Property Tax in Lewis County, Washington
The median real estate tax bill in Lewis County, Washington is $2,433 per year, and the median home is worth $341,500. 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 Lewis County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Lewis County pay more than $2,433, 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 0.71% for Lewis 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.
Lewis County by the numbers
| Measure | Lewis County | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $2,433 | $4,361 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $341,500 | $519,800 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.71% | 0.84% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $203 | $363 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Lewis County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Washington: #25 of 39 counties
- Median home value rank in Washington: #25 of 39
- Population rank in Washington: #16 of 39 (83,925 residents)
- Population density rank: #22 of 39 (35 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Washington: #6 of 39 (2,402 sq mi, 3.6% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $203; per $1,000 of home value: $0.71
How Lewis County compares
Of the 39 Washington counties with published data, 24 have a higher median property tax bill than Lewis County's $2,433, putting the county at #25 in the state. Its bill is about 44% lower than the state median of $4,361 and about 18% 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 0.71%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #25 within Washington.
Some extra context for Lewis County: the median bill works out to about $203 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $712 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 83,925 people — the #16 most populous county in Washington, spread over 2,402 square miles, a density of about 35 people per square mile. Its median home value, $341,500, ranks #25 among the state's 39 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 741 record a higher median tax bill than Lewis County — it sits in the top 24% nationally. The county holds roughly 1.1% of Washington's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $341,500 versus $519,800), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.71% adds up to about 7.12% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Garfield County, medians $1,306 — $1,127 less than Lewis County per year.
Counties nearest Lewis County in the Washington ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whitman County, WA | $2,566 | $323,300 | 0.79% |
| Grays Harbor County, WA | $2,441 | $279,500 | 0.87% |
| Klickitat County, WA | $2,401 | $388,700 | 0.62% |
| Yakima County, WA | $2,299 | $281,100 | 0.82% |
Lewis County and its population peers
Population is a useful lens on these figures, so the table below sets Lewis County beside the counties closest to it in population anywhere in the country — communities of a similar scale operating under different state and local tax systems. Ranked by median tax paid within this peer group of 9, Lewis County's $2,433 bill is #2 of 9.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glynn County, GA | 84,987 | $1,712 | $268,300 | 0.64% |
| Rockingham County, VA | 84,739 | $1,532 | $287,900 | 0.53% |
| Cascade County, MT | 84,601 | $2,236 | $243,300 | 0.92% |
| Wagoner County, OK | 84,339 | $1,753 | $216,000 | 0.81% |
| Dougherty County, GA | 83,915 | $1,800 | $129,200 | 1.39% |
| Buchanan County, MO | 83,855 | $1,253 | $156,600 | 0.80% |
| Wood County, WV | 83,829 | $943 | $153,700 | 0.61% |
| Coryell County, TX | 83,772 | $2,509 | $177,400 | 1.41% |
The closest population match is Dougherty County, Georgia (83,915 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $1,800 on a median home value of $129,200 — $633 more than Lewis County pays.
Lewis County's nearest population neighbours within Washington are Franklin County (97,676 residents, median tax $2,638 on a median value of $345,700); Island County (86,747 residents, median tax $3,765 on a median value of $535,300); Chelan County (79,518 residents, median tax $3,235 on a median value of $454,900); Clallam County (77,593 residents, median tax $2,860 on a median value of $385,600). Comparing them is a reminder that even inside one state's rules, the bill follows local home values and local district rates more than anything decided at the state level.
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 0.71%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $712 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $2,848. 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 Lewis County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.71% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Lewis County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 0.84% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $1,068 | $89 |
| $250,000 | $1,780 | $148 |
| $350,000 | $2,492 | $208 |
| $500,000 | $3,560 | $297 |
| $750,000 | $5,340 | $445 |
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 Lewis County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Lewis County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Lewis County, Washington?
The median real estate tax paid in Lewis County, Washington is $2,433 per year, on a median home value of $341,500 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Lewis County, Washington?
Dividing Lewis County's median tax bill ($2,433) by its median home value ($341,500) gives a derived effective rate of 0.71%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Lewis County compare with the rest of Washington?
By median taxes paid, Lewis County stands at #25 among the 39 Washington counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $2,433 median bill is about 44% lower than the state median ($4,361), and 24 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Lewis County, Washington?
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 Lewis County is $2,433 of tax on a $341,500 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Lewis County, Washington?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Lewis 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.