Virginia property tax guide
Contributed by Karen Idelson
Jun 17, 2026
•6-minute read
If you own a home in Virginia, property tax is one of the costs of home ownership that you need to pay. Though tax rates can vary based on the value of your home as well as from town to town and county to county, property taxes in Virgina are middle of the pack compared to other states.
Understanding how property taxes work, how they’re calculated, and what you can do to reduce your tax burden are important for every homeowner. We’ll break down what you need to know.
How much are property taxes in Virginia?
The average property tax in Virginia in 2024, the most recent year for which data is available, was 0.78%. That means that for every $1,000 of your home value, you’d pay $7.80 in property taxes. That means that for a $300,000 home, you’d pay $2,340 per year in taxes.
However, that is only an average. Some counties have higher rates while others have lower rates. For example, Lancaster County has a typical rate of 0.49%, while the rate is 1.15% in Falls Church City.
Virginia property taxes by county
Property taxes can vary significantly from county to county in Virginia. The table below shows the average effective tax rate for each county, as well as the taxes paid on the median value home for the county as of 2024, the most recent year for which data is available.
|
County |
Effective Tax Rate |
Median Home Value |
Median Taxes Paid |
|
Accomack County |
0.50% |
$204,300 |
$985.00 |
|
Albemarle County |
0.73% |
$495,400 |
$3,719.00 |
|
Alleghany County |
0.68% |
$125,800 |
$1,000.00 |
|
Amelia County |
0.43% |
$282,400 |
$1,079.00 |
|
Amherst County |
0.47% |
$212,400 |
$975.00 |
|
Appomattox County |
0.52% |
$207,600 |
$1,073.00 |
|
Arlington County |
0.85% |
$895,000 |
$8,153.00 |
|
Augusta County |
0.47% |
$306,100 |
$1,446.00 |
|
Bath County |
0.43% |
$206,700 |
$797.00 |
|
Bedford County |
0.43% |
$297,400 |
$1,285.00 |
|
Bland County |
0.55% |
$152,100 |
$846.00 |
|
Botetourt County |
0.60% |
$289,200 |
$1,862.00 |
|
Brunswick County |
0.40% |
$142,700 |
$820.00 |
|
Buchanan County |
0.48% |
$94,900 |
$413.00 |
|
Buckingham County |
0.48% |
$173,400 |
$906.00 |
|
Campbell County |
0.46% |
$211,600 |
$950.00 |
|
Caroline County |
0.50% |
$307,700 |
$1,597.00 |
|
Carroll County |
0.54% |
$156,500 |
$834.00 |
|
Charles City County |
0.59% |
$241,400 |
$1,343.00 |
|
Charlotte County |
0.50% |
$144,100 |
$756.00 |
|
Chesterfield County |
0.75% |
$366,000 |
$2,773.00 |
|
Clarke County |
0.59% |
$550,100 |
$2,657.00 |
|
Craig County |
0.58% |
$189,000 |
$1,064.00 |
|
Culpeper County |
0.50% |
$409,200 |
$2,141.00 |
|
Cumberland County |
0.53% |
$239,300 |
$1,361.00 |
|
Dickenson County |
0.51% |
$102,700 |
$480.00 |
|
Dinwiddie County |
0.58% |
$257,800 |
$1,409.00 |
|
Essex County |
0.58% |
$238,100 |
$1,348.00 |
|
Fairfax County |
0.95% |
$732,800 |
$7,368.00 |
|
Fauquier County |
0.67% |
$573,700 |
$4,320.00 |
|
Floyd County |
0.46% |
$225,400 |
$1,245.00 |
|
Fluvanna County |
0.65% |
$314,100 |
$1,967.00 |
|
Franklin County |
0.50% |
$240,400 |
$1,196.00 |
|
Frederick County |
0.50% |
$386,000 |
$1,846.00 |
|
Giles County |
0.54% |
$151,100 |
$928.00 |
|
Gloucester County |
0.56% |
$331,000 |
$1,878.00 |
|
Goochland County |
0.52% |
$500,600 |
$2,496.00 |
|
Grayson County |
0.62% |
$150,100 |
$843.00 |
|
Greene County |
0.61% |
$343,300 |
$2,086.00 |
|
Greensville County |
0.60% |
$159,400 |
$855.00 |
|
Halifax County |
0.50% |
$155,700 |
$721.00 |
|
Hanover County |
0.66% |
$400,400 |
$2,627.00 |
|
Henrico County |
0.68% |
$359,200 |
$2,565.00 |
|
Henry County |
0.48% |
$134,800 |
$637.00 |
|
Highland County |
0.69% |
$200,000 |
$1,135.00 |
|
Isle of Wight County |
0.72% |
$356,500 |
$2,510.00 |
|
James City County |
0.61% |
$447,200 |
$2,901.00 |
|
King and Queen County |
0.45% |
$231,600 |
$1,209.00 |
|
King George County |
0.55% |
$428,300 |
$2,254.00 |
|
King William County |
0.61% |
$315,700 |
$1,729.00 |
|
Lancaster County |
0.49% |
$327,000 |
$1,558.00 |
|
Lee County |
0.61% |
$98,900 |
$595.00 |
|
Loudoun County |
0.80% |
$743,800 |
$6,325.00 |
|
Louisa County |
0.63% |
$315,300 |
$1,883.00 |
|
Lunenburg County |
0.40% |
$150,100 |
$578.00 |
|
Madison County |
0.49% |
$370,300 |
$1,968.00 |
|
Mathews County |
0.49% |
$360,900 |
$1,547.00 |
|
Mecklenburg County |
0.50% |
$192,600 |
$859.00 |
|
Middlesex County |
0.51% |
$352,200 |
$1,778.00 |
|
Montgomery County |
0.82% |
$304,600 |
$2,249.00 |
|
Nelson County |
0.56% |
$321,700 |
$1,622.00 |
|
New Kent County |
0.60% |
$393,600 |
$2,503.00 |
|
Northampton County |
0.66% |
$316,200 |
$1,807.00 |
|
Northumberland County |
0.46% |
$346,800 |
$1,645.00 |
|
Nottoway County |
0.43% |
$167,500 |
$761.00 |
|
Orange County |
0.59% |
$364,200 |
$1,997.00 |
|
Page County |
0.49% |
$233,200 |
$1,497.00 |
|
Patrick County |
0.58% |
$153,400 |
$845.00 |
|
Pittsylvania County |
0.57% |
$161,400 |
$948.00 |
|
Powhatan County |
0.59% |
$416,000 |
$2,448.00 |
|
Prince Edward County |
0.52% |
$216,600 |
$921.00 |
|
Prince George County |
0.69% |
$293,400 |
$2,184.00 |
|
Prince William County |
0.85% |
$530,100 |
$4,999.00 |
|
Pulaski County |
0.63% |
$191,700 |
$1,202.00 |
|
Rappahannock County |
0.49% |
$506,400 |
$2,505.00 |
|
Richmond County |
0.50% |
$231,500 |
$1,290.00 |
|
Roanoke County |
0.79% |
$286,000 |
$2,436.00 |
|
Rockbridge County |
0.59% |
$248,800 |
$1,492.00 |
|
Rockingham County |
0.55% |
$313,000 |
$1,645.00 |
|
Russell County |
0.48% |
$120,600 |
$576.00 |
|
Scott County |
0.68% |
$143,000 |
$885.00 |
|
Shenandoah County |
0.53% |
$294,900 |
$1,528.00 |
|
Smyth County |
0.54% |
$139,600 |
$805.00 |
|
Southampton County |
0.76% |
$216,200 |
$1,418.00 |
|
Spotsylvania County |
0.56% |
$404,900 |
$2,347.00 |
|
Stafford County |
0.67% |
$485,100 |
$3,410.00 |
|
Surry County |
0.67% |
$238,800 |
$1,651.00 |
|
Sussex County |
0.56% |
$183,800 |
$1,078.00 |
|
Tazewell County |
0.61% |
$118,300 |
$728.00 |
|
Warren County |
0.52% |
$348,400 |
$1,819.00 |
|
Washington County |
0.50% |
$214,000 |
$1,065.00 |
|
Westmoreland County |
0.62% |
$269,600 |
$1,628.00 |
|
Wise County |
0.59% |
$118,600 |
$693.00 |
|
Wythe County |
0.52% |
$171,200 |
$900.00 |
|
York County |
0.63% |
$433,200 |
$2,794.00 |
|
Alexandria city |
0.92% |
$735,100 |
$7,024.00 |
|
Bristol city |
0.72% |
$184,100 |
$1,387.00 |
|
Buena Vista city |
0.88% |
$156,200 |
$1,421.00 |
|
Charlottesville city |
0.82% |
$486,700 |
$3,915.00 |
|
Chesapeake city |
0.78% |
$378,400 |
$3,108.00 |
|
Colonial Heights city |
0.75% |
$246,600 |
$2,071.00 |
|
Covington city |
0.86% |
$83,500 |
$681.00 |
|
Danville city |
0.62% |
$119,100 |
$774.00 |
|
Emporia city |
0.70% |
$148,500 |
$1,171.00 |
|
Fairfax city |
0.85% |
$722,600 |
$6,515.00 |
|
Falls Church city |
1.15% |
$1,055,600 |
$12,139.14 |
|
Franklin city |
0.81% |
$256,600 |
$1,821.00 |
|
Fredericksburg city |
0.65% |
$483,700 |
$2,907.00 |
|
Galax city |
0.52% |
$141,300 |
$1,072.00 |
|
Hampton city |
0.97% |
$245,700 |
$2,327.00 |
|
Harrisonburg city |
0.74% |
$299,100 |
$2,281.00 |
|
Hopewell city |
0.88% |
$181,600 |
$1,564.00 |
|
Lexington city |
0.85% |
$275,200 |
$2,224.00 |
|
Lynchburg city |
0.81% |
$229,800 |
$1,804.00 |
|
Manassas city |
0.99% |
$449,900 |
$4,923.00 |
|
Manassas Park city |
1.08% |
$395,900 |
$4,636.00 |
|
Martinsville city |
0.81% |
$98,400 |
$760.00 |
|
Newport News city |
0.94% |
$260,600 |
$2,634.00 |
|
Norfolk city |
0.91% |
$289,900 |
$2,890.00 |
|
Norton city |
0.85% |
$110,000 |
$800.00 |
|
Petersburg city |
0.87% |
$189,000 |
$1,523.00 |
|
Poquoson city |
0.90% |
$400,300 |
$3,690.00 |
|
Portsmouth city |
0.95% |
$246,900 |
$2,557.00 |
|
Radford city |
0.70% |
$220,700 |
$1,581.00 |
|
Richmond city |
0.90% |
$353,000 |
$3,150.00 |
|
Roanoke city |
0.95% |
$190,500 |
$1,893.00 |
|
Salem city |
0.82% |
$258,600 |
$2,316.00 |
|
Staunton city |
0.60% |
$259,200 |
$1,818.00 |
|
Suffolk city |
0.87% |
$347,400 |
$3,229.00 |
|
Virginia Beach city |
0.78% |
$382,500 |
$3,061.00 |
|
Waynesboro city |
0.66% |
$245,500 |
$1,639.00 |
|
Williamsburg city |
0.61% |
$428,100 |
$2,518.00 |
|
Winchester city |
0.74% |
$343,000 |
$2,591.00 |
See what you qualify for
How are property taxes in Virginia calculated?
In Virginia, property taxes are administered by local governments, including city, town, and county governments.
Taxes are calculated based on the tax rate where you live, as well as the value of the property. The Code of Virginia mandates that real estate be assessed at 100% fair market value, meaning the amount you’d receive should you choose to sell the property.
Many things influence the value of a home, including school district rankings, nearby amenities, the recent sales price of similar homes, and upgrades you’ve added to the home.
The formula used to determine how much you owe in property tax is:
Property value x property tax rate = annual tax owed
Keep in mind that you might see the tax rate expressed as a mill rate, meaning the amount you pay per $1,000 in value. For example, a 0.5% tax rate would be equivalent to a $5 mill rate because $1,000 * 0.005 = $5.
Typically, property taxes are assessed annually, though the data can vary by county. For example, Fairfax County sets rates in May while Chesterfield County sets them in January.
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Virginia property tax exemptions and relief
Property taxes in Virginia aren’t particularly high, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take advantage of options that let you reduce the tax you owe. You may be eligible for exemptions or tax relief if you’re part of certain communities.
Some of the property tax exemptions include:
- Veterans and surviving spouses. If you have 100% disability or have a spouse with 100% disability or who died in the line of duty, you may qualify for an exemption on the value of your dwelling that is a principal residence and up to one acre of land.
- Seniors. Those over 65 who fall below income maximums, typically $50,000 for individuals and $75,000 for those married filing jointly, can receive an exemption that varies from county to county.
- People with disabilities. People with disabilities can qualify for exemptions similar to those received by seniors, subject to income limits.
Paying Virginia property taxes
In Virginia, you have two options for paying your property taxes: making payments directly to the county or by having your mortgage lender hold taxes in escrow and make the payments on your behalf.
Should you choose the escrow option, you’ll make payments toward the escrow account each month along with your normal mortgage payment. Otherwise, you’ll need to make payments on the schedule set by your county, usually quarterly or biannually.
For example, the city of Norfolk collects taxes quarterly on September 30th, December 5th, March 31st, and June 5th of each year, while Charlotte County, Orange County, and the city of Virginia Beach collect taxes twice each year on December 5th and June 5th.
The bottom line: Virginia’s property taxes vary by county
Virginia’s property taxes are relatively middle of the road compared to taxes in other states, but the amount you pay can vary significantly based on where you live and the value of your home. While it’s important to pay your taxes, don’t be afraid to look for programs that offer exemptions or assistance with your tax bill.
If you’re thinking about buying a home in Virginia, or anywhere else, you can start an application with Rocket Mortgage today.
TJ Porter
TJ Porter has ten years of experience as a personal finance writer covering investing, banking, credit, and more.
TJ's interest in personal finance began as he looked for ways to stretch his own dollars through deals or reward points. In all of his writing, TJ aims to provide easy to understand and actionable content that can help readers make financial choices that work for them.
When he's not writing about finance, TJ enjoys games (of the video and board variety), cooking and reading.
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