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King County

Washington · Most recent sourced sale

Sale date (already held)September 9, 2026
Sale typedeed
PlatformOnline (9am PT — 2nd/3rd offers Sept 16 and 23 if needed)
Washington rate / penaltyNone — deed sold at auction

County snapshot

Population (2024)2,340,211
Change since 2020+2.9%
Net migration (2024)+35,932

King County has grown 2.9% since 2020 and still shows positive net migration (35,932 people in 2024). Demand for housing usually means owners redeem rather than walk away — good for the interest, less good if you were hoping to take the deed.

By population, King County is the 1st largest of Washington's 39 counties. It has grown more slowly than the state average (+3.6% across Washington) — often where the less contested certificates are, and also where the risk sits. Of the 2024 change, 35,932 came from people moving in and 7,415 from births outnumbering deaths.

Counties of similar size in Washington with a sale on our calendar: Pierce County, Snohomish County, Spokane County. Useful if this county's sale has already closed and you want the next comparable one.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Census population estimates. Population figures are estimates, not a count.

Property & tax profile

Median home value$859,900
Median tax / year$7,114
Tax / home value0.8%
Owned outright30.5%
“Other vacant”1.6%
Median year built1983

The median homeowner in King County pays $7,114 a year in property tax — above the Washington median of $4,556 (U.S.: $3,119). That is roughly what a typical home here owes for each year it goes unpaid — the debt that the opening bid at a deed sale is usually built from, plus interest and costs. Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $7,061; homes owned outright, $7,245.

On a home with a mortgage, the lender has its own reason to pay a delinquent tax bill: the tax lien outranks the mortgage, and a tax deed can wipe out the loan. On a home owned outright, nobody but the owner — or the heirs — has that reason. In King County, 30.5% of owner-occupied homes are owned outright (Washington: 33.9%, U.S.: 39.4%). That is less than the state as a whole: more of the delinquent bills here sit on mortgaged homes, where the lender often steps in.

6.2% of all housing units in King County are vacant. The figure that matters for a buyer at the tax sale is the Census “other vacant” category — not for rent, not for sale, not a holiday home, but a catch-all that includes foreclosures, homes held up by legal proceedings or family reasons, homes needing repairs, and abandoned ones. Here it is 1.6% of all units (Washington: 2.0%, U.S.: 3.6%). Close to the state rate.

Half of the homes in King County were built in or before 1983 (Washington: in or before 1985). The typical tax bill is 5.7% of the median household income of $124,746 (Washington: 4.6%).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates (tables B25077, B25103, B25081, B25002, B25004, B25035, B19013) — see the figures on data.census.gov. Survey estimates with margins of error; anything too uncertain to state is left out.

View official source ↗

Unclaimed surplus from past sales

King County publishes an official list of surplus left over from its tax sales: "Tax foreclosure excess funds data (by auction year)", from the Treasury Operations. If a former owner or an heir is on it, they can claim the money from that office.

Open the official list ↗·How claiming works in Washington

Quick answers

When is the King County tax sale?+

The most recently sourced King County, Washington tax sale date was September 9, 2026 — that cycle has closed, and the next date is not on our calendar yet. Check the source below, or sign up for deal alerts for the next one.

Is King County a good county to buy tax deed properties in?+

King County has grown 2.9% since 2020 and still shows positive net migration (35,932 people in 2024). Demand for housing usually means owners redeem rather than walk away — good for the interest, less good if you were hoping to take the deed. Population in 2024: 2,340,211. These are U.S. Census Bureau estimates, not a recommendation — the county's own delinquency and redemption history matters more, and only the Washington treasurer publishes that.

How much is the property tax in King County?+

The median homeowner in King County pays $7,114 a year, about 0.8% of the median home value of $859,900 (Washington: 0.8%). Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $7,061, homes owned outright $7,245. These are U.S. Census Bureau survey estimates (American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates); the exact bill for a parcel depends on its assessed value and local rates, and the county tax collector has it.

What type of sale is it?+

King County holds a tax deed sale. Washington's statewide system: tax deed. What the buyer earns: none — deed sold at auction.

What's the redemption period in King County?+

King County follows Washington's statewide redemption period: None after the sale (exception: 3 years for minors and adjudicated incompetents).

Other Washington sales near this date

Every Washington page →

Other sales in September 2026

Want the full statutory picture for Washington, not just King County? Read the Washington state page for the rate, redemption period, and every other county we've sourced.

See every other scheduled sale on the full auction calendar, the upcoming Washington sales, or sign up for deal alerts to hear about new Washington dates as soon as we add them.

This page is general information, not financial or legal advice. Auction dates get postponed, cancelled, or rescheduled — always confirm against the official source above before showing up or bidding. Verified 2026-09-03.