What is the average property tax rate in District of Columbia?

Statewide, District of Columbia's effective property-tax rate is 0.585% — the state median real-estate taxes ($4,312) divided by the state median home value ($737,100), from the Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. The national figure is about 0.937%, which puts District of Columbia at #37 of 51 (1 = highest). Individual counties vary widely; the table above shows every one.

What property tax exemptions are available in District of Columbia?

The Homestead Deduction reduces a property's assessed value by $91,950.00 for tax year 2026, a saving of $781.58; it requires an application on file, owner occupancy, and no more than five dwelling units. Senior citizen or disabled owner relief reduces the tax by 50 percent where the owner holds at least 50 percent of the property and 2024 household federal adjusted gross income was under $163,500. Eligibility and filing are handled by your county assessor, and the exemption you qualify for changes your bill far more than the county you are in — the rates above are county medians and do not account for any exemption.

How do I appeal a property tax assessment in District of Columbia?

The appeal must begin at the first level, an administrative review by the assessor assigned to the property, conducted in person, by telephone or in writing. If unresolved, the owner may appeal to the Real Property Tax Appeals Commission no later than 45 days from the date of the administrative appeal decision notice. RPTAC decisions may then be appealed to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Missing the deadline usually means waiting a full year, so check the date on your own assessment notice rather than relying on a general figure.

When are property taxes due in District of Columbia?

Bills arrive twice a year: the first-half payment is due by March 31, and the second half, mailed in August, is due September 15. The penalty for late payment of real property tax is 10 percent of the tax, and the interest for late payment is 1.5 percent per month. Unpaid liens can be sold at Tax Sale, subject to a right of redemption. If your taxes are paid through a mortgage escrow account, your servicer pays on this schedule on your behalf.

How is property assessed in District of Columbia?

An assessment is the estimated market value of the property, the most probable price for which it could sell given normal terms and conditions of sale. The District currently uses an annual assessment cycle, meaning all real property may be valued for property tax purposes annually, and owners are notified of any change. The assessment is the basis for the tax bill, not itself a tax. This is why an effective rate computed from market value — as every rate on this page is — will not match the millage rate printed on your bill: the two are applied to different bases.

District of Columbia property taxes by county

Statewide effective rate 0.585% · national rank #37 of 51 (1 = highest) · 1 county-equivalents · U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Across District of Columbia, the median owner-occupied home pays $4,312 a year in real-estate taxes on a median home value of $737,100 — an effective property-tax rate of 0.585%. That ranks District of Columbia #37 of 51 states and the District of Columbia (1 = highest). This page carries all 1 District of Columbia county-equivalents in the Census data — 1 with a published effective rate — sortable by rate, taxes paid, home value, income, or five-year change. 1 of them also carry a full detail card here — every median with its Census margin of error, both rankings, the six nearest counties, and the five-year change. It also sets out how property tax actually works in District of Columbia: how property is assessed, which exemptions exist and who qualifies, the deadline and body for an appeal, and the payment schedule and penalties — each hand-sourced from official District of Columbia sources. Figures are U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates.

Statewide figures District of Columbia · ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Effective tax rate: 0.585%
Median real-estate taxes: $4,312 ± $97
Median home value: $737,100
Median household income: $109,870
National rank: #37 of 51
County-equivalents: 1

How property tax varies across District of Columbia

Measured against the national median effective rate of 0.937%, 0 of District of Columbia's 1 ranked counties sit above it and 1 below. District of Columbia as a whole ranks #37 of 51 (1 = highest).

Comparing the non-overlapping Census periods 2015–2019 and 2020–2024, median real-estate taxes rose by a statistically significant amount in 1 of District of Columbia's 1 counties with a comparable trend, fell significantly in 0, and showed no statistically significant change in 0.

Estimate a District of Columbia property tax bill

A median-based estimate, not a quote, an assessment, or a tax bill — it cannot know your assessed value, exemptions, or special districts. How this is computed.

Every District of Columbia county

All 1 District of Columbia county-equivalents in the Census data (1 with a published effective rate). Click a column heading to sort. Counties in bold have a full detail card further down this page — margins of error, nearby counties, and their five-year trend.

Filter counties

District of Columbia county-equivalents by effective property-tax rate (highest first). Median taxes, home value and income are U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimates; the five-year change compares the non-overlapping 2015–2019 and 2020–2024 periods.

District of Columbia	0.585%	$4,312	$4,422	$3,842	$737,100	$109,870	3.9%	#1	#2320	+27.6%

Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-year estimates — tables B25103 (real-estate taxes), B25077 (home value), B19013 (household income) — and the 2024 Census county gazetteer. Public domain (Title 17 U.S.C. §105).

County detail — 1 District of Columbia county in depth

Full figures for the District of Columbia counties most searched for, each with the Census margin of error on every median, both rankings, the five-year change, and the six nearest county-equivalents by centroid distance — nearby, not necessarily bordering, and cross-state neighbours included. For any individual property's assessed value, exemptions and bill, use that county's own assessor or appraisal district; per-county assessor URLs are never guessed here (why).

District of Columbia 0.585% · median tax $4,312 · #2320 nationally

Median taxes — all owner-occupied: $4,312 ± $97
With a mortgage: $4,422 ± $102
Without a mortgage: $3,842 ± $222
Median home value: $737,100 ± $10,625
Median household income: $109,870 ± $1,937
Taxes as share of income: 3.9%
Effective rate: 0.585%
Rank in District of Columbia: #1 of 1
National rank: #2320 of 3,135
Estimated tax on a $735,000 home: $4,300

Median real-estate taxes rose 27.6% over five years ($3,378 → $4,312) — a statistically significant increase at 90% confidence. The effective tax rate rose 0.023 percentage points (0.562% → 0.585%), a change that is itself statistically significant at 90% confidence. Median home value moved $601,500 → $737,100 (+22.5%), and the rate changed +0.023 percentage points.

Nearest counties to District of Columbia:

Arlington County, VA — 0.911%, median tax $8,153, 8 km away
Alexandria city, VA — 0.956%, median tax $7,024, 11 km away
Falls Church city, VA — 0.947%, median tax $10,001, 14 km away
Prince George's County, MD — 1.120%, median tax $4,771, 17 km away
Fairfax County, VA — 1.005%, median tax $7,368, 24 km away
Fairfax city, VA — 0.902%, median tax $6,515, 25 km away

Comparing the non-overlapping Census periods 2015-2019 and 2020-2024 — consecutive 5-year estimates share survey sample and are never compared here.

How property tax works in District of Columbia

Assessment, exemptions, appeals and payment are set by District of Columbia law and practice, so they apply to every county in the table above. Each fact is taken from an official government source and linked to it.

How property is assessed: An assessment is the estimated market value of the property, the most probable price for which it could sell given normal terms and conditions of sale. The District currently uses an annual assessment cycle, meaning all real property may be valued for property tax purposes annually, and owners are notified of any change. The assessment is the basis for the tax bill, not itself a tax. source →
Exemptions & credits: The Homestead Deduction reduces a property's assessed value by $91,950.00 for tax year 2026, a saving of $781.58; it requires an application on file, owner occupancy, and no more than five dwelling units. Senior citizen or disabled owner relief reduces the tax by 50 percent where the owner holds at least 50 percent of the property and 2024 household federal adjusted gross income was under $163,500. source →
Appealing an assessment: The appeal must begin at the first level, an administrative review by the assessor assigned to the property, conducted in person, by telephone or in writing. If unresolved, the owner may appeal to the Real Property Tax Appeals Commission no later than 45 days from the date of the administrative appeal decision notice. RPTAC decisions may then be appealed to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. source →
Payment schedule & penalties: Bills arrive twice a year: the first-half payment is due by March 31, and the second half, mailed in August, is due September 15. The penalty for late payment of real property tax is 10 percent of the tax, and the interest for late payment is 1.5 percent per month. Unpaid liens can be sold at Tax Sale, subject to a right of redemption. source →
Why rates vary within the state: Real property is taxed based on its classification, the grouping of properties by similar use, and different classes are taxed at different rates established by the Council of the District of Columbia. A tax rate is the amount of tax on each $100 of assessed value. Class 1A residential is $0.85 per $100; commercial Class 2 is tiered at $1.65, $1.77 and $1.89 by assessed value. source →
What makes this state's system distinctive: The District taxes Class 3 vacant real property at $5.00 per $100 of assessed value and Class 4 blighted real property at $10.00, roughly six and twelve times the $0.85 residential rate. Classification of Class 3 and Class 4 properties is the sole responsibility of the Department of Buildings, not the Office of Tax and Revenue. source →

Hand-sourced from official government sources — not a substitute for your own assessor's notice, and not legal or tax advice. Where a fact isn't confirmed on an official source, it is left off rather than guessed, which is why some states show fewer rows than others.

Official District of Columbia tax authority

Property tax in District of Columbia is assessed and collected locally. For an individual property's assessed value, exemptions, and bill, use the county assessor or appraisal district. For statewide rules and forms:

District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue →

This state link is hand-verified. Per-county assessor URLs are not published (no verified nationwide source exists) and are never guessed.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average property tax rate in District of Columbia?: Statewide, District of Columbia's effective property-tax rate is 0.585% — the state median real-estate taxes ($4,312) divided by the state median home value ($737,100), from the Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. The national figure is about 0.937%, which puts District of Columbia at #37 of 51 (1 = highest). Individual counties vary widely; the table above shows every one.
What property tax exemptions are available in District of Columbia?: The Homestead Deduction reduces a property's assessed value by $91,950.00 for tax year 2026, a saving of $781.58; it requires an application on file, owner occupancy, and no more than five dwelling units. Senior citizen or disabled owner relief reduces the tax by 50 percent where the owner holds at least 50 percent of the property and 2024 household federal adjusted gross income was under $163,500. Eligibility and filing are handled by your county assessor, and the exemption you qualify for changes your bill far more than the county you are in — the rates above are county medians and do not account for any exemption.
How do I appeal a property tax assessment in District of Columbia?: The appeal must begin at the first level, an administrative review by the assessor assigned to the property, conducted in person, by telephone or in writing. If unresolved, the owner may appeal to the Real Property Tax Appeals Commission no later than 45 days from the date of the administrative appeal decision notice. RPTAC decisions may then be appealed to the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Missing the deadline usually means waiting a full year, so check the date on your own assessment notice rather than relying on a general figure.
When are property taxes due in District of Columbia?: Bills arrive twice a year: the first-half payment is due by March 31, and the second half, mailed in August, is due September 15. The penalty for late payment of real property tax is 10 percent of the tax, and the interest for late payment is 1.5 percent per month. Unpaid liens can be sold at Tax Sale, subject to a right of redemption. If your taxes are paid through a mortgage escrow account, your servicer pays on this schedule on your behalf.
How is property assessed in District of Columbia?: An assessment is the estimated market value of the property, the most probable price for which it could sell given normal terms and conditions of sale. The District currently uses an annual assessment cycle, meaning all real property may be valued for property tax purposes annually, and owners are notified of any change. The assessment is the basis for the tax bill, not itself a tax. This is why an effective rate computed from market value — as every rate on this page is — will not match the millage rate printed on your bill: the two are applied to different bases.

Compare & explore

See the national highest and lowest property-tax rates, or read the methodology behind every figure. The national median effective rate is 0.937%; District of Columbia's statewide figure is 0.585%.