Property tax in Whitman County, Washington

By Brent Chudoba, editor Updated September 23, 2026

The median property tax bill in Whitman County, Washington is $2,691 a year, which is about 0.75% of the county's median home value of $359,600. That effective rate is higher than the typical Washington county (0.73%) 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.

Estimate the property tax on a home in Whitman County

Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Whitman County's average effective rate of 0.75% (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: $2,697 / year

Property tax in Whitman County at a glance

Whitman County, Washington property tax (Census ACS, reviewed September 23, 2026)
Measure	Value
Median annual property tax	$2,691
Median home value	$359,600
Effective tax rate	0.75%
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 Whitman County compare in Washington?

Among Washington's 39 counties, Whitman County has the 19th highest effective property-tax rate: 18 rank higher and 20 rank lower. That is near the middle for Washington. Nationally, it ranks 1745th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Washington county ranked.

How much do homeowners in Whitman County actually pay?

The median is only the middle bill. Across Whitman County's 8,765 owner-occupied homes, 41.2% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 64.2% pay at least $2,000, and 11.8% pay under $800. Another 3.4% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.

Annual property tax paid by Whitman County homeowners (Census ACS 2020-2024)
Annual bill	Homes	Share
Under $800	1,032	11.8%
$800 to $1,499	982	11.2%
$1,500 to $1,999	829	9.5%
$2,000 to $2,999	2,014	23%
$3,000 or more	3,614	41.2%
No property tax paid	294	3.4%

Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $2,928 and owners without one pay $2,378. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.

How does the Whitman County property tax bill compare with local incomes?

The median property tax bill of $2,691 is about 2.5% of the median income of Whitman County homeowner households, $106,090 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 46.8% of Whitman 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 Whitman County?

Yes. The median bill went from $2,193 in 2015-2019 to $2,691 in 2020-2024, a 22.7% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 65.3%, from $217,600 to $359,600. 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 Whitman County

Whitman County borders 10 counties, 3 of them across the state line.

Whitman County and its neighbors, highest effective rate first (Census ACS 2020-2024)
County	Effective rate	Median bill	Median home value
Columbia County, WA	0.85%	$2,303	$271,200
Spokane County, WA	0.84%	$3,434	$410,700
Adams County, WA	0.79%	$2,147	$273,300
Nez Perce County, ID	0.78%	$2,609	$334,700
Whitman County, WA (this county)	0.75%	$2,691	$359,600
Franklin County, WA	0.73%	$2,750	$379,300
Asotin County, WA	0.72%	$2,340	$325,600
Garfield County, WA	0.66%	$1,574	$239,200
Latah County, ID	0.64%	$2,368	$368,600
Lincoln County, WA	0.6%	$1,744	$292,800
Benewah County, ID	0.49%	$1,443	$293,500

How is a home assessed in Whitman County?

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

Is there a homestead exemption in Whitman 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 Whitman County. Washington's exemptions and relief programs in full.

When are property taxes due in Whitman County?

Two installments: the first half by April 30 and the second by October 31 if the total is over $50. Smaller bills are due in full by April 30. The county treasurer bills and collects.

Washington splits the bill into 2 installments. That is the Washington rule. Whitman County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.

How to appeal your Whitman County property assessment

You contest the assessed value with the County Board of Equalization, then the Washington Board of Tax Appeals. The filing deadline is typically July 1, or 30 to 60 days after your value notice, whichever is later. That is the Washington rule; Whitman County sets the exact dates and forms. The Washington appeal process step by step.

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

Work out your own numbers

Sources

Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Whitman 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.