Washington, DC · Updated Oct 2026

What a Washington house pays

Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.

Sent only to free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a Washington house

$10,215a year · $851 a month

Starts at the typical market value, $737,100; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.

Property tax$5,484
0.850% of $737,100, less $91,950 homestead deduction
Electricity and gas$2,861
614 kWh a month $1,744 · 52.25 therms $1,116
Water and sewer$1,871
5.42 units (CCF) a month on DC Water: water $56, sewer $95, dc stormwater fee, single-family home at 1.0 eru (700 to 2,000 sq ft of impervious surface) $4 a month
TrashIncluded
No separate trash fee
Home insuranceNot included
We don't have a typical premium for this city yet. Add yours with Adjust.

A Washington house at the typical market value ($737,100) pays about $10,200 a year: $5,480 property tax and charges, $1,870 water and sewer, $2,860 electricity and gas; trash is paid through property tax, and home insurance is not included (no typical premium yet). Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 20, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Ways to pay less

One change saves this house about $33 a year:

Bring water use down to 4 units
$33 a year
Above 4 units a month, DC Water charges $9.22 a unit instead of $7.31.
How: Most of the top tier is outdoor watering: fix leaks and water less often in summer.

Worth checking

Seniors 65+ or disabled owners: 50% off property tax50% off property tax
Owners 65 or older, or disabled, who own at least 50 percent of the home and whose total household federal adjusted gross income is under $163,500 (tax year 2026) can have their property tax cut by 50 percent.
How: Apply online at MyTax.DC.gov.
Low income: DC Water Customer Assistance Program$218 to $1,572 a year
Income-eligible households get discounts on water and sewer services and/or some fees. Discounts range from $218 to $1,572 a year. DOEE verifies income.
How: Call DOEE at 202-350-9649.
Cut the Clean Rivers charge with rain gardens or rain barrelsUp to 20% off the CRIAC
Customers who manage stormwater on their property (rain gardens, rain barrels, pervious paving and similar practices) can earn up to a 20% discount on the CRIAC portion of their bill.
How: Apply through DOEE's RiverSmart Rewards Program; DOEE decides eligibility.
Low income (LIHEAP-eligible): free Pepco distribution chargesDistribution charges credited
Pepco customers certified by the DC government as eligible for LIHEAP get a monthly credit for the full distribution customer charge and distribution energy charge, for 18 months after certification.
How: Get certified as LIHEAP-eligible by the DC government.
Low income (LIHEAP-eligible): Washington Gas Residential Essential ServiceWinter distribution charges waived
Customers who heat with gas and are certified by DOEE as LIHEAP-eligible get a discount equal to 100% of the customer and distribution charges on November through April bills.
How: Get LIHEAP certification from the DC Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE).

Money dates

Mar 31First-half real property tax payment due (covers October 1 to March 31).
Mar 31File the homestead deduction application by March 31 to get it for the whole tax year; filed April 1 to September 30, it gives half the benefit on the second-half bill.
Sep 15Second-half real property tax payment due (covers April 1 to September 30).
45 days after purchaseNew owners can usually file a petition for an administrative review of their assessment within 45 days of the purchase date.

Who serves this house

Water: DC Water; DC Water residential rates for fiscal year 2027, beginning October 2, 2026; DC Water invoices customers monthly
Property tax: 0.85% of value; 2026 tax year (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026), District of Columbia
Garbage: DC Department of Public Works (DPW); Trash and recycling collected from single-family homes and buildings with three or fewer living units
Electricity: Pepco; Residential Schedule R: $18.09 customer charge a month in 2026

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: The Potomac River, a surface water supply. DC Water buys treated water from the Washington Aqueduct, run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Hardness: Total hardness averaged 126 ppm (7 grains per gallon), with a range of 78 to 175 ppm.
Lead: The 90th-percentile lead result was 2 ppb in both monitoring periods (action level 15 ppb); 0 and 1 of 105 samples were above the action level.

How these numbers are made

Water and sewer use DC Water's fiscal year 2027 rates, in effect from October 2, 2026, for a 5/8-inch residential meter: $7.75 customer metering fee plus $6.30 water system replacement fee a month, then $6.49 per Ccf for the first 4 Ccf and $8.40 per Ccf above that. We add the District's PILOT fee ($0.62) and right-of-way fee ($0.20) per Ccf to each water tier. Sewer is $12.91 per Ccf of water used.
The Clean Rivers Impervious Area Charge ($25.50 per ERU a month) is counted with sewer, and the District stormwater fee ($4.03 per ERU) as a separate monthly fee, both at 1.0 ERU, DC Water's tier for 700 to 2,099 sq ft of impervious area; your tier depends on your property. Trash is $0: DPW collects from single-family homes with no separate fee.
Property tax: the Class 1 residential rate of $0.85 per $100 of assessed value (the first $2.558 million; the 2026 tax-year homestead deduction is $91,950, saving $781.58). Tax year 2027 homestead figures were not yet posted. The starting value is the Census median value of owner-occupied homes ($737,100, 2020-2024), which includes condominiums; The 10% assessment cap credit for homestead owners and the higher $1.00 rate above $2.558 million are not modeled.
Electricity: Pepco Schedule R 2026 distribution rates and Standard Offer Service supply, weighted by billing months (5 summer months June through October at the July to October 2026 supply rate, 7 winter months at the November 2026 to May 2027 rate). The minimum charges for the first 30 kWh are in the fixed charge. Per-kWh riders included: delivery tax, public space occupancy surcharge, RADS, EATF, underground project charge, procurement cost adjustment ($0.00316, the tariff's current rate) and the ten-year EDIT credit. The Sustainable Energy Trust Fund and Mayor's Energy Surcharge Fund riders and the bill stabilization adjustment are not included because their rates are not stated in the tariff. Starting use is the 614 kWh average residential customer from the DC PSC.
Gas: Washington Gas Rate Schedule No. 1 heating rates from January 1, 2026 ($19.05 a month and 73.20 cents per therm) plus the $0.6839 per therm October 2026 cost of gas Washington Gas posts. The monthly distribution charge adjustment, PROJECTpipes, RES surcharge, rights-of-way fee, delivery tax and trust-fund surcharges are not included because their current per-therm rates are not published in a document we could cite. Starting use is the 627 therms a year (about 52 a month) Washington Gas gives for the average residential heating customer in its January 2026 rate notice.
Insurance is the 2022 District of Columbia average HO-3 premium from NAIC (via Triple-I).
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Washington compares

A typical Washington house against the 320 cities we cover nationwide, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	Washington	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	0.85%	1.23%	lower than 281 of the other 314 cities we cover nationwide
Water	$677	$654	higher than 168 of the other 319 cities we cover nationwide
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$1,194	$735	higher than 258 of the other 284 cities we cover nationwide
Electricity and gas	$2,861	$2,743	higher than 182 of the other 319 cities we cover nationwide
Total	$10,215	$11,671	lower than 212 of the other 319 cities we cover nationwide

Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.

Questions to ask your candidates

Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.

1. Property tax rate

The fact: Washington's property tax rate is 0.85%, lower than 281 of the other 314 cities we cover nationwide. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.

Ask: "Property tax in Washington is 0.85%, lower than 281 of the other 314 cities we cover nationwide. What should that money pay for first, and would you change anything about how it is set?"

2. Sewer and utility-bill fees

The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $1,194 a year, higher than 258 of the other 284 cities we cover nationwide. Some cities bill sewer on the property tax bill instead, which is not counted here.

Ask: "Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here cost about $1,194 a year, higher than 258 of the other 284 cities we cover nationwide. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

See who is running in your city →

Common questions about Washington house costs

What is the property tax rate in Washington?

About 0.85% of the value before exemptions a year (2026 tax year (October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026), District of Columbia), plus flat charges on the same bill.

How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Washington?

About $3,468 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions with the homestead deduction.

How much is the water bill in Washington?

About $156 a month for water and sewer at typical use (5.42 units, or 4,054 gallons a month) on DC Water.

How much does trash pickup cost in Washington?

No separate trash fee

When is property tax due in Washington?

Mar 31: First-half real property tax payment due (covers October 1 to March 31). Sep 15: Second-half real property tax payment due (covers April 1 to September 30).

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Washington?

Yes. Seniors 65+ or disabled owners: 50% off property tax: Owners 65 or older, or disabled, who own at least 50 percent of the home and whose total household federal adjusted gross income is under $163,500 (tax year 2026) can have their property tax cut by 50 percent.

Where can I get help paying utility bills in Washington?

Low income: DC Water Customer Assistance Program: Income-eligible households get discounts on water and sewer services and/or some fees. Discounts range from $218 to $1,572 a year. DOEE verifies income. Call DOEE at 202-350-9649.

How much does a house in Washington cost to run each year?

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