Thurston County, Washington property tax
The median homeowner in Thurston County, Washington pays $4,043 a year in property tax on a home worth $451,500, an effective rate of 0.90%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
Thurston County taxes property at 0.90%, within a rounding error of the national 0.98%. The median bill of $4,043 therefore tracks the median home value of $451,500 fairly directly, which is not true everywhere.
Inside Washington it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #2 of 36, against a statewide 0.84%. At the other end of the same state, San Juan County charges 0.57%. A spread that wide inside one state is normal, because school districts, not states, set most of the levy.
The median home costs 4.8 times the median household income of $93,985, against 3.86 nationally, so housing absorbs an unusually large share of what people here earn. Renters pay 20.86% of median income in gross rent. At 296,640 residents the county is large enough that its median blends several distinct housing markets.
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
| Thurston County | Washington | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.90% | 0.84% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $4,043 | $4,361 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $451,500 | $519,800 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,634 | $1,682 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $93,985 | $94,952 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 4.8× | 5.47× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 20.86% | 21.26% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 67.76% | 63.89% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 296,640.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitsap County | 0.80% | $4,030 | $505,700 |
| Yakima County | 0.82% | $2,299 | $281,100 |
| Whatcom County | 0.71% | $3,819 | $536,100 |
| Benton County | 0.79% | $2,910 | $369,400 |
| Skagit County | 0.82% | $4,008 | $486,200 |
Thurston County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Thurston County, Washington?
The effective rate is 0.90% of home value, from a median tax bill of $4,043 against a median home value of $451,500. That is 0.08 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Thurston County?
Roughly $3,600 a year at the county effective rate of 0.90%.
Is Thurston County expensive compared with the rest of Washington?
It ranks #2 of 36 Washington counties by effective property tax rate, and #1247 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.06 points above the Washington average of 0.84%.
What does housing cost in Thurston County?
The median home is worth $451,500 and median gross rent is $1,634 a month. Median household income is $93,985, which puts the home at 4.8 times annual income and rent at 20.86% of it.