Whatcom County, Washington property tax
The median homeowner in Whatcom County, Washington pays $3,819 a year in property tax on a home worth $536,100, an effective rate of 0.71%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.71%, Whatcom 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 $3,819, because 0.71% of $536,100 is not a small number.
It ranks #26 of 36 Washington counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.84%, and #1,736 nationally. The state runs from 0.94% in Pierce County down to 0.57% in San Juan County.
The median home costs 6.62 times the median household income of $80,989, against 3.86 nationally, so housing absorbs an unusually large share of what people here earn. Renters pay 21.71% of median income in gross rent. The county has 228,432 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
| Whatcom County | Washington | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.71% | 0.84% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $3,819 | $4,361 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $536,100 | $519,800 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,465 | $1,682 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $80,989 | $94,952 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 6.62× | 5.47× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 21.71% | 21.26% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 63.53% | 63.89% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 228,432.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County | 0.79% | $2,910 | $369,400 |
| Yakima County | 0.82% | $2,299 | $281,100 |
| Kitsap County | 0.80% | $4,030 | $505,700 |
| Thurston County | 0.90% | $4,043 | $451,500 |
| Skagit County | 0.82% | $4,008 | $486,200 |
Whatcom County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Whatcom County, Washington?
The effective rate is 0.71% of home value, from a median tax bill of $3,819 against a median home value of $536,100. That is 0.27 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Whatcom County?
Roughly $2,840 a year at the county effective rate of 0.71%.
Is Whatcom County expensive compared with the rest of Washington?
It ranks #26 of 36 Washington counties by effective property tax rate, and #1736 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.13 points below the Washington average of 0.84%.
What does housing cost in Whatcom County?
The median home is worth $536,100 and median gross rent is $1,465 a month. Median household income is $80,989, which puts the home at 6.62 times annual income and rent at 21.71% of it.