Why Are King County Property Taxes Higher This Year?

Many homeowners across King County were surprised when their 2026 property tax bills arrived. If your tax bill increased this year, you are not alone. Several factors are contributing to higher property taxes across the region.

Below are a few of the main reasons why property taxes increased for many homeowners.

1. Property Taxes Are Based on Last Year’s Home Values

In Washington State, property taxes are based on the assessed value of your home from the previous year.

Example: 2026 property taxes are based on home values as of January 1, 2025.

At that time, many areas in King County were still seeing strong home price growth, even though the housing market softened later in 2025.

Because of this timing difference, property tax bills may reflect higher property values from the prior year, even if home prices have recently stabilized.

2. Some Areas Saw Large Increases in Home Values

Home values increased in many King County cities between January 2024 and January 2025.

Examples include:

• Seattle and Federal Way saw value increases of roughly 4%
• Kirkland and Bothell saw increases exceeding 14%
• Some smaller communities experienced even larger changes

Since property taxes are partly based on assessed value, increases in home values can lead to higher tax bills.

3. New Voter-Approved Levies

Another major reason property taxes increased this year is the number of local levies approved by voters.

Across King County, voters approved measures that help fund services such as:

• Education programs
• Public safety
• Transportation
• Community services

These added levies can raise the total property tax bill, even if your home’s assessed value did not increase dramatically.

4. Washington Does Not Cap Assessed Value Growth

Unlike some states, Washington does not limit how much a home’s assessed value can increase from one year to the next.

In some other states, annual increases are capped. In Washington, assessed values can rise more quickly when market conditions support higher home prices.

5. Homeowners Have a Limited Time to Appeal

Each summer, King County sends homeowners a notice showing the assessed value of their property for the upcoming tax year.

Homeowners generally have about 60 days to file an appeal if they believe the value is incorrect.

Once that appeal window closes, the assessed value is usually used to calculate the next year’s property taxes.

6. Will Property Taxes Go Down Next Year?

Some housing market indicators suggest that home values may soften slightly, which could affect future tax assessments.

However, property taxes are influenced by several factors, including:

• Local government levies
• School funding measures
• Infrastructure and public service budgets
• Overall property values across the county

Because of these variables, property taxes do not always move in the same direction as home prices.

What Homeowners Should Know

If you pay property taxes through your mortgage escrow account, your lender may adjust your monthly payment to reflect the new tax amount.

If you pay taxes directly to the county, it is important to budget for possible changes each year.

Understanding how property taxes work can help homeowners better prepare for these changes.