Property tax in Washington County, Iowa
In Washington County, the property tax bill comes from the Washington County Treasurer. The fiscal year 2026/2027 bill is paid in 2 installments, and the next one is due March 31, 2027. You can look up and pay the bill on the county's own payment page. Taken from Washington County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Washington County, Iowa is $2,788 a year, which is about 1.37% of the county's median home value of $203,900. That effective rate is higher than the typical Iowa county (1.32%) and higher than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Who sends the property tax bill in Washington County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the Washington County Treasurer. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the Washington County Assessor, which is who to ask if the value looks wrong. For how to look up and pay the bill, go to the county's own payment information.
The Washington County Treasurer collects the county, city, school and other local property tax on one bill. You can pay by mail to the Washington County Treasurer, PO Box 889, Washington, IA 52353, at the county drop box, in person, or online through the county treasurers' shared payment site. The office closes daily from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The county's own pages do not print the due dates; the dates here are the ones Iowa law sets for every county.
When are property taxes due in Washington County?
For the fiscal year 2026/2027 (January 1, 2025 assessment) bill, Washington County splits the bill into 2 payments, the first due September 30, 2026 and the last March 31, 2027. The next one due is the second installment, on March 31, 2027. The last day to pay each half without interest is the last day of the month: September 30, 2026 for the first half and March 31, 2027 for the second. Iowa law calls September 1 and March 1 the due dates, but interest starts only on October 1 and April 1. From then, interest is 1.5% a month, rounded to the nearest dollar with a $1 minimum, and each part of a month counts as a full month. Taxes still unpaid are offered at the county's annual tax sale in June; the 2026 sale was held June 15, 2026.
| Payment | Due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First installment | September 30, 2026 (passed) | Iowa law sets September 1 as the due date, but no interest is charged on a payment made by September 30, 2026, a Wednesday. You can pay the whole year with this installment. A mailed payment is on time if its U.S. Postal Service postmark is dated September 30 or earlier, and a payment on the county treasurers' online payment site must be entered by midnight that day. When the last day of the month falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, the deadline moves to the first business day of the next month. |
| Second installment | March 31, 2027 | Iowa law sets March 1 as the due date, but no interest is charged on a payment made by March 31, 2027, a Wednesday. The same postmark and online payment rules apply. |
From Washington County's published schedule, checked September 23, 2026. The county had not posted a calendar labeled for this cycle when we checked, so these dates come from state law and the county's standing schedule; the date on your bill is the one that binds you.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Washington County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Washington County's average effective rate of 1.37% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $2,793 / year
Property tax in Washington County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $2,788 |
| Median home value | $203,900 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.37% |
| Typical Iowa county rate | 1.32% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Washington County compare in Iowa?
Among Iowa's 99 counties, Washington County has the 37th highest effective property-tax rate: 36 rank higher and 62 rank lower. That is on the higher side for Iowa. Nationally, it ranks 494th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Iowa county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Washington County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Washington County's 6,641 owner-occupied homes, 43.2% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 67.1% pay at least $2,000, and 5.7% pay under $800. Another 3.5% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 381 | 5.7% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 939 | 14.1% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 635 | 9.6% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 1,586 | 23.9% |
| $3,000 or more | 2,868 | 43.2% |
| No property tax paid | 232 | 3.5% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $2,665 and owners without one pay $3,033. Here the owners without a mortgage pay more, which can happen where long-held homes sit in the higher-value parts of the county. Census table B25103.
How does the Washington County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $2,788 is about 3.1% of the median income of Washington County homeowner households, $88,973 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 74% of Washington County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Washington County?
Yes. The median bill went from $2,222 in 2015-2019 to $2,788 in 2020-2024, a 25.5% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 34.5%, from $151,600 to $203,900. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Washington County
Washington County borders 6 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry County, IA | 1.56% | $2,559 | $164,300 |
| Johnson County, IA | 1.52% | $4,681 | $308,600 |
| Jefferson County, IA | 1.41% | $2,311 | $163,400 |
| Washington County, IA (this county) | 1.37% | $2,788 | $203,900 |
| Iowa County, IA | 1.36% | $2,629 | $193,900 |
| Keokuk County, IA | 1.26% | $1,494 | $118,700 |
| Louisa County, IA | 1.17% | $1,751 | $150,100 |
How is a home assessed in Washington County?
Iowa sets the assessment rules and Washington County applies them. How Iowa assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Washington County?
Yes. From the 2026 assessment year Iowa exempts 10% of a homestead's taxable value, never less than $5,500 or more than $20,000. File form 54-028 with your assessor by July 1. That is the Iowa rule, and it applies in Washington County. Iowa's exemptions and relief programs in full.
Washington County does not add relief programs of its own beyond the Iowa ones (checked September 23, 2026).
How to appeal your Washington County property assessment
In Washington County you appeal to the Washington County Board of Review. The deadline: File a written, signed protest with the Board of Review from April 2 through April 30 of the assessment year (April 30, 2027 is a Friday). Before that, from April 2 through April 25, you can ask the assessor for an informal review. If you disagree with the Board's decision, you can appeal to the state Property Assessment Appeal Board or to district court within 20 days after the Board adjourns or May 31, whichever is later. How to file. Checked September 23, 2026 against the official appeal rules.
How Iowa's appeal process works, including the next level if the first one turns you down.
Iowa rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Iowa page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Washington County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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Iowa income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Iowa actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Washington County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Washington County, Iowa: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.