Property tax in King County, Washington
A county-level estimate for buyers and owners, with the data vintage and uncertainty shown instead of hidden.
Estimated annual property tax
For a $859,900 home (the county median):
$7,114/yr (estimated range $6,047-$8,181)
Effective rate: 0.83% - Accuracy: Tier 1 - Medium confidence
Homeowners insurance budget
$3,217/yr (wide budgeting range $1,930-$4,504)
Low confidence This is a historical budgeting benchmark, not a current carrier quote. The baseline is the 2022 NAIC HO-3 state average of $1,151/yr, adjusted for home value and FEMA county risk.
- FEMA risk percentile
- 99.68 (Very High)
- NAIC baseline as of
- 2022-12-31
- FEMA version
- 1.20, 2025-12-01
Sources: NAIC Homeowners Report; FEMA National Risk Index. TrueCarry's analysis is not endorsed by FEMA.
Insurance disclaimer: Estimate for budgeting only — not an insurance quote and not a binding price. Verify with the county assessor and a licensed professional before making financial decisions.
Illustrative monthly PITI
$5,209/mo under the assumptions below
| Principal & interest | $4,348 |
|---|---|
| Property tax | $593 |
| Homeowners insurance | $268 |
| PMI | $0 |
| Estimated total | $5,209 |
Assumes 20% down, a 6.5% fixed interest rate, and a 30-year term. The rate is an assumption, not today's market rate or a loan offer.
How local carrying costs affect affordability
For an illustrative household earning $100,000/yr, with $500/mo in other debts and a $50,000 down payment, the modeled maximum price is:
$345,053 under this county's tax and insurance burden
Compared with the Washington launch-county average baseline of $352,257, this is $7,204 lower.
Medium confidence Uses 28% / 36% front/back DTI, a 6.5% assumed rate, a 30-year term, and estimated tax and insurance that scale with price. It is not a loan pre-approval.
Estimate for budgeting only — not a loan pre-approval, lending decision, or financial advice. Verify with the county assessor and a licensed professional before making financial decisions.
How King County compares within Washington
Tax-rate rank: 6 of 39 published Washington counties when sorted from highest to lowest effective rate.
The county's 0.83% effective rate is 0.1 percentage points above the Washington published-county average of 0.73%; the state median is 0.73%.
The $859,900 county median home value ranks 1 of 39 from highest to lowest and is $451,000 above the Washington county median of $408,900.
FEMA places King County at risk percentile 99.68 (Very High), which is used only as a bounded relative adjustment to the historical state insurance baseline.
Counties with similar effective rates
- Clark County: 0.82% effective rate; $522,900 median home value
- Spokane County: 0.84% effective rate; $410,700 median home value
- Cowlitz County: 0.82% effective rate; $397,500 median home value
Calculate your price and monthly cost
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Source, method & confidence
Confidence: Medium. County-level effective rate derived from ACS medians; not a jurisdiction-specific mill rate.
Data as of 2024-12-31 (ACS period ending); tax year 2024; data version 2024.1.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year, table B25103; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year, table B25077.
Assumptions and exclusions
- Effective property-tax rate of 0.83% applied to the full home value (ACS median tax paid ÷ median home value).
- Uncertainty band of ±15% reflects intra-county variation not captured by a single county rate.
- Excludes special districts, local levies, and any exemptions (estimated separately at higher tiers).
Common questions about King County carrying costs
- What is the property tax rate in King County, Washington?
- The estimated effective property tax rate in King County is 0.83%. On the county median home value of $859,900, that is about $7,114 per year (estimated range $6,047 to $8,181), based on U.S. Census ACS 2024 data.
- How much is property tax on a $859,900 home in King County?
- About $7,114 per year at a 0.83% effective rate. Actual bills vary with assessment, exemptions, and local levies, so treat this as a budgeting estimate rather than a tax bill.
- How much is homeowners insurance in King County, Washington?
- A budgeting estimate of $3,217 per year (wide range $1,930 to $4,504), based on the 2022 NAIC HO-3 state average adjusted for FEMA county risk. It is a historical benchmark, not a carrier quote.
- What is the estimated monthly PITI payment for a home in King County?
- About $5,209 per month for a $859,900 home, assuming 20% down, a 6.5% interest rate, and a 30-year term. PITI covers principal, interest, property tax, and homeowners insurance.