Property tax in Washington County, Tennessee
In Washington County, the property tax bill comes from the Washington County Trustee. The 2026 bill is due February 28, 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, Tennessee is $1,302 a year, which is about 0.52% of the county's median home value of $249,000. That effective rate is higher than the typical Tennessee county (0.47%) and lower 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 Trustee. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the Washington County Assessor of Property, 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 City of Johnson City and the Town of Jonesborough bill and collect their own city property tax, so owners inside those cities get a second bill on top of the county bill. Online payment runs through the Trustee's payment processor, reached from the county's Trustee page. Washington County has not adopted the state's optional tax freeze for older homeowners.
When are property taxes due in Washington County?
For the 2026 bill, Washington County has one due date: February 28, 2027. Tax notices are typically mailed in October and are payable through the end of February. February 28, 2027 is a Sunday, and the Trustee's offices (the Jonesborough courthouse, and 378 Marketplace Boulevard in Johnson City during tax season) are open Monday through Friday only. The county has not said whether a payment on Monday, March 1 counts as on time, and interest is added March 1, so pay by Friday, February 26, 2027. Partial payments and prepayments are accepted. Secure drop boxes are at the corner of the Historic Courthouse in Jonesborough and at the Johnson City office. If you have not received your notice by November 15, call the Trustee at 423-753-1602; the tax is owed whether or not a notice arrives. Any balance unpaid as of March 1, 2027 has 1.5% interest added, and state law (Tenn. Code Ann. 67-5-2010) adds another 1.5% on the first of each month after that.
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 0.52% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $1,295 / year
Property tax in Washington County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,302 |
| Median home value | $249,000 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.52% |
| Typical Tennessee county rate | 0.47% |
| 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 Tennessee?
Among Tennessee's 95 counties, Washington County has the 29th highest effective property-tax rate: 28 rank higher and 66 rank lower. That is on the higher side for Tennessee. Nationally, it ranks 2587th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Tennessee county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Washington County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Washington County's 36,636 owner-occupied homes, 11.7% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 26% pay at least $2,000, and 22.6% pay under $800. Another 4.2% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 8,297 | 22.6% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 12,522 | 34.2% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 4,704 | 12.8% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 5,256 | 14.3% |
| $3,000 or more | 4,304 | 11.7% |
| No property tax paid | 1,553 | 4.2% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,337 and owners without one pay $1,260. 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 $1,302 is about 1.7% of the median income of Washington County homeowner households, $77,500 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 64.5% 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 $1,089 in 2015-2019 to $1,302 in 2020-2024, a 19.6% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 52.8%, from $163,000 to $249,000. 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 5 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sullivan County, TN | 0.58% | $1,234 | $213,300 |
| Hawkins County, TN | 0.54% | $956 | $176,300 |
| Unicoi County, TN | 0.52% | $994 | $189,600 |
| Washington County, TN (this county) | 0.52% | $1,302 | $249,000 |
| Carter County, TN | 0.51% | $864 | $168,200 |
| Greene County, TN | 0.43% | $890 | $207,500 |
How is a home assessed in Washington County?
Tennessee assesses homes at 25% of market value in every county, Washington County included. How Tennessee assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Washington County?
No. Tennessee has no general homestead exemption; relief comes through the state Tax Relief program and the local-option Tax Freeze. That is the Tennessee rule, and it applies in Washington County. Tennessee's exemptions and relief programs in full.
On top of the Tennessee programs, Washington County runs its own:
- Washington County match of state Tax Relief: A county-funded addition to the state's Tax Relief program: for homeowners who qualify for the state credit (low-income homeowners 65 or older or disabled, and disabled veterans or their surviving spouses), Washington County matches up to the state amount, not to exceed the bill; apply with the Trustee's office.
How to appeal your Washington County property assessment
In Washington County you appeal to the Washington County Board of Equalization. The deadline: Owners whose values change are notified by mail, and the tentative assessment roll is open for inspection in May. Washington County has not published its appeal dates online. Under state law the county board convenes on June 1 each year (the next business day if June 1 falls on a weekend), and you generally must appeal to it to keep your right to appeal further; the next session opens June 1, 2027. Call the Assessor of Property at 423-753-1670 for that year's dates and to schedule a hearing. A county board decision can be appealed to the Tennessee State Board of Equalization by August 1 of the tax year or within 45 days of the date the county board's notice was sent, whichever is later. How to file. Checked September 23, 2026 against state law, because Washington County does not restate them on its own pages.
How Tennessee's appeal process works, including the next level if the first one turns you down.
Tennessee rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Tennessee 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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Tennessee income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Tennessee 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, Tennessee: 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.