98225 Property Tax Rate
Bellingham, Washington · Part of Whatcom County
Effective Tax Rate
0.68%
11% above state avgMedian Annual Tax
$3,987
$332/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$3,987
Monthly
$332
Eff. Rate
0.68%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 98225 means for your housing budget
Use this ZIP page to compare recurring tax burden before you compare listing prices. The numbers below are Census ZCTA estimates, so they are strongest for neighborhood comparison and weakest for parcel-specific tax planning.
Monthly escrow signal
$332/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.09 percentage points below the Washington average
Washington average: 0.77%
Data confidence
High confidenceThe Census margin of error is $221, about 6% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Whatcom County assessor.
- Check homestead, senior, veteran, and disability exemptions.
- Ask whether purchase triggers reassessment or value-cap reset.
- Review school district and special assessment boundaries.
Lower-rate similar ZIPs
This is informational content, not tax, legal, or mortgage advice. Local assessor records remain the source of truth for a specific property.
Data confidence ledger
Can you trust ZIP 98225 for comparison?
ACS vintage
2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Five-year Census ZCTA estimates.
ZCTA caveat
Census area, not parcel boundary
USPS ZIP routes and taxing districts can differ inside the same area.
Field completeness
3/3 required fields
Median tax, home value, and derived rate are present.
MOE status
Strong ACS confidence
$221 tax MOE, 6% of the median tax estimate.
Last site refresh
March 10, 2026
Dataset and page-quality audit run locally before publication.
County fallback
County advisory available
Whatcom County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 98225
Use the ZIP estimate to compare neighborhoods, then verify these parcel-level inputs before relying on a payment estimate.
Assessed value
The ZCTA median home value is $588,800, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 0.68%, derived from median tax paid divided by median home value.
Exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, disability, and local exemptions can reduce taxable value. Confirm eligibility before estimating escrow.
Reassessment
A purchase can change assessed value depending on Washington and county rules. Ask how sale price affects the next assessment cycle.
Escrow impact
The median tax paid in this ZCTA equals about $332 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Whatcom County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 98225 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 98225
0.68%
Effective rate
Washington Avg
0.77%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in Washington
Lower than 76% of ZIP codes in Washington(24th percentile, 538 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 98225
Property owners in ZIP code 98225 (Bellingham, Washington) pay a median of $3,987/year in property taxes on homes valued at $588,800. This translates to an effective tax rate of 0.68%, which is 12% below the Washington state average of 0.77%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 98225 is approximately $332, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Whatcom County. This is $395 more than the Washington average of $3,592/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in Washington, 98225 has lower property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 99129 (0.68%) and 98524 (0.68%).
In Bellingham, property taxes represent approximately 6.4% of the median household income of $62,220, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
Washington property reassesses at market value upon sale with no state cap; Whatcom County Assessor will establish your assessed value at purchase price with unrestricted annual growth. Whatcom County offers the Senior/Disabled Property Tax Exemption for homeowners 61+ or disabled with qualifying income (state limit approximately $40,000–$45,000) — this significantly reduces your tax burden if eligible. Contact the Whatcom County Assessor immediately after purchase to apply for senior or disability exemptions; the annual filing deadline is March 31.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 98225?
How much are property taxes in Bellingham, WA (98225)?
How does ZIP 98225 compare to the Washington average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 98225?
What county is ZIP code 98225 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$221. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 98225 is part of Whatcom County, Washington. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Whatcom County on TaxByCounty →Explore Bellingham, WA
View all 3 ZIP codes in Bellingham with property tax comparisons.
View Bellingham Property Tax Rates →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 98225
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
98266
Maple Falls, WA
0.26 percentage points lower than ZIP 98225.
Rate
0.42%
Tax
$1,508
Quality
84
98295
Sumas, WA
0.12 percentage points lower than ZIP 98225.
Rate
0.56%
Tax
$2,276
Quality
84
98240
Custer, WA
0.08 percentage points lower than ZIP 98225.
Rate
0.60%
Tax
$3,410
Quality
84
98262
Lummi Island, WA
0.06 percentage points lower than ZIP 98225.
Rate
0.61%
Tax
$3,252
Quality
89
98276
Nooksack, WA
0.04 percentage points lower than ZIP 98225.
Rate
0.63%
Tax
$3,075
Quality
84
98281
Point Roberts, WA
0.04 percentage points lower than ZIP 98225.
Rate
0.64%
Tax
$2,940
Quality
84
98230
Blaine, WA
0.02 percentage points lower than ZIP 98225.
Rate
0.66%
Tax
$3,097
Quality
89
98004
Bellevue, WA
0.18 percentage points lower than ZIP 98225.
Rate
0.50%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
82
Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates (ZCTA level). ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census approximations of USPS ZIP codes.
Estimates are informational only and should not be used as financial or legal advice.