Wisconsin · County property tax · ACS 2024
Washburn County Property Taxes
The median homeowner in Washburn County pays $2,377 a year, an effective rate of 1.05%, notably higher than the U.S. average.
- $2,377
- Median tax / yr · Above-median bill
- 1.05%
- Effective rate · Above-median rate
- +19%
- vs U.S. average
- #66 of 72
- rank in WI
The verdict
Homeowners in Washburn County pay a median $2,377 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 1.05%, more affordable than 32% of U.S. counties (Census ACS 2024).
- $2,377
- Median annual tax bill, 2024
- 1.05%
- Effective rate on median home
- #2145 of 3135
- U.S. counties by tax burden
- +19%
- vs the national average bill
Effective rate is the median property tax bill divided by the median home value ($226,100). U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024.
Census Bureau ACS property tax data for Wisconsin. Population: 16,854. Owner-occupied homes: 6,218.
The median annual property tax in Washburn County is $2,377, which is 37% lower than the Wisconsin state average and 19% above the national average. The effective tax rate is 1.05% on a median home value of $226,100. Property taxes represent 3.7% of the median household income in this county.
Washburn County's rate standing among U.S. counties
Primary signal
The effective rate sits near the national middle
Washburn County's 1.05% effective rate sits near the middle of 3,135 tracked counties (more affordable than 32%).
Decision signal 2
High among Wisconsin counties by effective rate
Washburn County ranks #66 of 72 counties in Wisconsin by effective rate (8% of in-state counties pay a lower rate).
Decision signal 3
The bill sits below the Wisconsin median
Homeowners in Washburn County pay a median annual property tax of $2,377, notably higher than the national median and well below the Wisconsin state median. On a $226,100 median home, that works out to an effective rate of 1.05% once the local assessment base and millage are combined.
Decision signal 4
Income and the tax bill sit in the middle band
Property taxes in Washburn County run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 3.7% of the $63,441 median household income.
Informational notice
Figures describe the median homeowner household in Washburn County as reported to the Census Bureau; your parcel can differ. Not tax, legal, or financial advice: check the county assessor or a qualified professional before decisions that depend on these numbers.
A falling rate took the edge off
Washburn County's effective rate fell 15.4% across the 4-year span while its median home value rose 38.5%, leaving the median bill 17.2% higher at $2,377. That rate move is larger than the one in 66% of counties, so a good deal of the market's rise never reached the bill.
Effective rate is the published median bill divided by the published median home value, so the two multiply back to the bill exactly; the rate's movement here is derived from those two figures rather than read from the rounded published rate. Both are ACS 5-year survey estimates for the median owner-occupied household, compared across non-overlapping releases. They describe what the Census published, not a local policy, assessment, or exemption change.
How to read this county's bill
Bills rose across 2020-2024, from $2,029 to $2,377, a gain of 17%. This is a comparison of published ACS medians, not an explanation of a particular property's assessment or tax bill.
The heaviest band is also the fullest one here: 2,137 of 6,218 owner-occupied homes (34.4%) report annual real-estate taxes above $3,000. That band has no upper edge in the source, so the county median understates the burden carried by the plurality rather than describing it.
Earnings are below the national midpoint while the rate is above it, and the median bill equals 3.7% of median household income. The gap between those two positions is the whole story on this page.
The share above is the median annual bill divided by median household income, a ratio of two county-level medians rather than a household-by-household figure.
What Washburn County Homeowners Actually Pay
The single largest group of Washburn County homeowners, 2,137 of 6,218 owner-occupied homes (34.4%), pays $3,000 or more a year. The median is one point in this spread, not a typical bill.
- Less than $800 8.6% (533)
- $800 to $1,499 19.1% (1,186)
- $1,500 to $1,999 12.5% (780)
- $2,000 to $2,999 23.7% (1,473)
- $3,000 or more 34.4% (2,137)
Census ACS 2024, table B25102. Bands and the no-tax share sum to 100%.
109 homes here (1.8%) report no real estate tax at all. Exemptions are set by state: how Wisconsin handles assessments and appeals.
With vs Without Mortgage
Mortgaged and non-mortgaged homeowners in Washburn County pay about the same bill, within a 8% gap either way.
Washburn County's effective rate vs peers
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024.
Washburn County's effective rate is higher than 8% of the 72 counties in Wisconsin - ranking #66 of 72.
Where Washburn County sits among every U.S. county
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value)
1.05% more affordable than 32% of 3,135 U.S. counties
Show national distribution
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more U.S. counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024
Below Wisconsin on both measures
Washburn County's effective rate runs 26% under the Wisconsin median and its bill 37% under. Both sitting on the same side means the gap is not a valuation artefact: a county can post a low rate purely because its homes are expensive, but then the bill rises to meet the state. Here it does not, so the $2,377 median bill reflects a genuinely lighter charge than the Wisconsin norm rather than a different denominator. Compare it against the state page before reading anything into the county rank.
Washburn County vs Benchmarks
| Metric | Washburn County | Wisconsin Avg | U.S. Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Tax Above-median bill | |||
| Effective Tax Rate Above-median rate | |||
| Median Home Value | |||
| Tax as % of income Heavy income burden | 3.7% | - | - |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates. Tax-burden differences across rows reflect millage decisions, assessment-ratio practices, and the residential-vs-commercial mix of each tax base.
Washburn County is PAR · MID on ACS medians, still verify your parcel card before quoting the county figure. Estimate appeal savings · Wisconsin counties.
Washburn County rate trail · PAR
| Year | Median Tax (vs prior release) | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,377 +3.1% | 1.05% |
| 2023 | $2,305 +1.3% | 1.11% |
| 2022 | $2,276 +7.1% | 1.16% |
| 2021 | $2,126 +4.8% | 1.25% |
| 2020 | $2,029 | 1.24% |
Each row is a separate ACS 5-year release, and consecutive releases share four of their five survey years. The percentage beside each bill is therefore movement in the published estimate against the previous release, not a single year's tax change. The two releases largely describe the same households. For change over time, compare releases that do not overlap.
Washburn County: tax-to-income at 3.7%
Counties near Washburn County's effective rate
On effective rate, Washburn County sits nearest Rusk County (TX), Hood County (TX), Colorado County (TX).
On published median-tax change, the nearest matches are Dawson County (NE), Penobscot County (ME), Van Buren County (AR).
How peers are chosen
These are the nearest cross-state matches in the published Census data, not neighboring counties or recommendations. Peers are rebuilt with each data release; see the calculation method.
Similar effective rates
Similar published median-tax changes, 2020–2024
Washburn County: only 4% of returns show Schedule A real-estate tax
Tax year 2022: 320 of 8,610 returns from Washburn County reported real estate taxes, averaging $5,359 - 31% of those reporters sat in the $100-200k AGI band.
What this IRS county file does not say
Amounts are reported before the SALT cap, not deducted; the share is of filers, not homeowners. Source: IRS SOI county data, tax year 2022.
Other Counties in Wisconsin
Washburn County rate FAQs
- What is the tax affordability score for Washburn County?
- Washburn County, Wisconsin scores F (38/100) on PlainPropertyTax's tax affordability composite across 5 Census ACS dimensions (effective rate, bill size, income share, mortgage gap, and home-value/income). Its strongest scored dimension here is mortgage premium at A+ ($-203). The score compares published county medians to U.S. percentiles, it is not a personal bill and not advice to buy, sell, appeal, or relocate.
- What is the average property tax in Washburn County, Wisconsin?
- The median annual property tax in Washburn County is $2,377, an effective rate of 1.05% on a $226,100 median home (Census ACS, 2024).
- How does Washburn County property tax compare to the national average?
- Property taxes in Washburn County run notably higher than the national median of $1,993, an effective rate of 1.05% versus 0.92% nationally.
- What percentage of income goes to property taxes in Washburn County?
- Property taxes in Washburn County run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 3.7% of the $63,441 median household income.
- Are property taxes increasing in Washburn County?
- The ACS median property-tax bill for Washburn County climbed 17.2% between the 2020 and 2024 5-year releases, from $2,029 to $2,377, a 4-year span. These are survey estimates covering five years each, so this compares the two releases furthest apart rather than consecutive ones, which overlap and would mostly measure the same households twice.
What to do with Washburn County's PAR rate
Inside Wisconsin, Washburn County's $2,377 median bill runs low versus the state median - check peer counties before assuming the lowest bill is the best move. Wisconsin overview →
Washburn County ranks #66 of 72 Wisconsin counties by effective rate - on the lower-burden half of the state ACS set. Wisconsin overview →
Nationwide peers by effective rate (then bill)
Rate-first peers for Washburn County's PAR effective rate, then a disjoint out-of-state bill set so the two neighborhoods stay distinct.
Similar effective rate
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS effective rate. This county: 1.05%.
Similar median bill
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS median annual tax. This county: $2,377/yr. Rate peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Read with Washburn County
Nearest ABS(median_tax) ACS peers for Washburn County (PAR · MID), replacing the old fixed Keep exploring strip.
PAR MID
Mariposa County, CA
ABS(median_tax) peer · tied with Washburn County at $2,377/yr; rate 0.61% vs Washburn County 1.05%.
Ottawa County, OH
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,378/yr (near-tied bill ABS $1); rate 1.08% vs Washburn County 1.05%.
Ravalli County, MT
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,380/yr (near-tied bill ABS $3); rate 0.50% vs Washburn County 1.05%.
Boone County, KY
ABS(median_tax) peer · $2,372/yr (near-tied bill ABS $5); rate 0.86% vs Washburn County 1.05%.
Wisconsin county set
State ACS overview for every published Wisconsin county rate and median bill.
Assessment cycle basics
Washburn County stamps PAR · MID - how assessed value and millage become the ACS median bill.
Data vintage and method
Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.
Property tax data reflects median amounts paid by homeowners. Effective rates are calculated as median tax divided by median home value.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, county median real-estate taxes · 2024 Washburn County (PAR · MID) - ACS medians, not a parcel bill.