Woodbury 2027 Property Tax Notice: Seller and Buyer Guide
What should Woodbury and east metro sellers and buyers do with the proposed 2027 property tax notice?
The proposed property tax notice that Washington County mails between November 11 and November 24, 2026 is an estimate of your 2027 tax, not a bill, and it does not change your home’s value. It shows your actual 2026 tax next to the 2027 amount each city, school district, and the county has proposed, plus the date of the public budget meeting. Washington County’s preliminary 2027 levy is up 7.9% and Woodbury’s is up 5.9%, and final levies generally cannot exceed what was proposed. If you are selling, use the notice to give buyers an accurate tax number. If you are buying or closing before January, use it to set your escrow and monthly budget.
By Darin Bjerknes | October 19, 2026
Every November, the same envelope lands in Woodbury, Lake Elmo, Stillwater, and Cottage Grove mailboxes, and the same question follows: what do I do with this? If you have a house on the market or a purchase agreement in your folder, the question gets sharper. A buyer’s lender wants a tax figure. A listing shows last year’s number. Your payment estimate, or your net sheet, is built on a tax line that is about to change.
Here is how I walk clients through the notice, what the east metro numbers look like right now, and which parts of it you can actually act on.
What the Proposed Tax Notice Is, and What It Is Not
The notice is a Truth in Taxation notice, required under Minnesota Statute 275.065. It is built from two inputs: the estimated market value and classification of your home as of January 2, 2026 (the number on your March valuation notice), and the levies your taxing jurisdictions certified in September.
It has three parts. Step 1 shows your value, classification, and homestead status. Step 2 shows your proposed 2027 tax. Step 3 is a preview of your 2027 property tax statement, with actual 2026 tax and proposed 2027 tax listed side by side for the county, city, school district, and special districts, along with the meeting date for each.
The calendar for payable 2027, per the Minnesota Department of Revenue:
- September 30, 2026: Counties, cities, and school districts certify proposed levies.
- November 11 to 24, 2026: County treasurer mails the notices.
- November 25 to December 28, 2026: Public budget meetings, which must start at 6:00 p.m. or later.
- December 28, 2026: Final levies are adopted and certified.
- May 15 and October 15, 2027: The two halves of your 2027 tax come due.
The notice is a preview, which is why the meeting dates matter. After December 28, the numbers are set.
What the East Metro Numbers Look Like
These are the figures available as of this week. Each one covers only that jurisdiction’s share of your bill, so your total depends on your school district, your value, and your classification.
- Washington County: A preliminary 2027 levy of $160.7 million, up 7.9%. On a median home of $430,600, the county estimates about $60 more, or 5.8%. Commissioners set the preliminary levy on September 22 and will adopt the final in December.
- Woodbury: A proposed 2027 levy of $60,855,592, up 5.9%. On the city’s median home of $451,500, that is about $65 more, or 4.4%. A council workshop is November 4, and the truth-in-taxation meeting is December 9 at 7:30 p.m., when the council also votes on the 2027 fee ordinance. Proposed utility changes include a $0.90 flat water charge increase, $1.90 more per quarter for sanitary sewer, and an 8% EMS rate increase.
- Last year for comparison: Woodbury’s adopted 2026 levy rose 9.7%, and net city tax on a $441,100 median home went from $1,360 to $1,475.
School districts carry the biggest share. In Washington County’s 2026 factsheet, schools took 41 cents of each tax dollar, cities and towns 29 cents, and the county 20 cents. I do not have final 2027 school figures yet, so your notice is where that number will show up.
For market context, Minnesota Realtors reported an August 2026 Twin Cities median sales price of $405,000, up 1.3%, with 45 average days on market, a 98.2% sale-to-list ratio, and new listings up 8.2% (as reported by FOX 9). That is a market where buyers compare monthly cost line by line.
If You Are Selling
Fix the tax line on your listing. Many listings carry the tax figure from the last payable year. A buyer’s agent will quote that number to a lender, and the lender will build an escrow from it. If your notice shows a proposed increase, tell your agent now so the buyer sees the real number before the inspection period, not at the table.
Know what a tax bump means in dollars. Take an illustrative home with a $9,000 annual tax bill. A 5.8% increase is about $522 a year, or $43 a month. That does not move a $750,000 sale, but it lands in the same week a buyer is stretching on rate and insurance, and it shows up in negotiation. If your home has been sitting, this is one of the line items buyers weigh. I cover that dynamic in House Not Selling in Woodbury, MN? Cut, Relist, or Pull It.
Understand who pays what at closing. If you close in December, you have already paid your 2026 tax in full, and your purchase agreement determines how the buyer reimburses you for the days after closing. The 2027 bills belong to the buyer. My post on property tax proration at a Minnesota closing walks through the math, and how to read your seller’s settlement statement shows where it lands.
If You Are Buying or Closing Before January
Your first tax bill in your name is a payable-2027 bill, with the first half due May 15, 2027. Ask your lender which tax figure they used for escrow. If it is the 2026 bill, your payment will likely rise once the 2027 amount posts.
Two other points:
- Homestead: If you are buying a primary residence, file the homestead application so the home is classified correctly. The deadline and the pitfalls are in Minnesota Homestead Deadline for New Buyers.
- State refunds: The regular homeowner refund (Form M1PR) has an income limit of $147,110 for the 2026 tax year, so it will not apply to most move-up buyers. The special refund has no income limit and pays up to $1,000, but requires a net tax increase of more than 12% and at least $100, and you must have owned and occupied the home on both January 2, 2026 and January 2, 2027. A buyer who closes this fall will not meet that test this cycle. Claims are due August 16, 2027.
Run these numbers with your lender before you write an offer, not after you are under contract. Your specific figure depends on your price, your school district, and your classification.
What You Can Actually Do About It
There are three levers, and they work on different timelines.
The levy: go to the meeting
The levy is the dollar amount a taxing authority decides to raise. The notice gives you a date, a time, and a place. Final levies for counties, school districts, and cities over 500 residents generally cannot exceed the proposed levy, apart from specific add-on levies, so the meeting is the last point where the number can move, and it can only move down. Woodbury’s is December 9. The Washington County Property Tax Mailings page did not list meeting dates when I checked, so confirm the county and your school district’s dates on your notice.
The value: call the assessor, then watch the calendar
If you believe your estimated market value is wrong, the November notice is not where you win that argument. Local board and open book appeals run April 1 to May 1, and the county board meets in June. For 2027 taxes, those windows have closed. The remaining formal route is a Minnesota Tax Court petition, due April 30, 2027 and described by Washington County as a strict deadline. Start by calling the Washington County Assessor at 651-430-6175. A higher value does not automatically mean a higher tax, because tax is the levy divided across the whole tax base. Starting with taxes payable in 2025, the Homestead Market Value Exclusion also grew, and it shrinks as a home’s value rises.
The plan: price the tax into your move
This is the lever most people skip. If you are selling, set your price and your net sheet with the proposed 2027 tax in hand. If you are buying, set your budget on the payable-2027 number. Every situation is different, and the only way to know for sure is to run the numbers with someone who works the east metro every week.
If you are mid-transaction, the same discipline applies to every number that moves between contract and closing. My guide to what happens at a Minnesota title company closing shows where the tax lines fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the proposed property tax notice a bill?
No. It estimates your 2027 tax using your January 2, 2026 value and the levies your county, city, and school district proposed in September. Your actual statement arrives in March 2027, and payments are due May 15 and October 15, 2027.
Can I appeal my home’s value after the November notice arrives?
The standard windows are closed for 2027 taxes: local board and open book meetings run April 1 to May 1, and the county board meets in June. The remaining route is a Minnesota Tax Court petition, due April 30, 2027. Call the Washington County Assessor at 651-430-6175 before you decide.
Can the final levy be higher than the proposed levy?
Generally no. For counties, school districts, and cities over 500 residents, the final levy cannot exceed the proposed levy except for specific add-on levies. Public meetings run November 25 through December 28, 2026, and must start at 6:00 p.m. or later.
Who pays the 2027 property tax if I close in December 2026?
The buyer pays the 2027 bills, with halves due May 15 and October 15, 2027. As the seller, you will have already paid 2026 in full, and the buyer reimburses you for the days after closing, based on your purchase agreement and the title company’s settlement statement.
How much will my Woodbury property tax go up in 2027?
It depends on your value, classification, and school district. The city estimates about $65 more (4.4%) for a $451,500 median home, and Washington County estimates about $60 more (5.8%) for a $430,600 median home. Those are city and county shares only, so check the total percentage change on your notice.
How to Use Your Proposed Tax Notice: 5 Steps
- Find the Step 3 table on your notice. Look for the columns showing actual 2026 tax and proposed 2027 tax by county, city, school district, and special districts, and note the total percentage change.
- Write down your meeting dates. Each jurisdiction lists its public budget meeting. Meetings run November 25 to December 28, 2026 and start at 6:00 p.m. or later. Woodbury’s is December 9 at 7:30 p.m.
- Update the tax figure in your transaction. Sellers: give your agent the proposed 2027 number so your listing and buyer estimates are accurate. Buyers: send the figure to your lender and ask which tax amount was used for escrow.
- Check value and homestead items. If the value looks wrong, call the Washington County Assessor at 651-430-6175 and note the April 30, 2027 Tax Court deadline. If you bought a primary residence, confirm your homestead application is filed before December 31.
- Run your numbers before you commit. Build your net sheet or monthly payment with the 2027 proposed tax in it, then book a consultation to review it against current east metro pricing.
Thinking about selling or buying in Woodbury or the east metro before year-end? Let’s run your net sheet or payment estimate with the 2027 proposed tax included. Reach out at [email protected] or book a free consultation at https://calendly.com/darintheminnesotan. No pressure, just a straightforward conversation about your goals and what the market looks like for you right now.
About Darin Bjerknes
Darin Bjerknes is a licensed REALTOR with Minnesōtan, Brokered by REAL, serving the Twin Cities east metro for over 20 years. He specializes in move-up buyers and the luxury segment across Woodbury, Afton, Stillwater, Cottage Grove, Lake Elmo, and surrounding Washington, Ramsey, and Dakota County communities. Connect with Darin at darinbjerknes.com or call 612-702-5126.
Darin Bjerknes | Minnesōtan, Brokered by REAL | [email protected]
