Higher Property Tax Bills Heading Out To King County Homeowners

KING COUNTY, WA — Property tax bills will hit King County mailboxes early next month after an error delayed their usual February timeline, and homeowners in many cities across the region will see some notable increases this year.

King County officials said a quality control check uncovered an error in the physical tax documents, which delayed printing for approximately 350,000 statements that are typically mailed in mid-February. The law requires they are delivered by March 15, and the county expects all households will receive their bill "well before" that deadline.

This year's tax increases vary widely by city and are the result of both voter-approved levies and rapidly rising property values across Puget Sound. As The Seattle Times notes, this year's bills, while higher, do not reflect the double-digit surge in home prices last year, since the taxes were calculated based on property values in January 2021.

Here are a few of the average increases in property tax rates around King County:

• Bellevue: +6.79%
• Covington: +14.55%
• Enumclaw: +10.92%
• Issaquah: +8.38%
• Kirkland: +11.2%
• Mercer Island: +3.54%
• Redmond: +7.88%
• Renton: +12.55%
• Sammamish: +13.69%
• Seattle: +6.92%
• Shoreline: +5.88%
• Tukwila: +15.14%
• Woodinville: +9.15%
• View the full list online.

Property tax details are already available online, and residents can use the portal to pay their bills sign up for reminders and find other information. Since the due date for the first half of the bill falls on a Saturday this year, property owners will have until Monday, May 2, to pay online or by mail. Residents with questions can also contact the county's treasury office on weekdays by calling 206-263-2890.