Property Tax in Washington County, Tennessee
The median real estate tax bill in Washington County, Tennessee is $1,278 per year, and the median home is worth $231,700. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Washington County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Washington County pay more than $1,278, and half pay less. Your own bill is set by your home's assessed value, the exemptions you qualify for, and the local taxing districts your property sits in — so individual bills vary widely around the median.
Dividing the median tax by the median home value gives a derived effective rate of 0.55% for Washington County. It is an estimate built from two survey medians, not the county's official rate, but it is a fair way to compare the local tax burden with other counties where home values are very different.
Washington County by the numbers
| Measure | Washington County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $1,278 | $1,400 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $231,700 | $256,800 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.55% | 0.55% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $106 | $117 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Washington County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Tennessee: #19 of 95 counties
- Median home value rank in Tennessee: #22 of 95
- Population rank in Tennessee: #12 of 95 (134,693 residents)
- Population density rank: #8 of 95 (412 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Tennessee: #68 of 95 (326 sq mi, 0.8% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $106; per $1,000 of home value: $0.55
How Washington County compares
Of the 95 Tennessee counties with published data, 18 have a higher median property tax bill than Washington County's $1,278, putting the county at #19 in the state. Its bill is about 9% lower than the state median of $1,400 and about 57% lower than the national median of $2,969.
Rates and values pull in opposite directions: an expensive housing market can produce big bills at ordinary rates. Here the derived rate is 0.55%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #22 within Tennessee.
Some extra context for Washington County: the median bill works out to about $106 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $552 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 134,693 people — the #12 most populous county in Tennessee, spread over 326 square miles, a density of about 412 people per square mile. Its median home value, $231,700, ranks #22 among the state's 95 counties with data.
Nationally, Washington County's median bill of $1,278 ranks #1980 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 63% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 1.9% of Tennessee's population, its median home value is about 10% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 5.52% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Washington County to the most expensive county, Williamson County ($2,891), is $1,613 a year.
Counties nearest Washington County in the Tennessee ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County, TN | $1,332 | $279,700 | 0.48% |
| Putnam County, TN | $1,299 | $246,800 | 0.53% |
| Bedford County, TN | $1,274 | $255,300 | 0.50% |
| Moore County, TN | $1,252 | $259,300 | 0.48% |
Washington County and its population peers
Counties of a similar size can tax very differently. The table below shows the counties closest to Washington County in population across the United States, with their median bills and home values. Within the group of 9, Washington County ($1,278) ranks #7 of 9 by median tax paid.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clark County, OH | 135,445 | $1,943 | $155,900 | 1.25% |
| Humboldt County, CA | 135,418 | $2,731 | $418,800 | 0.65% |
| Tangipahoa Parish, LA | 135,218 | $887 | $204,600 | 0.43% |
| Kendall County, IL | 135,053 | $7,556 | $298,900 | 2.53% |
| Calhoun County, MI | 133,846 | $2,269 | $151,500 | 1.50% |
| Pickens County, SC | 132,604 | $821 | $216,000 | 0.38% |
| Cambria County, PA | 132,355 | $1,487 | $115,900 | 1.28% |
| Wood County, OH | 131,795 | $2,911 | $214,400 | 1.36% |
The closest population match is Kendall County, Illinois (135,053 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $7,556 on a median home value of $298,900 — $6,278 less than Washington County pays.
Inside Tennessee itself, the counties closest to Washington County in population are Wilson County (153,587 residents, median tax $1,743 on a median value of $397,000); Blount County (137,747 residents, median tax $1,387 on a median value of $275,700); Bradley County (109,743 residents, median tax $1,174 on a median value of $230,800); Maury County (104,855 residents, median tax $1,476 on a median value of $307,500). Same state, same broad tax framework — yet the median bills still differ, because assessed values and the mix of county, municipal and school-district rates are set locally.
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 0.55%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $552 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $2,208. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Illustrative bills in Washington County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.55% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Washington County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 0.55% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $828 | $69 |
| $250,000 | $1,380 | $115 |
| $350,000 | $1,932 | $161 |
| $500,000 | $2,760 | $230 |
| $750,000 | $4,140 | $345 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in Washington County
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in Washington County; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
More Tennessee counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Washington County, Tennessee?
The median real estate tax paid in Washington County, Tennessee is $1,278 per year, on a median home value of $231,700 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Washington County, Tennessee?
The derived effective rate is 0.55% — the median bill ($1,278) expressed as a share of the median home value ($231,700). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Washington County compare with the rest of Tennessee?
By median taxes paid, Washington County stands at #19 among the 95 Tennessee counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $1,278 median bill is about 9% lower than the state median ($1,400), and 18 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Washington County, Tennessee?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in Washington County is $1,278 of tax on a $231,700 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Washington County, Tennessee?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Washington County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.