousand in assessed value, equal to one-tenth of a percent. The table below shows the effective tax rate for every county in Washington State, which is the amount paid annually as a percentage of overall home value.
| County | Median Home Value | Median Annual Property Tax Payment | Average Effective Property Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | $159,600 | $1,698 | 1.06% |
| Asotin | $211,900 | $1,997 | 0.94% |
| Benton | $255,000 | $2,831 | 1.11% |
| Chelan | $311,900 | $3,130 | 1.00% |
| Clallam | $267,900 | $2,690 | 1.00% |
| Clark | $355,000 | $3,855 | 1.09% |
| Columbia | $199,600 | $2,021 | 1.01% |
| Cowlitz | $245,500 | $2,873 | 1.17% |
| Douglas | $284,900 | $2,459 | 0.86% |
| Ferry | $183,000 | $1,330 | 0.73% |
| Franklin | $226,500 | $2,472 | 1.09% |
| Garfield | $152,400 | $1,259 | 0.83% |
| Grant | $191,600 | $1,991 | 1.04% |
| Grays Harbor | $192,600 | $2,031 | 1.05% |
| Island | $382,900 | $3,475 | 0.91% |
| Jefferson | $362,300 | $2,849 | 0.79% |
| King | $601,100 | $6,328 | 1.05% |
| Kitsap | $362,700 | $3,719 | 1.03% |
| Kittitas | $315,800 | $2,502 | 0.79% |
| Klickitat | $281,600 | $1,840 | 0.65% |
| Lewis | $231,900 | $2,346 | 1.01% |
| Lincoln | $173,000 | $1,443 | 0.83% |
| Mason | $249,100 | $2,679 | 1.08% |
| Okanogan | $205,300 | $1,785 | 0.87% |
| Pacific | $185,600 | $1,923 | 1.04% |
| Pend Oreille | $243,100 | $1,727 | 0.71% |
| Pierce | $336,600 | $4,306 | 1.28% |
| San Juan | $535,200 | $3,342 | 0.62% |
| Skagit | $341,600 | $3,924 | 1.15% |
| Skamania | $335,600 | $2,495 | 0.74% |
| Snohomish | $440,100 | $4,791 | 1.09% |
| Spokane | $245,400 | $2,934 | 1.20% |
| Stevens | $219,500 | $1,648 | 0.75% |
| Thurston | $315,600 | $3,612 | 1.14% |
| Wahkiakum | $228,600 | $1,671 | 0.73% |
| Walla Walla | $244,400 | $2,617 | 1.07% |
| Whatcom | $369,000 | $3,736 | 1.01% |
| Whitman | $230,200 | $2,217 | 0.96% |
| Yakima | $191,400 | $2,027 | 1.06% |
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With a population of more than 2.2 million, King County is the largest county in Washington State. It stretches from the Puget Sound west to Cascade Mountains at Snoqualmie Pass. The county’s largest cities are Seattle and Bellevue.
The average effective property tax rate in King County is 1.05%. It's also the county with the state's highest median annual property tax payment at $6,328. Rates in many King County cities have been falling as home values have been increasing. Since there is a cap on the growth in levies, steep increases in home prices are often balanced by falling rates.
If you have questions about how property taxes can affect your overall financial plans, a financial advisor in Seattle can help you out.
Located between the south end of Puget Sound and Mount Rainier National Park, Pierce County has the highest property tax rates in Washington State. The county’s average effective tax rate is 1.28%. Property taxes have increased in recent years, but these increases have primarily been the result of new voter-approved levies to support things like the construction of new school buildings. General levies, capped at 1% increase per year, have remained steady.
Snohomish County lies directly north of Seattle and King County and contains the city of Everett. The median annual property tax in Snohomish County is $4,791, second-highest in the state, and nearly $2,000 more than the national median.
Eastern Washington’s Spokane County has property tax rates well above the state average. The county’s average effective tax rate is 1.20%, which is higher than the state average of 0.84%. The typical resident of Spokane County pays $2,934 a year in property taxes.
Clark County is located along the Columbia River, just north of Portland, Oregon. Its largest city is Vancouver. It is named for the early 19th century explorer, William Clark. The median annual property tax paid by homeowners in Clark County is $3,855, fourth-highest in the state and over $1,000 higher than the national median.
Situated at the south end of the Puget Sound, Thurston County is a largely rural county but contains the state capital, Olympia. The average effective rate in the county is 1.14%. If you owned a home worth $200,000 in this county, you'd pay $2,280 in a year in property taxes.
Kitsap County is located on the Kitsap Peninsula in the Puget Sound. It also includes Blake Island and Bainbridge Island (which is connected to Seattle by way of a ferry). The median annual property tax paid by homeowners in Kitsap County is $3,719. That is the sixth-highest mark on a statewide basis.
With a population of over 256,000, Yakima County is the eighth-largest county in Washington State. It is located in central Washington, just east of the Cascade crest. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median home value in Yakima County is $191,400, among the lowest in the state. So, while tax rates in Yakima County are a bit above average, tax payments are relatively low. The median annual property tax payment in the county is $2,027.
Whatcom County sits in the northeast corner of Washington State, along the Canadian Border. It has property tax rates well below the state average. The Whatcom County average effective property tax rate is 1.01%, compared to the Washington State average of 0.84%.
Situated along the Columbia River in eastern Washington, Benton County has property taxes much lower than the state average. The median annual property tax paid by homeowners in Benton County is $2,831. That’s a bit lower than the nationwide median, but it's almost $1,200 cheaper than the state median.
