The average Virginia property tax rate is about 0.78% of a home’s value, which comes to roughly $2,790 a year on the typical Virginia home. That makes Virginia property tax a middle-of-the-pack burdens in the country. This guide breaks down the Virginia property tax rate, what the typical bill looks like, how your bill is figured, where the money goes, and — most useful of all — how to check
whether you are overpaying and how to pay less.
Virginia Property Tax at a Glance
| Effective tax rate | 0.78% |
| Median annual bill | $2,790 |
| Median home value | $383,700 |
| Rank among states | #28 of 50 highest |
| vs. U.S. average | $1,481 below the U.S. average ($4,271) |
| Reassessed | Reassessment frequency is set by law but varies by locality. Cities generally reassess more often (some annually or every two years) while many counties reassess on a multi-year cycle (commonly every few years, up to every six in some rural counties). Check your locality for its exact schedule. |
Rate & bill: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-year (effective rate B25090/B25082 – the Tax Foundation method; median bill B25103; value B25077).
| Virginia Property Tax | Figure |
|---|---|
| Effective property tax rate | 0.78% |
| Median annual property tax bill | $2,790 |
| Median home value | $383,700 |
| Rank (highest to lowest) | #28 of 50 states |
| U.S. average bill | $4,271 |
In This Virginia Guide:
What Is the Virginia Property Tax Rate?
The Virginia property tax rate is not one flat number — it is the combined result of your county, city, township, and school-district rates, applied to your home’s assessed value. Across Virginia, homeowners pay about 0.78% of their home’s value on average, or around $2,790 a year on a typical $383,700 home. That puts Virginia in the middle nationally — ranked #28 of 50 states from highest to lowest. Two
homes worth the same amount can still owe very different bills depending on the town and school district, so treat the statewide figure as a starting point, not your exact bill.
If your bill went up, start by reading your assessment notice: the number that matters most is your property’s assessed value, since your bill comes from that value multiplied by your locality’s rate. Compare that value against what similar homes near you would sell for, and check whether you qualify for any relief for seniors, disabled homeowners, or disabled veterans. If the assessed value looks too high, you generally have
the right to ask your Commissioner of the Revenue or assessor’s office to review it and, if needed, to file an appeal — many homeowners do exactly that, and the office can walk you through the steps and timing.
Think your Virginia bill is too high? Check in two minutes.
How Virginia Property Tax Is Calculated
Your Virginia property tax starts with an assessed value set by In Virginia, property is assessed at the local level. The Commissioner of the Revenue — an elected constitutional officer in each county and city — is the chief assessing officer; in many cities and larger counties, real estate assessment is handled by a local Real Estate Assessor’s office or a professional assessor/board of assessors appointed by the local governing
body..
Virginia assesses real estate at its fair market value — roughly what your home would sell for — and then applies the ratio set by law to arrive at the taxable assessed value your bill is based on. Look for the assessed value printed on your reassessment notice or tax bill, and check that the details about your property are correct. That assessed value is then multiplied by the combined
local tax rate to produce your bill.
In Virginia, property is generally reassessed Reassessment frequency is set by law but varies by locality. Cities generally reassess more often (some annually or every two years) while many counties reassess on a multi-year cycle (commonly every few years, up to every six in some rural counties). Check your locality for its exact schedule.. The single most important number to check is your assessed value: if it is higher than
what your home would sell for, your bill is too high — and that is exactly what an appeal fixes.
The actual rates in Virginia are set by Rates are set locally, not by the state. Each county, city, and town’s governing body (board of supervisors or city/town council) adopts its own real estate tax rate each year; there is no statewide property tax rate in Virginia.. That is why your neighbor one town over can pay a different bill on an identical house.
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Where Your Virginia Property Tax Money Goes
Property taxes stay local and are a primary source of funding for public schools, along with county and city services such as police and fire/EMS, roads and street maintenance, libraries, parks, and general local government. For most Virginia homeowners, the school-district share is the biggest single piece of the bill, which is why property taxes tend to be highest where schools rely most on local funding.
One Virginia note: Virginia property tax is entirely local — the state levies no real estate tax of its own. Virginia law also has a “truth in taxation” safeguard: when a general reassessment raises total assessed values, the governing body must advertise and lower the rate toward a revenue-neutral level, and can only adopt a higher rate after holding a public hearing. This is why a higher assessment does not
automatically mean a proportionally higher bill.
How Virginia Property Tax Compares
The U.S. average property tax bill is about $4,271 a year. The typical Virginia bill of $2,790 is $1,481 below that. Remember that a low rate does not always mean a low bill — a state with cheap rates but expensive homes can still cost you more than Virginia. The dollar bill and your own assessment matter more than the headline rate.
How to Lower Your Virginia Property Tax
You cannot change the Virginia property tax rate, but you have two real levers on your own bill. First, claim every exemption you qualify for. Virginia offers property tax relief that can lower a qualifying homeowner’s bill. There is a statewide exemption for veterans with a 100% service-connected permanent and total disability (and their surviving spouses), and localities are authorized to offer real estate tax relief for residents who are
age 65 or older or permanently disabled.
Programs and eligibility rules vary by locality, so check with your county or city assessor or Commissioner of the Revenue to see whether you qualify — see the data box above for any figures. Second, appeal your assessment if your home is valued higher than it would sell for — studies suggest a large share of homes are over-assessed, and appeals often succeed.
Don’t want to appeal your Virginia taxes yourself? A property tax appeal service can file everything for you and usually only charges if it wins — typically a share of what it saves you. It is one option; you can also appeal on your own for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Virginia property tax rate?
The average effective Virginia property tax rate is about 0.78% of a home’s value, based on U.S. Census data. On the typical Virginia home that works out to roughly $2,790 a year. Your own bill depends on your county, city, and school district, plus any exemptions you claim — see the data box above.
Why is my Virginia property tax so high?
Property tax in Virginia is driven mostly by your local rates (especially school levies) and by your home’s assessed value. If your assessment is higher than what your home would actually sell for, you may be overpaying — that is the most common reason a bill is too high, and it is something you can appeal.
How can I lower my Virginia property tax?
Two things help most in Virginia: make sure you are claiming every exemption you qualify for (homestead, senior, veteran, or disability), and appeal your assessment if your home is over-valued. Both can lower your bill, and both are free to do yourself.
Virginia Property Tax Sources & Data
- Virginia Department of Revenue (property tax): https://www.tax.virginia.gov/property-tax-and-real-estate-tax-questions
- Tax Foundation — Property Taxes by State & County: taxfoundation.org
- U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey): census.gov/acs
- Lincoln Institute of Land Policy (property tax data): lincolninst.edu
Virginia property tax rates and typical bills on this page come from U.S. Census (American Community Survey) data as
published by the Tax Foundation, and were last checked in July 2026. Rates and bills change each year and vary by county
— confirm your own figures with your county assessor before you rely on them.
More Property Tax Guides
- Property Tax Rates by State
- Property Tax by County
- Are You Overpaying? Over-Assessment Checker
- Property Tax Exemption Finder
Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Know Property Tax is an independent educational resource. It is not a government agency, not a county assessor, and not a tax-appeal service. Property tax rates, bills, exemptions, and deadlines change over time and vary by county and property. Confirm anything that affects your taxes with your county assessor or a licensed professional before you act.