What rate does this use?

It defaults to a 0.93% effective rate, a representative Seattle / King County figure (total tax divided by assessed value). Your actual rate depends on overlapping voter-approved levies in your specific tax code area, so treat this as an estimate.

Is property tax based on what I paid for my home?

No. Washington taxes the assessed value set by the King County Assessor, which is meant to reflect market value as of January 1. The price on your purchase contract is not used directly, though sales inform future assessments.

What exemptions can lower my bill?

Washington offers a senior citizen and disabled-persons exemption that, depending on income, can freeze your value and exempt part of it from certain levies. This tool models a simple percentage exemption on taxable value so you can see the effect.

Does Washington have a homestead exemption for everyone?

Not a general homestead exemption that cuts property tax for all owner-occupants. The main relief programs are income-qualified (seniors, disabled, veterans). Most owners pay on the full assessed value.

Is my data sent anywhere?

No. The calculation runs entirely in your browser. Your home value and inputs never leave your device.

Seattle Property Tax Estimator

Seattle homeowners pay property tax to King County based on the assessed value of their home, not the price they paid. The combined effective rate — total tax divided by assessed value — lands near 0.93% in much of the city, though it varies by tax code area because of overlapping voter-approved levies for schools, transit, parks, and fire. This free estimator turns your assessed value into an annual and monthly figure and lets you model an income-qualified exemption.

How it works

The estimate starts from your taxable value (assessed value minus any exemption you claim) and applies the effective rate:

taxableValue = assessedValue * (1 - exemptionPercent/100)
annualTax    = taxableValue * (rate/100)
monthlyTax   = annualTax / 12

The default rate of 0.93% is a blended figure. Washington’s main relief is the senior/disabled exemption, which is income-qualified and can exempt a share of value from some levies — modeled here as a simple percentage reduction so you can see the impact.

Notes and example

A home assessed at $850,000 at the 0.93% rate owes about 850,000 × 0.0093 = $7,905 per year, or roughly $659 per month folded into your mortgage escrow. Claiming a 20% exemption drops the taxable value to $680,000 and the tax to about $6,324. Your real bill depends on your exact levy code area — check your King County assessment notice. Everything runs locally; nothing is uploaded.