Chelan County Assessor

Real Property

Real property includes land, improvements to land, structures, and certain equipment affixed to structures. Characteristics of real property that influence the value include but are not limited to zoning, location, view, geographic features, easements, covenants, and the condition of surrounding properties.

State law requires that County Assessors value all taxable property at 100% of its true and fair market value in terms of money, according to the highest and best use of the property.   That means that the Assessor must first know what similar properties are selling for and what it would cost to replace it.  There are three basic approaches to the valuation of real property:

  1. Market or sales approach:  Comparison of a property with the characteristics of similar properties that have recently been sold.
  2. Cost approach:  Estimate of the replacement cost of a structure, and adjusting that estimated value to account for depreciation and obsolescence.
  3. Income approach:  For Commercial/industrial property; an analysis of a property’s value based on its capacity to generate revenue for the owner.
Fair market value is the amount that a willing and unobligated buyer is willing to pay a willing and unobligated seller.  In other words, it is the price most people would pay for your property in its present condition.  The Assessor does not create the fair market value nor does one sale within a neighborhood or area create the fair market value.  Multiple sales of comparable properties within a neighborhood or area are used to establish the fair market value for that area.  By law, our office is required to use sale data from 2016 to set the fair market value for your property’s 2017 assessed value which was set on January 1, 2017.

Posted: 12/09/2014 02:03 PM
Last Updated: 11/15/2018 05:11 PM

Chelan County Assessor Calendar

Upcoming events and schedules at the county!

  • 27
    Mar 2024
    07:00 PM - 08:00 PM

    Assessor's Office Community Meeting: Cashmere, South Wenatchee and Malaga

    Posted by: Chelan County Assessor

    Chelan County Assessor Wes Cornelius invites property owners and all interested parties to attend one of four community meetings scheduled this spring throughout the county.

    Wenatchee High School (new commons area)
  • 24
    Apr 2024
    07:00 PM - 08:00 PM

    Assessor's Office Community Meeting: Entiat and North Wenatchee

    Posted by: Chelan County Assessor

    Chelan County Assessor Wes Cornelius invites property owners and all interested parties to attend one of four community meetings scheduled this spring throughout the county.

    Wenatchee Valley Fire Station No. 11
  • 15
    May 2024
    07:00 PM - 08:00 PM

    Assessor's Office Community Meeting: Leavenworth and Lake Wenatchee

    Posted by: Chelan County Assessor

    Chelan County Assessor Wes Cornelius invites property owners and all interested parties to attend one of four community meetings scheduled this spring throughout the county.

    Chelan County Fire District 3 station
  • 26
    Jun 2024
    07:00 PM - 08:00 PM

    Assessor's Office Community Meeting: Chelan and Manson

    Posted by: Chelan County Assessor

    Chelan County Assessor Wes Cornelius invites property owners and all interested parties to attend one of four community meetings scheduled this spring throughout the county.

    Chelan City Hall