King County (Seattle) closing costs
The county-specific transfer tax and deed recording fees for King County (Seattle), Washington - the local details that change your total beyond the statewide rate.
- Effective transfer tax
- 1.28%
- ≈ $5,120 on a $400,000 home
- Typical lender + 3rd-party fees
- $7,508
- median of 17,893 purchase loans · HMDA 2023
King County (Seattle) compared with Washington counties
In the verified Washington county records we have, King County (Seattle)'s effective transfer-tax rate ranks #1 of 5 by highest rate. At $400,000, the county-specific transfer tax is $5,120, which is the same as the state-level calculation before city surtaxes.
- County rank
- #1 of 5
- within verified Washington county pages
- Tax at $400,000
- $5,120
- state baseline $5,120
- HMDA fee sample
- 17,893
- purchase loans in 2023
King County (Seattle) transfer-tax data: official source linked on this page, reviewed 2026-Q2.
Transfer tax in King County (Seattle)
Seller pays. King County's local REET is at the high end (0.50%).
Recording fees in King County (Seattle)
Graduated state REET plus a local REET of 0.50% in most King County jurisdictions (Seattle included). Recording fee is a flat per-document charge regardless of page count.
Official recorder: King County (Seattle) recorder ↗ — the authoritative source for the current recording fee schedule.
What lenders actually charge in King County (Seattle)
Across 17,893 home-purchase mortgages originated in King County (Seattle) in 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services such as appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — were $7,508, of which about $4,178 was the lender’s own origination charges. That is reported loan-level data from every lender under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act — not a national average — so it reflects what buyers in this county actually paid. Lender fees vary widely, so comparing a few rate quotes is the single biggest lever on your closing total.
Source: FFIEC HMDA Data Browser ↗ (2023 purchase originations, FIPS 53033, ODC-BY 1.0). Median total loan costs exclude prepaids and escrow.
Estimate your King County (Seattle) closing costs
Pre-set to Washington. County-level taxes above may add to this estimate.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the transfer tax in King County (Seattle)?
King County (Seattle) (Washington): the applicable real-estate transfer tax works out to about 1.28%. Seller pays. King County's local REET is at the high end (0.50%).
What are recording fees in King County (Seattle)?
Graduated state REET plus a local REET of 0.50% in most King County jurisdictions (Seattle included). Recording fee is a flat per-document charge regardless of page count.
How much are closing costs in King County (Seattle)?
Closing costs in King County (Seattle) follow Washington's structure plus this county's specific transfer-tax and recording fees. Use the calculator below for an estimate; for the exact recording schedule, the county recorder is the authoritative source.
What do lenders charge in fees in King County (Seattle)?
In 2023, the median total loan costs — lender fees plus third-party services like appraisal and title, excluding prepaids and escrow — across 17,893 home-purchase mortgages in King County (Seattle) were about $7,508, of which roughly $4,178 was the lender's own origination charges. This is reported loan-level data under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act; actual fees vary by lender, so comparing quotes matters.
Closest Washington county comparisons
Sibling links are ordered by nearby verified effective transfer-tax rate, so each county page connects to genuinely comparable counties.