Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Counties Where Utilities Cost More Than Property Tax in Washington
Property tax gets all the attention, but in much of the country the electricity and water bill is the larger line item. These are the counties where the gap is widest, using state residential electricity prices from the EIA.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
Washington ranked
| # | County | Utilities over tax | Effective rate | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garfield County | $100 | 0.610% | $214,200 |
| 2 | Lincoln County | $73 | 0.595% | $272,300 |
| 3 | Ferry County | $59 | 0.653% | $274,500 |
| 4 | Stevens County | $40 | 0.655% | $308,000 |
| 5 | Pend Oreille County | $38 | 0.665% | $307,800 |
| 6 | Wahkiakum County | $35 | 0.605% | $344,500 |
| 7 | Adams County | $33 | 0.837% | $251,300 |
| 8 | Okanogan County | $26 | 0.772% | $284,200 |
| 9 | Columbia County | $24 | 0.865% | $256,100 |
| 10 | Pacific County | $21 | 0.821% | $274,000 |
| 11 | Grant County | $19 | 0.823% | $275,700 |
| 12 | Asotin County | $18 | 0.800% | $286,200 |
| 13 | Yakima County | $17 | 0.818% | $281,100 |
| 14 | Klickitat County | $8 | 0.618% | $388,700 |
| 15 | Lewis County | $6 | 0.712% | $341,500 |
| 16 | Grays Harbor County | $5 | 0.873% | $279,500 |
| 17 | Whitman County | $-5 | 0.794% | $323,300 |
| 18 | Franklin County | $-11 | 0.763% | $345,700 |
| 19 | Mason County | $-28 | 0.751% | $377,400 |
| 20 | Clallam County | $-30 | 0.742% | $385,600 |
| 21 | Benton County | $-34 | 0.788% | $369,400 |
| 22 | Cowlitz County | $-40 | 0.813% | $367,400 |
| 23 | Douglas County | $-55 | 0.786% | $402,900 |
| 24 | Spokane County | $-58 | 0.863% | $370,500 |
| 25 | Chelan County | $-61 | 0.711% | $454,900 |
| 26 | Kittitas County | $-63 | 0.708% | $459,900 |
| 27 | Skamania County | $-73 | 0.715% | $472,600 |
| 28 | Walla Walla County | $-74 | 0.901% | $375,600 |
| 29 | Jefferson County | $-91 | 0.726% | $495,100 |
| 30 | Island County | $-105 | 0.703% | $535,300 |
| 31 | Whatcom County | $-110 | 0.712% | $536,100 |
| 32 | Skagit County | $-125 | 0.824% | $486,200 |
| 33 | Kitsap County | $-127 | 0.797% | $505,700 |
| 34 | Thurston County | $-128 | 0.895% | $451,500 |
| 35 | Clark County | $-131 | 0.836% | $487,900 |
| 36 | San Juan County | $-136 | 0.569% | $726,500 |
| 37 | Pierce County | $-171 | 0.940% | $484,400 |
| 38 | Snohomish County | $-218 | 0.794% | $644,600 |
| 39 | King County | $-357 | 0.836% | $811,200 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Counties Where Utilities Cost More Than Property Tax across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Washington