Property tax in Washington County, Rhode Island

By Brent Chudoba, editor Updated September 23, 2026

The median property tax bill in Washington County, Rhode Island is $5,102 a year, which is about 1% of the county's median home value of $510,800. That effective rate is lower than the typical Rhode Island county (1.25%) 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.

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% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.

Home market value

Estimated property tax: $5,108 / year

Property tax in Washington County at a glance

Washington County, Rhode Island property tax (Census ACS, reviewed September 23, 2026)
Measure	Value
Median annual property tax	$5,102
Median home value	$510,800
Effective tax rate	1%
Typical Rhode Island county rate	1.25%
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 Rhode Island?

Among Rhode Island's 5 counties, Washington County has the 4th highest effective property-tax rate: 3 rank higher and 1 rank lower. That is on the lower side for Rhode Island. Nationally, it ranks 1128th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Rhode Island county ranked.

How much do homeowners in Washington County actually pay?

The median is only the middle bill. Across Washington County's 40,742 owner-occupied homes, 83.2% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 93.2% pay at least $2,000, and 2.1% pay under $800.

Annual property tax paid by Washington County homeowners (Census ACS 2020-2024)
Annual bill	Homes	Share
Under $800	871	2.1%
$800 to $1,499	663	1.6%
$1,500 to $1,999	872	2.1%
$2,000 to $2,999	4,071	10%
$3,000 or more	33,909	83.2%
No property tax paid	356	0.9%

Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $4,988 and owners without one pay $5,328. 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 $5,102 is about 4% of the median income of Washington County homeowner households, $126,293 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 77.5% 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 $4,396 in 2015-2019 to $5,102 in 2020-2024, a 16.1% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 48.9%, from $343,000 to $510,800. 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 5 counties, 3 of them across the state line.

Washington County and its neighbors, highest effective rate first (Census ACS 2020-2024)
County	Effective rate	Median bill	Median home value
Suffolk County, NY	at least 1.73%	$10,000+	$578,400
Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT	1.62%	$5,228	$323,400
Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, CT	1.42%	$4,375	$307,600
Kent County, RI	1.35%	$4,957	$366,100
Washington County, RI (this county)	1%	$5,102	$510,800
Newport County, RI	0.89%	$5,414	$609,700

How is a home assessed in Washington County?

Rhode Island assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Washington County included. How Rhode Island assesses and reappraises homes.

Is there a homestead exemption in Washington County?

Not statewide. Rhode Island homestead exemptions are written city by city, and some towns offer none; your local tax assessor has the answer. That is the Rhode Island rule, and it applies in Washington County. Rhode Island's exemptions and relief programs in full.

When are property taxes due in Washington County?

State law requires every Rhode Island city and town to offer the option of paying in four equal quarterly installments, free of interest or penalty as long as each is paid on time. The actual due dates are not set statewide: each community fixes them in the resolution that orders the tax levy, usually tied to a fiscal year beginning July 1. A town may require a bill of $100 or less to be paid in one payment, and if you miss an installment it can charge interest or call the whole remaining balance due at once.

Rhode Island splits the bill into 4 installments. That is the Rhode Island rule. Washington County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.

How to appeal your Washington County property assessment

You contest the assessed value with the your local tax assessor, then the local tax board of review, then Rhode Island Superior Court. The filing deadline is typically on or before November 15, and no sooner than 90 days after the first tax payment is due. That is the Rhode Island rule; Washington County sets the exact dates and forms. The Rhode Island appeal process step by step.

Rhode Island rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Rhode Island page.

Work out your own numbers

Sources

Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Washington County, Rhode Island: 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.