Thurston County tax rates for 2026 run from about $7 to more than $14 per $1,000 of assessed value for property taxes, with the exact figure depending on which city, school, and fire districts overlap your parcel. Combined sales tax reaches 9.7% inside Lacey, Tumwater, and Olympia, and sits lower in unincorporated areas. The Thurston County Assessor sets property values and the Treasurer bills and collects.1Thurston County. Tax Rates
Property Tax Rates for 2026
Your total property tax rate is the sum of every taxing district that covers your parcel. For collection year 2026, those layers break down as follows.1Thurston County. Tax Rates
State School Levies
Every parcel in the county pays $1.40 per $1,000 for State Schools Part 1 and $0.75 per $1,000 for Part 2, for a baseline $2.15.
County Levies
- Current Expense: $0.81 per $1,000
- Road Fund: $0.71 per $1,000
- Conservation Futures: $0.03 per $1,000
City Levies
If your property sits inside city limits, add the municipal rate:
- Olympia: $1.92
- Tumwater: $1.72
- Tenino: $1.17
- Bucoda: $1.09
- Yelm: $0.97
- Rainier: $0.85
- Lacey: $0.73
School District Levies
Voter-approved local school levies are the single largest variable in most bills:
- Olympia #111: $4.45
- North Thurston #3: $4.37
- Rainier #307: $4.26
- Tumwater #33: $4.07
- Tenino #402: $3.11
- Rochester #401: $2.41
- Yelm #2: $1.07
Other Districts
Fire district rates in 2026 range from $1.42 (Griffin) to $2.36 (McLane Black Lake). Timberland Regional Library adds $0.22, Medic One adds $0.35, and metropolitan park districts and other special-purpose levies may stack on top. Properties in unincorporated areas skip the city line but still carry every other layer.1Thurston County. Tax Rates
How the Rate Turns Into a Dollar Amount
Multiply your assessed value by the combined levy rate, then divide by 1,000. A $450,000 home in a code with a combined rate of $12.00 owes $5,400 for the year.
The Washington State Constitution caps regular property tax levies at one percent of true and fair value, which is $10.00 per $1,000.2Washington State Legislature. Washington State Constitution – Article VII, Section 2 Voter-approved levies for schools, fire protection, and bonds sit outside that cap, which is why most Thurston County levy codes exceed $10 per $1,000 in practice.3Washington State Legislature. RCW 84.52.043 – Limitation of Levies
Rates can shift year to year even if your home hasn’t changed. When assessed values rise countywide, levy rates often drop to compensate; new voter-approved measures tend to push bills back up.
Sales and Use Tax Rates
Washington’s statewide base sales tax is 6.5%, with counties and cities layering on local taxes.4Washington Department of Revenue. Retail Sales Tax State law authorizes both the county and each city to add their own by ordinance.5Washington State Legislature. RCW 82.14.030 – Sales and Use Tax Authorized
Lacey and Tumwater both carry a combined rate of 9.7%, and Olympia sits in the same range.6Washington Department of Revenue. Q4 2025 Local Sales and Use Tax Rates Unincorporated Thurston County generally runs lower because no city tax applies, though some special-purpose district taxes may still be added.
Rates change quarterly. The Department of Revenue’s Tax Rate Lookup returns the exact rate for any specific address.7Washington Department of Revenue. Tax Rate Lookup If you run a business, check at the start of each quarter to avoid reporting errors.
Finding the Rate for Your Specific Property
The Assessor’s A+ Parcel Search lets you pull any property by parcel number, owner name, or street address.8Thurston County. Thurston County Assessor’s A+ Parcel Look-Up System Each parcel has an 11-digit ID that appears on prior tax bills and in the search tool itself.9Thurston County. Thurston County Treasurer Glossary
The parcel record shows the assessed value, the levy code, and the taxing districts drawing from it. The levy code matters: two homes a mile apart can carry meaningfully different totals if one is inside a city or a different fire district. Confirm your own code before comparing bills with a neighbor.
Payment Deadlines and Late Penalties
Thurston County property taxes are due in two installments: April 30 for the first half and October 31 for the second. If your total annual bill is under $50, the whole amount is due April 30.10Washington State Department of Revenue. 2026 Property Tax Calendar
The Treasurer accepts e-check payments online at no cost, debit cards at a 1.0% fee, and credit cards at a 2.3% fee. None of those fees go to the county.11Thurston County, Washington. 2026 First Half Property Taxes Due Today – Thursday April 30 Mailed checks must be postmarked by the deadline and sent to the Thurston County Treasurer, 3000 Pacific Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501. A secure drop box outside the Treasurer’s office handles after-hours payments.12Thurston County. Second Half of 2025 Property Taxes Due October 31
Owner-occupied residential properties with four or fewer units face no late penalty, though interest continues to accrue on any unpaid balance. Commercial properties, rentals with more than four units, and personal property take a 3% penalty on any delinquency starting June 1, and another 8% starting December 1, for a total of 11% on top of interest.13Washington State Legislature. RCW 84.56.020
If you have a mortgage escrow, your lender probably pays the tax from that account. Confirm each year that payment actually went through, because the county holds you, not the lender, responsible for an unpaid balance.
Exemptions and Deferrals That Can Lower Your Rate
Thurston County administers a property tax exemption for senior citizens, people with disabilities, and certain disabled veterans. You must meet all three criteria in the assessment year:
- At least 61 years old by December 31, or unable to work due to disability, or a veteran with an 80% or greater service-connected disability rating.
- You own and live in the home more than six months of the year.
- Total combined disposable income of $59,000 or less.14Thurston County. Property Tax Relief Programs
Disposable income counts Social Security, pensions, wages, interest, rental income, and capital gains. VA disability payments are excluded, and you can deduct out-of-pocket costs for prescriptions, Medicare premiums (Parts A through D plus supplemental), home health care, long-term care insurance premiums, and durable medical equipment.14Thurston County. Property Tax Relief Programs
A separate state deferral program lets qualifying homeowners aged 60 or older (or disabled) postpone payment, essentially as a loan against home equity at 5% annual interest. You can defer up to 80% of your equity in the home and land, as long as you carry fire and casualty insurance naming the Department of Revenue as a loss payee. Applications are due at least 30 days before the tax due date, and the income threshold is 75% of county median household income or the prior year’s threshold, whichever is greater.15Washington State Department of Revenue. Property Tax Deferral for Senior Citizens and People with Disabilities
Both programs run through the Assessor’s office. An approved exemption applies to the following tax year, not the current one, so missing the window pushes relief back a full year.16Washington State Legislature. RCW 84.36.381
Appealing Your Assessed Value
If the Assessor’s value looks too high, file a petition with the Thurston County Board of Equalization by July 1 of the assessment year or within 30 days of the value change notice, whichever is later. The county legislative authority can extend that window to up to 60 days.17Washington State Legislature. RCW 84.40.038
A recent arm’s-length sale of your property or a professional appraisal from within the past year is the strongest evidence. For a comparables argument, pull assessed values for similar homes nearby using A+ Parcel Search and focus on matches for age, style, square footage, and condition.
If the Board of Equalization rules against you, you have 30 days from the mailing date of its decision to appeal to the Washington State Board of Tax Appeals, which has no authority to extend that deadline.18Washington State Board of Tax Appeals. Property Tax Appeal