Property tax in Pierce County, Washington
In Pierce County, the property tax bill comes from the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer. The 2026 bill is paid in 2 installments, and the next one is due October 31, 2026. You can look up and pay the bill on the county's own payment page. Taken from Pierce County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Pierce County, Washington is $4,770 a year, which is about 0.91% of the county's median home value of $526,600. That effective rate is higher than the typical Washington county (0.73%) 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 Pierce County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer, 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.
In Pierce County one elected office, the Assessor-Treasurer, both values homes and sends the tax statement, while mailed payments are processed by the county Finance Department. Washington collects in the same calendar year it names: the 2026 bill is paid April 30 and October 31, 2026, and statements are mailed in February. Notices of value mailed in 2026 set the value used for 2027 taxes, so an appeal filed now affects next year's bill. The office can set up a monthly payment plan for current or delinquent taxes through an outside escrow vendor, which charges set-up and monthly fees. Every exemption and deferral the office lists is a state program, and it warns that online claims about a senior "1098-SR" or assessment cap form are false.
When are property taxes due in Pierce County?
For the 2026 bill, Pierce County splits the bill into 2 payments, the first due April 30, 2026 and the last October 31, 2026. The next one due is the second half, on October 31, 2026. If the first half is not paid by April 30, interest is charged on the full year's tax beginning May 1: 0.75% a month on residential property with one to four units, with no penalties, for tax year 2023 and later, and 1% a month on all other property plus penalties of 3% on June 1 and 8% on December 1. A late second half is charged interest monthly from the date it becomes late until paid. A late mailed payment that does not include the interest and penalty due is returned.
| Payment | Due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First half (or full amount) | April 30, 2026 (passed) | Already past for the 2026 cycle. A total yearly tax of $50 or less is due in full by April 30. A first half paid late is charged interest on the full year's tax, and can still be paid with that interest through October 31. |
| Second half | October 31, 2026 | October 31, 2026 is a Saturday. The Assessor-Treasurer's own 2026 reminder says the second half is due Monday, November 2, and state law likewise makes a payment on the next business day timely when the due date falls on a weekend. A mailed payment counts by its postmark; the county suggests certified mail, return receipt requested, for proof of the mailing date. |
From Pierce 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 Pierce County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Pierce County's average effective rate of 0.91% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $4,792 / year
Property tax in Pierce County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $4,770 |
| Median home value | $526,600 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.91% |
| Typical Washington county rate | 0.73% |
| 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 Pierce County compare in Washington?
Among Washington's 39 counties, Pierce County has the highest effective property-tax rate. That places it among the most heavily taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 1341st of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Washington county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Pierce County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Pierce County's 227,400 owner-occupied homes, 74.7% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 83.9% pay at least $2,000, and 5.3% pay under $800. Another 3.3% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 12,157 | 5.3% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 9,234 | 4.1% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 7,578 | 3.3% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 20,915 | 9.2% |
| $3,000 or more | 169,912 | 74.7% |
| No property tax paid | 7,604 | 3.3% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $4,740 and owners without one pay $4,855. That is within 10% either way, so in Pierce County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Pierce County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $4,770 is about 3.9% of the median income of Pierce County homeowner households, $120,834 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 64.7% of Pierce 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 Pierce County?
Yes. The median bill went from $3,480 in 2015-2019 to $4,770 in 2020-2024, a 37.1% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 73.7%, from $303,200 to $526,600. 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 Pierce County
Pierce County borders 6 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pierce County, WA (this county) | 0.91% | $4,770 | $526,600 |
| Thurston County, WA | 0.88% | $4,209 | $480,300 |
| King County, WA | 0.83% | $7,114 | $859,900 |
| Yakima County, WA | 0.79% | $2,463 | $310,100 |
| Kitsap County, WA | 0.77% | $4,279 | $555,100 |
| Mason County, WA | 0.73% | $3,006 | $411,800 |
| Lewis County, WA | 0.67% | $2,581 | $385,800 |
How is a home assessed in Pierce County?
Washington assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Pierce County included. How Washington assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Pierce County?
No. Washington has no general homestead exemption; the broad protection is the 1% limit on how much a taxing district's regular levy can grow each year without voter approval. That is the Washington rule, and it applies in Pierce County. Washington's exemptions and relief programs in full.
Pierce County does not add relief programs of its own beyond the Washington ones (checked September 23, 2026).
How to appeal your Pierce County property assessment
In Pierce County you appeal to the Pierce County Board of Equalization. The deadline: By July 1 of the current assessment year or within 60 days of the mailing date on the value change notice, whichever is later. The petition is mailed or hand delivered with a copy of the value notice. How to file. Checked September 23, 2026 against the official appeal rules.
How Washington's appeal process works, including the next level if the first one turns you down.
Washington rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Washington 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 Pierce 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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Washington income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Washington actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Pierce County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Pierce County, Washington: 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.