Washington County, Maryland property tax
The median homeowner in Washington County, Maryland pays $2,444 a year in property tax on a home worth $275,900, an effective rate of 0.89%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
Washington County taxes property at 0.89%, within a rounding error of the national 0.98%. That makes the $2,444 median bill mostly a statement about local house prices rather than about local tax policy.
It ranks #15 of 24 Maryland counties by effective rate, against a statewide 1.00%, and #1,257 nationally. The state runs from 1.48% in Baltimore city down to 0.66% in Talbot County.
The median home costs 3.72 times the median household income of $74,157, close to the national 3.86. The county has 155,033 residents, which is small enough that the medians describe a reasonably coherent market.
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 | Maryland | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.89% | 1.00% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $2,444 | $3,989 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $275,900 | $397,700 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,100 | $1,662 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $74,157 | $101,652 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.72× | 3.91× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 17.8% | 19.62% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 65.89% | 67.48% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 155,033.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles County | 1.04% | $4,179 | $402,300 |
| Carroll County | 0.94% | $3,837 | $406,400 |
| St. Mary's County | 0.87% | $3,392 | $390,900 |
| Cecil County | 0.98% | $3,059 | $311,800 |
| Wicomico County | 0.89% | $2,120 | $238,900 |
Washington County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Washington County, Maryland?
The effective rate is 0.89% of home value, from a median tax bill of $2,444 against a median home value of $275,900. That is 0.09 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Washington County?
Roughly $3,560 a year at the county effective rate of 0.89%.
Is Washington County expensive compared with the rest of Maryland?
It ranks #15 of 24 Maryland counties by effective property tax rate, and #1257 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.11 points below the Maryland average of 1.00%.
What does housing cost in Washington County?
The median home is worth $275,900 and median gross rent is $1,100 a month. Median household income is $74,157, which puts the home at 3.72 times annual income and rent at 17.8% of it.