Jefferson County, Washington property tax
The median homeowner in Jefferson County, Washington pays $3,596 a year in property tax on a home worth $495,100, an effective rate of 0.73%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.73%, Jefferson County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. A low rate on an expensive house is not the bargain it looks like. The median bill is still $3,596, because 0.73% of $495,100 is not a small number.
It ranks #24 of 36 Washington counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.84%, and #1,669 nationally. The state runs from 0.94% in Pierce County down to 0.57% in San Juan County.
The median home costs 6.96 times the median household income of $71,143, against 3.86 nationally, so housing absorbs an unusually large share of what people here earn. Renters pay 21.78% of median income in gross rent. With 33,313 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
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
| Jefferson County | Washington | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.73% | 0.84% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $3,596 | $4,361 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $495,100 | $519,800 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,291 | $1,682 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $71,143 | $94,952 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 6.96× | 5.47× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 21.78% | 21.26% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 79.69% | 63.89% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 33,313.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okanogan County | 0.77% | $2,194 | $284,200 |
| Pacific County | 0.82% | $2,250 | $274,000 |
| Klickitat County | 0.62% | $2,401 | $388,700 |
| Douglas County | 0.79% | $3,168 | $402,900 |
| Asotin County | 0.80% | $2,289 | $286,200 |
Jefferson County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Jefferson County, Washington?
The effective rate is 0.73% of home value, from a median tax bill of $3,596 against a median home value of $495,100. That is 0.25 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Jefferson County?
Roughly $2,920 a year at the county effective rate of 0.73%.
Is Jefferson County expensive compared with the rest of Washington?
It ranks #24 of 36 Washington counties by effective property tax rate, and #1669 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.11 points below the Washington average of 0.84%.
What does housing cost in Jefferson County?
The median home is worth $495,100 and median gross rent is $1,291 a month. Median household income is $71,143, which puts the home at 6.96 times annual income and rent at 21.78% of it.