Yakima County
Washington · Upcoming sale ·
County snapshot
Yakima County's population has been roughly flat since 2020 (+0.7%), with net migration of 432 in 2024. Stable counties tend to behave predictably: most certificates redeem, few end in a deed.
By population, Yakima County is the 8th 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, 432 came from people moving in and 886 from births outnumbering deaths.
Counties of similar size in Washington with a sale on our calendar: Kitsap County, Whatcom County, Thurston 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
The median homeowner in Yakima County pays $2,463 a year in property tax — below 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 $2,655; homes owned outright, $2,092.
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 Yakima County, 43.1% of owner-occupied homes are owned outright (Washington: 33.9%, U.S.: 39.4%). That is more than the state as a whole, so a larger share of the delinquent bills here have no lender behind them.
5.1% of all housing units in Yakima 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 2.3% of all units (Washington: 2.0%, U.S.: 3.6%). Close to the state rate.
Half of the homes in Yakima County were built in or before 1977 (Washington: in or before 1985). The typical tax bill is 3.5% of the median household income of $70,656 (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.
Tax foreclosed properties and distraint mobile homes, per the Bid4Assets calendar (16/10); storefront not open yet.
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Unclaimed surplus from past sales
Yakima County publishes an official list of surplus left over from its tax sales: "Surplus Funds Listing", from the Treasurer. If a former owner or an heir is on it, they can claim the money from that office.
Quick answers
When is the Yakima County tax sale?+
The Yakima County, Washington tax sale is scheduled for December 2, 2026, hosted via Bid4Assets (online, Dec 2–3).
Is Yakima County a good county to buy tax deed properties in?+
Yakima County's population has been roughly flat since 2020 (+0.7%), with net migration of 432 in 2024. Stable counties tend to behave predictably: most certificates redeem, few end in a deed. Population in 2024: 258,523. 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 Yakima County?+
The median homeowner in Yakima County pays $2,463 a year, about 0.8% of the median home value of $310,100 (Washington: 0.8%). Homes with a mortgage pay a median of $2,655, homes owned outright $2,092. 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?+
Yakima 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 Yakima County?+
Yakima 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 →- Nov 17, 2026Pend Oreille CountyTax deed
Bid4Assets (online, 9am–noon PT)
5 parcels from $2,500. $1,500 deposit by Nov 10; wire by Nov 19.
Official source: bid4assets.com ↗checked Oct 16, 2026 - Dec 3, 2026Snohomish CountyTax deed
Online (Bid4Assets, tentative; set by the Final Order of Sale)
Moved because of court hearing date conflicts. Owners can pay in certified funds until Dec 2, 4:59pm.
Official source: snohomishcountywa.gov ↗checked Oct 16, 2026 - Dec 7, 2026Grays Harbor CountyTax deed
Bid4Assets (online)
Tax foreclosed properties auction, per the Bid4Assets calendar (16/10); storefront not open yet.
Official source: bid4assets.com ↗checked Oct 16, 2026 - Dec 7, 2026Spokane CountyTax deed
Bid4Assets (online, Dec 7–8; re-offer Dec 16)
Dates confirmed 16/10 on the Bid4Assets county tax sale calendar ("Spokane County, WA Tax Foreclosed Properties Auction, December 7th – 8th"); the county site (spokanecounty.gov) blocks our location and the Spokane storefront was not open yet.
Other sales in December 2026
All December 2026 sales →- Dec 1, 2026
County tax sale (first Tuesday of the month, 10am)
Monthly sale on the first Tuesday at 10am; December list not posted yet (22/10). Bring the tax office's written statement of no taxes due ($10, notarized request). Pay in full on sale day by cashier's check or money order.
Official source: smith-county.com ↗checked Oct 22, 2026 - Dec 2, 2026
NYSAuctions.com (online only, lots close Dec 2 at 10am)
Town of Greenburgh (Westchester County) tax foreclosure auction. Registration cut-off Nov 30 at 4pm.
Official source: aarauctions.com ↗checked Oct 22, 2026 - Dec 8, 2026
GovEase (online; adjourned upset sale and judicial sale)
Adjourned upset list: 73 parcels (22/10). In-person bidder registration at the Tax Claim Bureau, Doylestown ($100 fee); payment in full by 5pm on auction day by ACH or wire through GovEase. No redemption; upset sale buyers take the property subject to mortgages and liens.
Official source: buckscounty.gov ↗checked Oct 22, 2026 - Dec 8, 2026
County
Official source: saludacounty.sc.gov ↗checked Sep 3, 2026
Want the full statutory picture for Washington, not just Yakima County? Read the Washington state page for the rate, redemption period, and every other county we've sourced, or compare it with tax lien interest rates in every state. If a past sale left money over, how surplus funds are claimed in Washington.
Before you bid: how to research a tax sale property, what a tax lien or deed really costs and the risks investors run.
See every other scheduled sale on the full auction calendar, every sale in December 2026, 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 2026-10-16.