Verified July 2026 · By Oleg Kachko · Reviewed for accuracy against primary state and county sources
Richmond property tax costs the typical homeowner about $3,150 a year, on a median home value of $353,000 – an effective rate of about 0.90%. That is below the national average annual bill of $4,271. This page shows you where that number comes from, who actually sets it, the deadline to challenge it, and the exemptions you may be leaving on the table.
Richmond property tax at a Glance
- Effective property tax rate: 0.90%
- Median annual bill: $3,150
- Median home value: $353,000
- Who assesses your home: City of Richmond Real Estate Assessor / Commissioner of the Revenue
- Appeal deadline: no single fixed date – see below
On this page
Richmond property tax: the real numbers
Property tax is the most local tax there is. Two homes of the same value in different counties – sometimes in different towns of the same county – can carry very different bills, because the rate is the sum of every overlapping district that taxes you: the county, the town or city, the school district, and often fire, library or water districts on top. So the richmond property tax figure below is an average across the whole county – your own bill depends on which districts you sit inside.
| Figure | Richmond city | National |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual property tax bill | $3,150 | $4,271 |
| Effective property tax rate | 0.90% | about 0.90% |
| Median home value | $353,000 | – |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (5-year), the same dataset the Tax Foundation uses. The effective rate is total real-estate taxes paid divided by total owner-occupied home value – so it reflects what people actually pay, not the headline millage rate.
Who actually sets your richmond property tax value
Your assessed value is set by City of Richmond Real Estate Assessor / Commissioner of the Revenue. That office does not set your tax rate – the county board, your city, and your school district each set their own, and your bill is the sum. So the assessor can only be argued with about one thing: what your home is worth. That is exactly what an appeal is.
Worth knowing about Richmond city:
VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT CITY. This is NOT part of any county – in Virginia, cities are completely separate jurisdictions with their OWN assessor and their OWN tax rate. Do not look for a county office; there isn’t one.
How often your richmond property tax value is reassessed:
Property is assessed locally at 100% of fair market value. The general reassessment schedule is set by each locality – annual, every two years, or every 4 to 6 years.
How to appeal your richmond property tax assessment
⚠ The deadline — miss it and you usually wait a full year
VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT CITY. This is NOT part of any county – in Virginia, cities are completely separate jurisdictions with their OWN assessor and their OWN tax rate. Do not look for a county office; there isn’t one. Start with an administrative review by your local assessor or Commissioner of the Revenue (often within about 30 days of the notice). If unresolved, appeal to the locality’s Board of Equalization (deadlines are set locally, from about 60 days to a fixed date). Then circuit court.
Confirm your locality’s dates.
Almost every richmond property tax appeal comes down to one claim: the assessor thinks my home is worth more than it really is. Everything below is about proving that.
Do this first, before you file anything: ask for your property record card and read it. A surprising share of assessments are simply wrong on the facts – the wrong square footage, a bathroom you do not have, a finished basement that is bare concrete, a garage that was torn down. Factual errors are the easiest appeals to win, because there is nothing to argue about.
Then build the one thing that actually wins appeals: comparable sales. Find three to five homes near you, as similar as you can get on size, age, and condition, that sold recently for less than your assessed value. Not listings – sales. Not Zillow estimates – recorded sales. Boards ignore opinions and respond to comps.
A successful richmond property tax appeal does not change your tax rate – it lowers the value the rate is applied to, which lowers the bill for as long as the new value stands.
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Appeals are heard by the Local assessor / Commissioner of the Revenue, then the local Board of Equalization. In most places there is a free, informal step first – a conversation or a paper review with the assessor – and it resolves a large share of cases without a hearing. Take it. It costs you nothing and it is the fastest way to win.
One honest warning: an appeal reviews your value, and a review can go up as well as down. That is uncommon when you bring real comparable sales, and it is exactly why you check your comps before you file.
Where to go: find your office through Virginia Code Title 58.1, which lists the assessing office for every county in Virginia.
Richmond property tax exemptions you may qualify for
This is where most homeowners quietly overpay their richmond property tax. Exemptions are almost never applied automatically – you have to claim them, and many people simply never do. It is worth ten minutes of your time to check.
HOMESTEAD: No statewide value exemption. Relief depends on your locality. Confirm with your local Commissioner of the Revenue / city assessor. | SENIOR: Set by your locality – income/asset limits and relief amount vary widely. Confirm with your county/city. | VETERAN: Full (100%) exemption of the home’s real estate tax; no cap. Confirm with your local Commissioner of the Revenue. | DISABILITY: Set by your locality; confirm income/asset limits with your county/city.
Homestead: Virginia has NO statewide homestead exemption (the Va. Code 34-4 ‘homestead exemption’ is a bankruptcy/creditor protection). Real estate tax and any relief are set locally by each county/city. The one statewide benefit is the full disabled-veteran exemption (below).
Senior / over-65: Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled – a LOCAL-OPTION program (Va. Code 58.1-3210) that each county/city may adopt for owners 65+ or permanently and totally disabled, with income and asset limits set locally (Northern Virginia limits are high; rural limits lower). Relief can be a full/partial exemption or a deferral. Apply with your local Commissioner of the Revenue (deadlines are local, often around April 1).
Veteran: Disabled Veterans Exemption (Va. Code 58.1-3219.5; Va. Const. art. X sec. 6-A) – a STATEWIDE, mandatory FULL exemption of real estate tax on the principal residence of a veteran rated 100% permanent and total service-connected disabled (or 100% individually unemployable). Unremarried surviving spouses (death on/after Jan 1, 2011), and surviving spouses of servicemembers killed in the line of duty, also qualify. NO income or asset limit. File with the local Commissioner of the Revenue with VA certification.
Disability: Permanently and totally disabled homeowners can qualify for the local-option Elderly and Disabled Real Estate Tax Relief (same program as seniors), with income/asset limits set by the locality. Certification of disability is required.
Common questions about richmond property tax
Why did my richmond property tax bill go up when I did nothing to the house?
Two different things can raise a bill: your assessed value went up, or a taxing district raised its rate. They are separate, and only the first one can be appealed. Your notice will show which changed.
Is it worth appealing my richmond property tax?
Ask one question: would a similar home near mine sell for less than the value the assessor has put on mine? If yes, you have a case, it is usually free to file, and in many places the informal review settles it without a hearing.
Do I need to hire someone to appeal?
No. The informal review and the local board are built for ordinary homeowners to use themselves, and there is normally no fee. Appeal services exist and can be worth it for some people, but you are not required to use one and you should never be told you are.
How is my richmond property tax bill actually calculated?
Your assessed value is multiplied by the combined rate of every district that taxes you, then any exemptions you have claimed are subtracted. That is why two neighbours can pay different amounts on identical homes – one of them claimed an exemption the other never did.
More on Virginia property tax
- Virginia property tax rates — how Richmond city compares with every other county in the state.
- How to win your Virginia property tax appeal — the evidence that works and what to say at the hearing.
- Virginia property tax exemptions — who qualifies, how much each one saves, and how to apply.
- Virginia property tax due dates — when the bill is due and what happens if you are late.
- Property tax by state — every state, side by side.
The bottom line on richmond property tax
Do two things this week. First, pull your property record card and check the facts – square footage, rooms, condition. Second, check whether you are claiming every exemption you are entitled to, because most people are not. If your richmond property tax value looks higher than what a similar home nearby would actually sell for, you have grounds to appeal – and the only thing that can stop you is the deadline above.
Where our richmond property tax figures come from
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey — the rate, median bill and median value on this page.
- Tax Foundation, Property Taxes by State and County — the same dataset and method.
- Virginia Code Title 58.1 — the office that can confirm your value, your exemptions and your deadline.
- Virginia Code Title 58.1 (law.lis.virginia.gov); Virginia Dept of Veterans Services; local Commissioner of the Revenue / assessor sites
Informational only. Know Property Tax is not a government agency, not a county assessor, and not a tax-appeal service, and this is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Property tax rates, median bills, exemption amounts, and deadlines change every year, and every property is different. Any figure shown here is illustrative. Confirm your rate, your exemptions, and above all your appeal deadline with the office named on this page before you act.
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