Washington County, Rhode Island property tax
The median homeowner in Washington County, Rhode Island pays $4,954 a year in property tax on a home worth $469,800, an effective rate of 1.05%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
Washington County taxes property at 1.05%, within a rounding error of the national 0.98%. With the rate close to typical, the $4,954 bill is driven by what housing is worth here rather than by how hard it is taxed.
Inside Rhode Island it is among the lightest, ranking #4 of 5, against a statewide 1.32%. Kent County, in the same state, charges 1.47%. Comparing states on property tax hides differences like that, which is why this site publishes counties.
The median home costs 4.58 times the median household income of $102,478, close to the national 3.86. Incomes here run above the national median, which is what keeps that ratio ordinary despite the house prices. The county has 130,073 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 | Rhode Island | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.05% | 1.32% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $4,954 | $4,854 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $469,800 | $368,800 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,303 | $1,273 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $102,478 | $86,372 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 4.58× | 4.27× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 15.26% | 17.69% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 76.83% | 63.25% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 130,073.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kent County | 1.47% | $4,903 | $333,900 |
| Newport County | 0.95% | $5,345 | $559,700 |
| Bristol County | 1.39% | $6,483 | $468,000 |
| Providence County | 1.37% | $4,661 | $339,100 |
Washington County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Washington County, Rhode Island?
The effective rate is 1.05% of home value, from a median tax bill of $4,954 against a median home value of $469,800. That is 0.07 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Washington County?
Roughly $4,200 a year at the county effective rate of 1.05%.
Is Washington County expensive compared with the rest of Rhode Island?
It ranks #4 of 5 Rhode Island counties by effective property tax rate, and #949 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.27 points below the Rhode Island average of 1.32%.
What does housing cost in Washington County?
The median home is worth $469,800 and median gross rent is $1,303 a month. Median household income is $102,478, which puts the home at 4.58 times annual income and rent at 15.26% of it.