Property tax in Washington County, Minnesota
In Washington County, the property tax bill comes from the Washington County Property Records and Taxpayer Services. The Taxes payable 2026 bill is paid in 2 installments, and the next one is due October 15, 2026. 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, Minnesota is $4,164 a year, which is about 0.99% of the county's median home value of $422,000. That effective rate is about the same as the typical Minnesota county (0.99%) 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 Property Records and Taxpayer Services. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the Washington County Assessor's Office, 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 county's property tax statement carries the county, city or township, school district and special district taxes as separate lines on one bill. The valuation notice mailed each March is for the next year's taxes, so a value set in 2026 affects taxes payable in 2027. Paying online costs $0.75 by eCheck or 2.35% by card; payment can also be made by mail, through a bank's bill pay, or in person at the Government Center in Stillwater or any county service center. Mailed payments go to Washington County Taxpayer Services, 14949 62nd St. N., P.O. Box 200, Stillwater, MN 55082-0200.
When are property taxes due in Washington County?
For the Taxes payable 2026 bill, Washington County splits the bill into 2 payments, the first due May 15, 2026 and the last October 15, 2026. The next one due is the second half, on October 15, 2026. A penalty is added the day after each due date and grows each month the payment is late. For a homestead, a late first half is charged 2% on May 16, rising to 8% by October 1 and 10% on January 2, 2027; a late second half is charged 2% on October 16, 4% on November 1, 5% on December 1 and 7% on January 2, 2027. Non-homestead property starts at 4% and reaches 12% on the first half (14% on January 2) and 9% on the second half (11% on January 2). Manufactured homes pay a flat 8% once a half is late. Taxes still unpaid on January 2, 2027 become delinquent and begin to accrue interest on the unpaid tax, penalties and fees, at a yearly rate the state resets each January (the county lists 8%).
| Payment | Due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First half | May 15, 2026 (passed) | Mailed payments must be postmarked by the due date. Manufactured homes follow a different schedule, with the first half due August 31. Personal property taxes, other than on leased government-owned land, must be paid in full by May 15. |
| Second half | October 15, 2026 | Agricultural property and manufactured homes have a second-half due date of November 15 instead. November 15, 2026 is a Sunday; under state law a payment made on Monday, November 16, 2026 is on time, and the county's 2026 tax statement starts the penalty on November 17. |
From Washington County's published schedule, checked September 23, 2026. If a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the county's own rules on the next business day apply.
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 0.99% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $4,178 / year
Property tax in Washington County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $4,164 |
| Median home value | $422,000 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.99% |
| Typical Minnesota county rate | 0.99% |
| 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 Minnesota?
Among Minnesota's 87 counties, Washington County has the 44th highest effective property-tax rate: 43 rank higher and 43 rank lower. That is near the middle for Minnesota. Nationally, it ranks 1147th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Minnesota county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Washington County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Washington County's 85,825 owner-occupied homes, 73% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 89.1% pay at least $2,000, and 2.7% pay under $800. Another 2% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 2,277 | 2.7% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 1,989 | 2.3% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 3,354 | 3.9% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 13,860 | 16.1% |
| $3,000 or more | 62,613 | 73% |
| No property tax paid | 1,732 | 2% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $4,143 and owners without one pay $4,210. That is within 10% either way, so in Washington County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Washington County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $4,164 is about 3.2% of the median income of Washington County homeowner households, $129,342 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 81.3% 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 $3,179 in 2015-2019 to $4,164 in 2020-2024, a 31% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 45.8%, from $289,400 to $422,000. 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 7 counties, 3 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce County, WI | 1.36% | $4,551 | $333,700 |
| Ramsey County, MN | 1.21% | $3,966 | $326,600 |
| St. Croix County, WI | 1.17% | $4,420 | $377,700 |
| Polk County, WI | 1.13% | $3,075 | $271,900 |
| Chisago County, MN | 1.07% | $3,780 | $351,900 |
| Washington County, MN (this county) | 0.99% | $4,164 | $422,000 |
| Dakota County, MN | 0.98% | $3,749 | $381,000 |
| Anoka County, MN | 0.94% | $3,271 | $346,500 |
How is a home assessed in Washington County?
Minnesota sets the assessment rules and Washington County applies them. How Minnesota assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Washington County?
Yes, on a sliding scale. Minnesota's Homestead Market Value Exclusion is worth up to $38,000 on homes worth $95,000 or less and shrinks to nothing at $517,200. That is the Minnesota rule, and it applies in Washington County. Minnesota's exemptions and relief programs in full.
Washington County does not add relief programs of its own beyond the Minnesota ones (checked September 23, 2026).
How to appeal your Washington County property assessment
In Washington County you appeal to the Local Board of Appeal and Equalization (the city council or town board), or the Washington County Board of Appeal and Equalization for owners in Open Book cities and townships. The deadline: The valuation notice mailed in late March sets the value for the next year's taxes. Appeal first at the Local Board of Appeal and Equalization or Open Book meeting printed on that notice (these were held in April in 2026); owners whose city holds its own Local Board must appeal there before going further. To be heard by the County Board of Appeal and Equalization, call the Assessor's Office by May 1 for an appointment; the 2026 county board met June 17, 2026, so that round is over until spring 2027. A petition to the Minnesota Tax Court, served on the County Auditor, is due by April 30 of the year the taxes are payable, which for the 2026 valuation is April 30, 2027. How to file. Checked September 23, 2026 against the official appeal rules.
How Minnesota's appeal process works, including the next level if the first one turns you down.
Minnesota rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Minnesota 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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Minnesota income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Minnesota 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, Minnesota: 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.