Calculate your property tax for WA. Enter your home value, apply exemptions, and see your estimated annual tax.
Washington has no state income tax and relies on property and sales taxes; its effective property tax rates are near the national average, commonly 0.8% to 1.1% of market value. Property is assessed at 100% of true and fair market value, revalued annually in most counties. Washington's defining feature is its levy limits: regular levies generally cannot grow more than 1% per year without voter approval, which restrains how fast the tax burden rises even when home values surge. The state's most valuable relief is the senior and disabled exemption, which can dramatically cut — or freeze — a qualifying owner's taxable value. This guide explains the system and how to appeal; the calculator below estimates your bill.
The county assessor values property at 100% of market value each year. Your tax is the assessed value times the combined levy rate of all districts — the state school levy, county, city, school districts, fire, library, and others. Crucially, Washington caps the growth of each district's regular levy at 1% per year (plus the value of new construction) unless voters approve a "lid lift" or an excess levy. This means that when assessed values rise quickly, the levy rate generally falls to keep total collections within the 1% limit — so a rising assessment does not automatically translate into a proportional tax increase.
Washington's Senior Citizen and Disabled Persons Exemption is one of the most generous in the country. Homeowners who are 61 or older (or retired due to disability, or a qualifying disabled veteran) and whose household income falls below a county-specific threshold (tied to county median income, now commonly in the $40,000–$70,000 range depending on the county) qualify for two benefits: their taxable value is frozen at the value in the year they first qualify, and they are exempted from all voter-approved excess levies plus a portion of regular levies on a sliding income scale. Together these can cut a bill substantially and stop it from rising with the market. There is also a property tax deferral program for seniors and disabled owners, and a separate deferral for homeowners with limited income.
Disabled veterans qualify for relief through the same senior/disabled exemption and deferral framework: a veteran with a service-connected disability (the state uses an 80%+ combined rating or receipt of 100% compensation for many benefits) and qualifying income can access the value freeze and levy exemptions. Because eligibility is income- and disability-based rather than a flat exemption, veterans should apply through the county assessor to confirm their bracket.
Effective rates below are drawn from our county datasets. Select any county for its dedicated calculator and local detail.
| County | Effective Rate | Est. tax on $500,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Grays Harbor | 0.92% | $4,600 |
| King | 0.98% | $4,900 |
| Kent | 1.05% | $5,250 |
| Pierce | 1.05% | $5,250 |
| Spokane | 1.05% | $5,250 |
Estimates apply each county's effective rate to a $500,000 market value for comparison only; your actual bill depends on your own assessed value, exemptions, and local levies.
Washington property taxes are paid in two installments: the first half is due April 30 and the second half October 31 (if the first half is unpaid by April 30, the full year becomes delinquent). To challenge your assessed value, file a petition with the county Board of Equalization by July 1 or within 60 days of the assessor's value notice, whichever is later. Bring comparable sales near the January 1 valuation date. Because the 1% levy limit already restrains total collections, appeals are most impactful when your individual assessment is out of line with comparable homes rather than when the overall market has risen.
Consider a $500,000 home with a combined levy near 1.0% of value; the annual tax is roughly $5,000. A qualifying senior under the income threshold would have their taxable value frozen at the qualifying year's level and be exempted from voter-approved excess levies, often cutting the bill by a third or more and preventing future market-driven increases. Estimate your own figure in the calculator below.
Does Washington have a state income tax? No. Washington funds government through property, sales, and other taxes; property is assessed at 100% of market value.
What is the 1% levy limit? A cap that generally prevents each taxing district's regular levy from growing more than 1% per year (plus new construction) without voter approval, restraining tax growth even when values rise.
Who qualifies for the senior/disabled exemption? Homeowners 61+ (or disabled, or qualifying disabled veterans) with household income under a county-specific threshold; it freezes taxable value and exempts excess levies.
When are Washington property taxes due? In two installments: the first half by April 30 and the second half by October 31.
How do I appeal my Washington assessment? File a petition with the county Board of Equalization by July 1 or within 60 days of your value notice, using comparable sales as evidence.
Washington has no state income tax, so it leans heavily on property and sales taxes to fund schools and local services. A defining feature is the 1% levy growth limit: an existing taxing district generally cannot increase its total regular levy by more than 1% per year without voter approval, regardless of how fast home values rise. This matters because assessors revalue property annually at 100% of market value in most counties; when values surge, the levy limit forces the tax rate down so the district's overall collection stays within the cap. As a result, a rising assessment does not automatically mean a proportionally higher bill, but voter-approved levies and bonds can push your total above the base limit.
Washington does not use a broad homestead exemption like Florida or Washington; instead it targets relief by need. The Senior Citizen and Disabled Persons exemption reduces or freezes taxable value for owners 61+ or disabled who fall under county income thresholds, and a companion deferral program lets qualifying owners postpone payment as a lien against the home. If you believe your assessed value exceeds market value, you can appeal to the county Board of Equalization, generally within 30 or 60 days of the valuation notice, using recent comparable sales. Because the 1% limit shifts the burden between the rate and the assessment, always read your statement in terms of the total dollars owed rather than the rate alone, and estimate your own figure in the calculator below.
A Washington bill funds a stack of districts: the state school levy enacted to satisfy the McCleary school-funding ruling, local school maintenance-and-operations and capital levies, the county, the city, and junior taxing districts such as fire, library, port, and hospital districts. Aggregate regular levies are constrained by statutory ceilings (historically a $5.90 per $1,000 limit for many local districts and an overall $10 constitutional limit for non-voted levies), and when the combined rate would exceed those limits, junior districts are prorationed downward. Voter-approved levies and bonds sit on top of these limits, which is why school and fire levies on the ballot are the events most likely to raise your total. Reading your statement district by district shows exactly which levies drive your bill and where a future ballot measure would add cost.
Enter your home value, select your state, and see your estimated annual property tax.