Pierce County is raking in some serious dough thanks to a sharp rise in new construction, ringing in at a hefty $2.54 billion for the 2026 tax roll. As detailed in an announcement by Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer Marty Campbell today, this figure represents an 11.3% uptick from last year's addition of $2.26 billion, as reported by Pierce County's official website. The county's new construction average over the past six years has hovered around $2.41 billion, making this year's numbers a standout.
The surge in growth isn't just good news for county officials who predicted lower; it's critical for local towns, schools, and infrastructure, seeing as these funds are set free from yoke of Washington's 1% property tax levy cap. According to the county's announcement, the new constructions run the gamut from residential to commercial properties, including major updates that pump up usable space or functionality.
Eyebrows might really rise at the impressive growth in particular areas, such as the City/Town of Tacoma which alone added over half a billion dollars ($521,948,504) in new construction value. Not to mention, unincorporated areas of the county topped the charts with a massive $1.4 billion contributing to the total figures. Other notable spikes were seen in Lakewood at over $102 million and Sumner at a solid $159 million.
The method behind the madness, so to speak, involves a pretty dry process of permit notifications, inspections by county appraisers, evaluations using income and cost analysis, market data, or comparable sales, and the final step — adding the value to the tax roll by the obligatory deadline of July 31. Property owners hit by these updates can expect to receive their new assessments with the right to appeal; this year's cutoff for appeals is November 25, as indicated by the county.
Campbell, clearly pleased with the outcome, lauded this as "a very positive number for Pierce County" that reflected "strong growth and sustained investment across the region."
