How Much Are Property Taxes in Puyallup?

Property tax is one of the few housing costs you cannot negotiate and cannot shop around for. You can, however, know it precisely before you buy. Pierce County publishes the actual bill for every parcel.

This post explains how the tax is calculated, why two homes with a Puyallup address can have different rates, and how to find the number for any house in about two minutes.

The short answer

In recent years, total property tax in and around Puyallup has generally landed near 1% of assessed value annually. Depending on where the parcel sits, it may be somewhat above or below that.

For a quick estimate, take 1% of the home's value. For the real number, look up the parcel.

How the bill is calculated

The formula is simple.

Assessed value, divided by 1,000, multiplied by the total levy rate.

The levy rate is expressed in dollars per $1,000 of assessed value. A total rate of $10 per $1,000 equals 1%.

An illustration

These are round numbers to show the math, not current rates.

A one-dollar difference in the rate changes the bill by $100 a year for every $100,000 of value.

Where the levy rate comes from

Your total rate is the sum of the rates charged by every taxing district that covers your parcel. Each funds a specific service.

Schools, counting the state and local portions together, are typically the largest share of the bill.

Why two Puyallup homes pay different rates

District boundaries overlap in irregular ways. To manage that, Pierce County groups each unique combination into a tax code area. The county has more than 200 of them.

Two homes can both have a Puyallup mailing address and sit in different tax code areas because:

• One is inside the city limits and one is in unincorporated Pierce County
• They are in different school districts
• They are in different fire districts
• One is in a district that recently passed a bond or levy

Inside the city, you pay the City of Puyallup's levy. Outside, you do not, but you pay the county road levy and possibly a different fire district levy. Neither side is always cheaper. It depends on the year and on which measures voters have approved.

This is one more reason the city limit line matters. I explain the rest in my post on Puyallup mailing addresses versus city limits.

How to look up any home's taxes

1. Go to the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer parcel search.
2. Enter the street address.
3. Open the parcel record.
4. Look at the tax section for the current bill and the value section for the assessed value.
5. Note the tax code area.

You are looking at the actual bill the current owner received. It is public and free.

For a step-by-step walk through the record, see my post on the Pierce County property tax lookup.

Assessed value is not the sale price

The county sets assessed value by mass appraisal as of January 1 each year, using sales from the prior year. Taxes are then billed the following year.

That timing means:

• Assessed value usually trails the market. In a rising market it is below what the home would sell for. In a falling market it can be above.
• Paying more than the assessed value for a home does not reset your tax to the sale price. Washington does not reassess on sale the way some states do. The county does consider sales when it revalues the whole area.
• Your first bill as an owner will look like the previous owner's bill, adjusted for the annual revaluation and any levy changes.

When taxes are due

Pierce County mails statements in February.

• First half: due April 30
• Second half: due October 31

You can pay the full year in April if you prefer. If you have a mortgage with an escrow account, your lender collects one-twelfth each month and pays the county for you.

More detail is in my post on when Pierce County property taxes are due.

Why the bill changes from year to year

Three things move it.

1. Voter-approved measures. Washington limits the growth of each district's regular levy. School bonds, school levies, and fire levy lid lifts approved by voters sit outside that limit. When one passes, the bill rises.

2. Your value relative to your neighbors. Each district collects a set amount and divides it among property owners by value. If your home's value rose faster than the district average, your share goes up. If it rose more slowly, your share goes down, even if your value went up.

3. New construction and district budgets. Regular levies can grow by a limited percentage plus the value of new construction.

A common misunderstanding is that a 10% jump in assessed value means a 10% jump in taxes. It does not work that way. Rates adjust downward when values rise across the board.

I go through this in my post on why Puyallup property taxes go up.

The limits in state law

Two limits are worth knowing by name.

• The 1% constitutional limit. Regular property tax levies combined cannot exceed 1% of a property's true and fair value, or $10 per $1,000. Voter-approved excess levies, such as school levies and bonds, are outside this limit, which is why total rates can exceed it.
• The levy growth limit. A taxing district's regular levy revenue can grow by only a small percentage per year, plus new construction, without voter approval.

Pierce County's levy page explains both.

Other charges on the statement

Your statement may include items that are not property tax in the strict sense.

• Surface water management fee in unincorporated areas
• Noxious weed assessment
• Conservation district assessment
• Flood control zone district
• Local improvement district charges, if the property is in one

These are usually small individually. Check the detail on the bill.

Exemptions and deferrals

Washington offers property tax relief for specific groups.

• Senior citizens and people with disabilities who meet age or disability, ownership, residency, and income requirements can qualify for an exemption that freezes the taxable value and exempts some levies.
• Deferral programs let qualifying owners postpone taxes, which then become a lien repaid later.
• Disabled veterans with qualifying ratings may be eligible under the same program.

Pierce County administers these. See the county's page for senior citizens and disabled persons and my post on the senior exemption.

If you are buying from an owner who has an exemption, the tax bill on the record will be lower than what you will pay. Ask your broker or the county for the unexempted amount.

If you think the value is wrong

You can appeal your assessed value to the Pierce County Board of Equalization. The deadline falls in the summer, after value notices are mailed, not when the tax bill arrives.

An appeal can lower your value. It does not change the levy rates. I explain the process in my post on appealing a Pierce County assessment.

Property tax and your mortgage payment

Most buyers pay taxes through an escrow account. Each month the lender collects principal, interest, and one-twelfth of the estimated annual tax and insurance.

Once a year the lender reviews the account. If taxes rose, your monthly payment goes up, and you may owe a shortage for the months already past.

Plan for that. A fixed-rate mortgage fixes the principal and interest. It does not fix the tax and insurance portions.

Property tax when you buy or sell

At closing, the escrow company prorates the current year's taxes between buyer and seller as of the closing date.

• If the seller has already paid for a period that extends past closing, the buyer reimburses the seller for those days.
• If taxes are due but unpaid, the seller's share is collected at closing.
• The buyer's lender usually collects several months of taxes up front to start the escrow account.

That initial escrow deposit is part of your cash to close, and buyers sometimes overlook it. Your lender's loan estimate shows the amount.

Sellers also pay the state's real estate excise tax at closing. That is a separate tax on the sale itself, not part of the annual property tax. I explain it in my post on the cost to sell a house in Puyallup.

Improvements and your assessment

Adding value to a home adds to its assessed value. When you take out a permit for an addition, a finished basement, a new garage, or an accessory dwelling, the county is notified and updates the property's characteristics.

Maintenance does not have the same effect. Replacing a roof, repainting, or installing a new furnace keeps the home in the condition the assessment already assumes.

Washington also has a limited exemption for home improvements to a single-family residence, which can defer the added value from taxation for a few years if you apply before the work is finished. Ask the Assessor-Treasurer's office whether your project qualifies.

It is also worth checking that the county's record of your home is right. If it lists more square footage, bathrooms, or outbuildings than you have, your assessment is built on the error.

Estimating taxes on a home you might buy

For a quick comparison of several homes:

1. Look up each parcel's current tax.
2. Check whether the current owner has a senior or disabled exemption, which would understate the bill.
3. For new construction, the record may show land value only. Ask the builder or the county for an estimate on the finished home.
4. Divide by 12 and add it to your payment estimate.

For new construction, this step is important. The first bill after a home is built can be far higher than the bill on the vacant lot, and buyers who budgeted from the old number get a surprise.

How Puyallup compares

Property tax rates across Pierce County fall within a fairly narrow band. Differences between Puyallup, South Hill, Sumner, Bonney Lake, and Tacoma exist, but the larger driver of your bill is the value of the home.

Compared with other states, Washington's effective property tax rate is in the middle. The state has no tax on wages, which shifts more of the load to property and sales taxes.

What your taxes pay for

It can help to see the bill as a list of services.

• The schools your address is assigned to
• The fire engine and medics who respond
• The police or sheriff
• Roads, parks, and libraries
• The port and regional services

When a measure is on the ballot, the voters' pamphlet states the rate per $1,000 it would add. Multiply by your assessed value divided by 1,000 to see what it would cost you.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Puyallup?

It varies by tax code area. Total rates in the area have generally been near $10 per $1,000 of assessed value, or about 1%, in recent years. Look up the exact rate and bill for any parcel in the Pierce County parcel search.

How do I calculate property tax on a house in Puyallup?

Divide the assessed value by 1,000 and multiply by the total levy rate for the parcel's tax code area. For a rough estimate, use 1% of the home's value.

Are property taxes higher inside Puyallup city limits?

Not necessarily. City parcels pay the city levy, while unincorporated parcels pay the county road levy and may be in different fire or other districts. Compare actual bills.

When are property taxes due in Pierce County?

The first half is due April 30 and the second half is due October 31. Statements are mailed in February.

Does buying a house reset the property tax in Washington?

No. Washington does not reassess to the sale price at the time of sale. The county revalues properties annually using market data.

Related reading

• Puyallup Mailing Address vs. City Limits: Why It Matters
• Cost of Living in Puyallup: What It Takes to Live Comfortably
• Hidden Costs of Buying a Home in Puyallup
• How Much Income Does a Family Need to Live in Puyallup?

Equal Housing Opportunity. Austin Robertson, License # 21036843, Austin Robertson and Allena Robertson Real Estate Brokers, regulated by the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL). This article is general information only. It is not legal, tax, insurance, lending, or construction advice, and it is not an appraisal of any property. Robertson & Co. supports fair housing and does not describe or recommend neighborhoods based on who lives there. Costs, rates, and rules change. Confirm the details with the sources linked above before you act.