Washington County, Illinois property tax
The median homeowner in Washington County, Illinois pays $2,766 a year in property tax on a home worth $149,800, an effective rate of 1.85%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 1.85%, Washington County taxes property more heavily than the country as a whole, which sits at 0.98%. The rate is high and the housing is cheap, and those two facts are connected. The bill of $2,766 is what actually leaves a household's account, and it is the number worth comparing between places.
It ranks #51 of 97 Illinois counties by effective rate, against a statewide 2.07%, and #134 nationally. The state runs from 2.68% in Lake County down to 0.82% in Pulaski County.
The median home costs 1.98 times the median household income of $75,652, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 81.18% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. This is a small rural county of 13,682 people. Five-year survey estimates for places this size carry wide margins of error, so treat the figures as approximate.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Washington County | Illinois | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.85% | 2.07% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $2,766 | $5,189 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $149,800 | $250,500 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $776 | $1,227 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $75,652 | $81,702 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 1.98× | 3.07× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 12.31% | 18.02% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 81.18% | 66.84% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 13,682.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| White County | 1.39% | $1,388 | $100,100 |
| Massac County | 1.50% | $1,769 | $118,000 |
| Ford County | 2.07% | $2,443 | $118,100 |
| Johnson County | 1.32% | $1,952 | $148,200 |
| Clay County | 1.62% | $1,523 | $94,300 |
Washington County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Washington County, Illinois?
The effective rate is 1.85% of home value, from a median tax bill of $2,766 against a median home value of $149,800. That is 0.87 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Washington County?
Roughly $7,400 a year at the county effective rate of 1.85%.
Is Washington County expensive compared with the rest of Illinois?
It ranks #51 of 97 Illinois counties by effective property tax rate, and #134 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.22 points below the Illinois average of 2.07%.
What does housing cost in Washington County?
The median home is worth $149,800 and median gross rent is $776 a month. Median household income is $75,652, which puts the home at 1.98 times annual income and rent at 12.31% of it.