Washington State Property Taxes: A Deep Dive Into Tax Rates

Property Taxes Are A Necessary Evil.
30% Of State And Local Tax Revenue
Property Taxes Pay For Fire Protection, Public Schools And Parks

How The Tax System Works

Washington property taxes are governed by several rules that limit the amount homeowners can be taxed and the amount those taxes can rise in a given year. As a result of these laws, Washington State’s tax rates are lower than the national average. The state’s average effective tax rate being 0.84%, the national average is 1.11%

Individual property taxes are calculated using two factors: the property’s assessed value and the total tax rate that is applicable to it. Assessed value is determined by annual revaluations based on market data, as well as physical inspections every six years

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The Highs And Lows Of Washington's County Property Tax Rates

San Juan County has the lowest tax rate of .62%
Pierce County's tax rate is highest at 1.28%
Garfield County bills are the lowest at $1,259
King County's homes most expense so their average bills are highest at $6,328

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Yakima County Property Tax Rate

Yakima's Average Tax bill is $2027 with 26 of the state's 39 counties paying more. The county's tax rate is 1.06% on a median home value of $191,400 which is the fifth lowest home value in the state.

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Washington Property Tax Facts

Clark County residents pay $1,000 higher than the national norm.
Spokane County -much higher tax rates (1.20%) than state average. (.84%) .
Snohomish County second highest rate in the state, $2,000 higher than the national median.
Overall the median U.S. real tax paid in 2023 was $2,971, the median home value was $268,800 which makes the national effective property tax rate of 1.11%

One factor not considered in this discussion is how much land in each county is not taxable such as state and federal land which reduces the amount of tax money a county can raise.

Property Taxes by State: The USA's Lowest and Highest

Finding the home of your dreams, settling down, and raising a family with a great yard and a white picket fence. Every fairy tale needs a villain, and the American Dream has property tax. WalletHub recently ranked the 50 and the District of Columbia to determine which state has the highest property tax in the United States. Let's start from the lowest and finish with America's highest state property tax.

Gallery Credit: Scott Clow