Texas · County property tax · ACS 2024
Washington County Property Taxes
The median homeowner in Washington County pays $3,143 a year, an effective rate of 1.09%, far above the U.S. average.
- $3,143
- Median tax / yr · High bill
- 1.09%
- Effective rate · Above-median rate
- +58%
- vs U.S. average
- #161 of 250
- rank in TX
The verdict
Homeowners in Washington County pay a median $3,143 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 1.09%, more affordable than 29% of U.S. counties (Census ACS 2024).
- $3,143
- Median annual tax bill, 2024
- 1.09%
- Effective rate on median home
- #2220 of 3135
- U.S. counties by tax burden
- +58%
- vs the national average bill
Effective rate is the median property tax bill divided by the median home value ($288,100). U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024.
Tax affordability score · Washington County, TX
19/100
5 ACS dimensions · release 2024
Comparative score against U.S. county percentiles on Census ACS medians (effective rate, bill, income share, mortgage gap, home-value/income). Higher means more affordable on those published medians, not a recommendation to buy, sell, appeal, or move, and not your personal tax bill. Missing inputs drop out and redistribute weight. How it is calculated.
Washington County's effective rate vs U.S. county percentiles (ACS 2024)
Median home value relative to Washington County's median income
Median tax as a share of Washington County's median household income
Washington County's median annual property-tax bill vs U.S. counties
Mortgaged vs free-and-clear median bill gap in Washington County
Read the chart values
- Rate relief: 30/100 (F) · 1.09%
- Housing pressure: 24/100 (F) · 3.70×
- Income room: 16/100 (F) · 4.0%
- Bill size: 16/100 (F) · $3,143/yr
- Mortgage premium: 2/100 (F) · +$1,242
Track this county alongside up to five others. Saved figures refresh when the annual source data changes.
Census Bureau ACS property tax data for Texas. Population: 36,647. Owner-occupied homes: 10,804.
The median annual property tax in Washington County is $3,143, which is 26% lower than the Texas state average and 58% above the national average. The effective tax rate is 1.09% on a median home value of $288,100. Property taxes represent 4.0% of the median household income in this county.
What This Data Tells Us About Washington County
Primary signal
The bill sits well above the national median
Homeowners in Washington County pay a median annual property tax of $3,143, far above the national median and well below the Texas state median. On a $288,100 median home, that works out to an effective rate of 1.09% once the local assessment base and millage are combined.
Decision signal 2
The effective rate sits near the national middle
Washington County's 1.09% effective rate sits near the middle of 3,135 tracked counties (more affordable than 29%).
Decision signal 3
Income and the tax bill sit in the middle band
Property taxes in Washington County run a bit above the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 4.0% of the $77,825 median household income.
Decision signal 4
Near the middle of Texas counties by effective rate
Washington County ranks #161 of 250 counties in Texas by effective rate (36% of in-state counties pay a lower rate).
This page is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Figures describe the median homeowner household in Washington County as reported to the Census Bureau, your own bill can differ based on your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, special districts, and municipal overlays. Always consult your county assessor, tax collector, or a qualified professional before making decisions that depend on these numbers.
The rate gave way faster than almost anywhere
Between the 2020 and 2024 releases the median home value in Washington County rose 49.3%, from $193,000 to $288,100. The effective rate fell 21.1% over the same span, a steeper move than in 86% of U.S. counties.
The median bill still rose 17.8%, to $3,143. Where the rate drops this far and the bill rises anyway, what changed is the value the rate is applied to.
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 $2,669 to $3,143, a gain of 18%. 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: 5,401 of 10,804 owner-occupied homes (50.0%) 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 in the national top quarter and the rate is above the midpoint, so the median bill represents 4.0% of median household income. A headline bill conflates the dollar figure with the proportion; the two come apart here, and the ratio above is the second of them.
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 Washington County Homeowners Actually Pay
The single largest group of Washington County homeowners, 5,401 of 10,804 owner-occupied homes (50.0%), pays $3,000 or more a year. The median is one point in this spread, not a typical bill.
- Less than $800 10.1% (1,096)
- $800 to $1,499 10.9% (1,183)
- $1,500 to $1,999 7.7% (835)
- $2,000 to $2,999 16.5% (1,783)
- $3,000 or more 50.0% (5,401)
Census ACS 2024, table B25102. Bands and the no-tax share sum to 100%.
506 homes here (4.7%) report no real estate tax at all. Exemptions are set by state: how Texas handles assessments and appeals.
With vs Without Mortgage
Mortgaged homeowners in Washington County pay a substantially higher bill, 48% more, pointing to a wide home-value gap between the two groups.
How Washington County compares
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024.
Washington County's effective rate is higher than 36% of the 250 counties in Texas - ranking #161 of 250 for property tax burden.
Where Washington County sits among every U.S. county
Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value)
1.09% more affordable than 29% 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 Texas on both measures
Washington County's effective rate runs 27% under the Texas median and its bill 26% 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 $3,143 median bill reflects a genuinely lighter charge than the Texas norm rather than a different denominator. Compare it against the state page before reading anything into the county rank.
Washington County vs Benchmarks
| Metric | Washington County | Texas Avg | U.S. Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Annual Tax High bill | |||
| Effective Tax Rate Above-median rate | |||
| Median Home Value | |||
| Tax as % of income Heavy income burden | 4.0% | - | - |
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.
Think your Washington County HEAVY bill is out of line at PAR?
On Washington County's published figures (PAR · HEAVY), a $288,100 median home carries a $3,143 median bill, so every 10% off an assessed value is worth about $314 a year at the same rate. Whether an appeal is worth filing depends on your own parcel. Use our free Appeal Savings Estimator to run your own numbers, then read our step-by-step appeal guide for the procedure in Texas.
Property Tax History · PAR · HEAVY
| Year | Median Tax (vs prior release) | Effective Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $3,143 +1.2% | 1.09% |
| 2023 | $3,105 +3.3% | 1.15% |
| 2022 | $3,007 +1.1% | 1.21% |
| 2021 | $2,975 +11.5% | 1.36% |
| 2020 | $2,669 | 1.38% |
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.
Tax Burden
Tax Affordability Score
An effective rate notably higher than the national average of 0.92% puts Washington County in the "Moderate" band for property tax burden.
How this score is calculated: a 1-10 scale derived mechanically from the ratio of this county's effective rate to the national average effective rate (0.92%) - a ratio at or below 0.5× scores 10, a ratio at or above 2.0× scores 1, with a linear scale between. It is a factual comparison of Census figures only, not a recommendation, quality rating, or endorsement of Washington County or any other county.
Counties with similar tax profiles
On effective rate, Washington County sits nearest Beadle County (SD), Washington County (PA), Susquehanna County (PA).
On published median-tax change, the nearest matches are Adams County (IL), Faulkner County (AR), Stanly County (NC).
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
What tax filers report in Washington County
Of the 17,450 federal returns filed from Washington County in 2022, 1,100 (6.3% of filers) itemised and reported real estate taxes on Schedule A, averaging $7,255 each. The largest group was filers with adjusted gross income of $200k+, who accounted for 37% of the county's reporting returns.
Two things this does not say. The amount is what filers reported, recorded before the $10,000 cap on combined state and local tax deductions applies, so it is not the amount deducted. And the share is of everyone who files a return, not of homeowners: most filers now take the standard deduction, so a minority itemise at all. Source: IRS Statistics of Income county data, tax year 2022.
Other Counties in Texas
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Washington County property tax compare to the national average? ▼
What is the tax affordability score for Washington County? ▼
What percentage of income goes to property taxes in Washington County? ▼
What is the average property tax in Washington County, Texas? ▼
Are property taxes increasing in Washington County? ▼
What to do with Washington County's numbers
- Washington County's $3,143 median bill sits well above the U.S. median - size a personal estimate before treating the county headline as your budget. Estimate your bill →
- Washington County ranks #161 of 250 Texas counties by effective rate - on the lower-burden half of the state ACS set. Texas overview →
- If Washington County's assessment looks high versus the $288,100 typical home, check Texas's filing window and evidence rules before the notice deadline passes. How to appeal →
Effective-rate definition
Effective rate is the county median tax divided by the county median home value ($288,100); your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, and local levies determine your actual bill. U.S. Census Bureau ACS · 2024.
Nationwide peers by effective rate & median bill
Two PlainPropertyTax-derived comparison paths for Washington County, both outside Texas so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice. Axes stay disjoint: median-bill peers exclude the effective-rate peer set.
Similar effective rate
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS effective rate. This county: 1.09%.
Similar median bill
Nearest out-of-state counties by ACS median annual tax. This county: $3,143/yr. Rate peers are excluded so the two link sets stay distinct.
Read with Washington County
Nearest ABS(median_tax) ACS peers for Washington County (PAR · HEAVY), replacing the old fixed Keep exploring strip.
PAR HEAVY
Gaines County, TX
ABS(median_tax) peer · $3,142/yr (near-tied bill ABS $1); rate 1.57% vs Washington County 1.09%.
Butler County, OH
ABS(median_tax) peer · $3,141/yr (near-tied bill ABS $2); rate 1.22% vs Washington County 1.09%.
Delaware County, NY
ABS(median_tax) peer · $3,145/yr (near-tied bill ABS $2); rate 1.72% vs Washington County 1.09%.
Grayson County, TX
ABS(median_tax) peer · $3,146/yr (near-tied bill ABS $3); rate 1.27% vs Washington County 1.09%.
Texas county set
State ACS overview for every published Texas county rate and median bill.
Assessment cycle basics
Washington County stamps PAR · HEAVY - 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.
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Editorial standards and provenance
PlainPropertyTax is rendered directly from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on the Census ACS county-level record for Washington County. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-09.