Washington · FIPS 53015 · ACS 2020–2024
Cowlitz County, Washington property tax rate
Homeowners in Cowlitz County paid a median of $3,245 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $397,500 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.81% of home value, 7% above the Washington rate of 0.75% and 14% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.81%Effective tax rate±0.08% margin · Washington: 0.75%
- $3,245Median tax per yearWashington: $4,556 · U.S.: $3,119
- $397,500Median home valueWashington: $564,600
- 29,876Owner-occupied homes68% of households own
| Measure | Cowlitz County | Washington | U.S. | Cowlitz County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.81% | 0.75% | 0.94% | 0.82% | −0.02 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $3,245 | $4,556 | $3,119 | $2,988 | +$257 (+8.6%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $3,358 | $4,665 | $3,489 | $3,096 | +$262 (+8.5%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $3,005 | $4,298 | $2,576 | $2,768 | +$237 (+8.6%) |
| Median home value | $397,500 | $564,600 | $332,700 | $367,400 | +$30,100 (+8.2%) |
| Total taxes paid | $108,464,600 | $10,232,446,600 | $360,573,527,500 | $98,366,700 |
How Cowlitz County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $8.08 a year, against $7.54 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in Washington: 35 of 38 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 54% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.84% of value; homes without one: 0.74%. Median bills: $3,358 and $3,005.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (−0.02 pts) and the median tax changed +$257 (+8.6%). The two 5-year surveys share four years of responses, so year-to-year moves are small and partly noise.
- Margin of error: the effective rate is 0.81% ± 0.08% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 29,876 owner-occupied homes.
Washington counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Douglas County | 0.76% | $3,319 | $432,500 |
| Clark County | 0.77% | $4,290 | $522,900 |
| Whitman County | 0.77% | $2,691 | $359,600 |
| Spokane County | 0.78% | $3,434 | $410,700 |
| Yakima County | 0.79% | $2,463 | $310,100 |
| Thurston County | 0.82% | $4,209 | $480,300 |
| Pierce County | 0.85% | $4,770 | $526,600 |
| Walla Walla County | 0.85% | $3,492 | $408,900 |
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table-based summary file: B25090 (aggregate real estate taxes), B25082 (aggregate home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes), B25077 (median home value) and B25003 (tenure); files dated January 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, same tables (files dated October 31, 2024), for the comparison column.
- Geography names: Census Bureau Geos20245YR.txt (file dated January 22, 2026).
Effective rate = total real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied homes ÷ their total value, as reported by owners to the Census Bureau. It is not a millage rate. Your bill depends on your assessed value, exemptions (such as homestead) and local levies.