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1. What laws affect how the assessor appraises my property?

Washington State law requires assessors to appraise property at 100% of its "true and fair market value" in money according to the "highest and best use" of the property. That means the assessor must first know what similar properties are selling for, what it would cost to replace it, and what the current interest rates are for borrowing the money to buy or build properties like yours. There are three basic approaches to the valuation of real property:

1. Market or sales approach: comparison of a property with the characteristics of similar properties that have recently been sold.
2. Cost approach: estimate of the replacement cost of a structure and adjusting that estimate to account for depreciation.
3. Income approach: analysis of a property's value based on its capacity to generate revenue for the owner.

2. What is market value?

It is the amount of money that a willing and unobligated buyer is willing to pay a willing unobligated seller. In other words, it is the price most people would pay for your property in its present condition.

3. Can I appeal my new assessed value?

Yes. If you disagree with the value of your property, call the Assessor's Office phone number listed on your change of value notice and ask to talk to an appraiser. The appraiser will be glad to answer your questions and examine the valuation of the property. If you cannot come to an agreement, the appraiser will explain how to appeal with the Snohomish County Board of Equalization (BOE). You must file a completed petition with the BOE within 60 days of when the change of value notice was mailed or by July 1st, whichever is later. Appeal forms are available from the clerk of the board at 425-388-3407. The appeal process does not require an attorney, but you will need to present evidence that the assessor's value is incorrect.
Read the appealing your property assessment document for more information.

4. Why do we have property taxes?

Taxing authorities such as school districts, park districts, and city councils adopt their budgets and levy taxes to deliver the services that taxpayers want and authorize.  Taxing authorities require money to provide those services.  Property taxes are also used to pay for special voter-approved measures such as school enrichment levies, bonds, and emergency medical levies.

5. If assessed value increases, do taxes have to increase?

No. Raising property values does not increase taxes. Taxing districts' budgets are limited by how much their budgets can increase under the 1% levy limit.

For example, let's say a portion of your tax bill is for a city:

• The city taxing authority decides how much money the property tax has to collect that year, say $1 million.
• Assessors estimate the total assessed value (A/V) of all taxable property within the city, say $500 million.
• A tax rate (levy rate) is calculated by dividing the amount of tax to be raised by the total A/V of the city: $1 million/$500 million = $2 per thousand dollars of A/V.
• If your home's assessed value is $100,000, your share of the taxes will be: .002 x 100,000 = $200.
• If the assessed value of property within the city doubles to $1 billion, and the amount to be raised stays the same, the tax rate will be: $1 million/$1 billion = $1 per thousand dollars of A/V. Your taxes, if your home doubles in value, will still be $200: .001 x $200,000 = $200.

6. If assessed value decrease, do taxes have to decrease?

No, not unless the decrease in assessed value for a taxing district causes the taxing authority to exceed the statutory limit for its regular levy rate. Read examples in the examples of assessed value document.

7. Is it possible to make a "ballpark estimate" of how much the taxes will be on a piece of property that I am thinking about buying, or a structure that I might build?

Yes.  The average 2022 tax rate in Snohomish County is about $9.30 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.  Rates vary from area to area and from year to year, but multiplying the number of thousands of dollars of price or cost by $9.30 will provide a rough estimate of taxes.   Tax rates ranged from a low of $5.4711 to a high of $11.4908 depending on where you live in the county.

8. How does Washington State rank in terms of property tax collected per household when compared to other states?

View the national governments chart regarding property taxes.

9. What are tax code areas and taxing districts levy limits?

View the Levy Limits & Taxing Districts page for more information.

10. What is a taxing district?

"Taxing district" means the state and any county, city, town, port district, school district, road district, metropolitan park district, regional transit authority, water-sewer district, or other municipal corporation, having the power or legal authority to impose burdens upon property within the district on an ad valorem basis, for the purpose of obtaining revenue for public purposes, as distinguished from municipal corporations authorized to impose burdens, or for which burdens may be imposed for public purposes, on property in proportion to the increase in benefits received.  

11. How do I contact a city, fire district, school district or other taxing district?

City page

Fire District page

School District page

Other Taxing District page

12. How can I determine city and subdivision boundaries?

View the City Taxing Districts page for more information.

13. When will the assessor update assessments?

Snohomish County updates all taxable real and personal property assessed values annually as of January 1 of each year. The Official Notice Of Assessed Value will be mailed for most properties in June of that year and the property value will be taxed in the following year. The dates are set by state law and apply whether property values are decreasing and increasing.

For example, Properties are assessed as of January 1, 2022. The 2022 Official Notice Of Assessed Value are then mailed in June 2022. The values in the June 2022 notice are used to calculate property taxes owed in 2023.