Virginia's statewide average effective property tax rate is roughly 0.71%-0.80% of assessed home value (Tax Foundation cites 0.78% on owner-occupied housing value; SmartAsset's analysis puts it at 0.71%). Either way, Virginia sits clearly below the national average, which recent Tax Foundation/SmartAsset-based figures place in the 0.90%-1.1% range depending on methodology (the ~0.99% national benchmark falls squarely in this range). Virginia has no statewide property tax rate — each of its 133 counties/cities/towns sets its own rate — so the "effective rate" is a population-weighted average masking huge local variation. Northern Virginia jurisdictions near Washington D.C. run close to or above the national average (Fairfax County: 1.01%; Arlington: 0.94%; Alexandria: 0.94%), while rural counties run far below it (Bedford County: 0.40%; Frederick County: 0.41%; Augusta County: 0.48%). This is a rate story driven mainly by geography, not a single "Virginia rate."
Example: In Fairfax County, VA (the state's largest and most representative high-value jurisdiction), the median home value is about $760,400 and the median annual real estate tax bill is about $7,669 (effective rate ~1.01%) — more than double the commonly cited national median tax bill (~$2,400-$3,000, depending on source year). By contrast, in Bedford County the median home is $295,300 with an annual tax bill of only about $1,187. Statewide, Virginia's median annual property tax bill (across all counties/cities, weighted by the state's much lower average home values relative to the D.C. suburbs) lands in the roughly $2,600-$2,700 range per year — close to, and in some analyses slightly above, the national median dollar amount even though Virginia's percentage rate is below the national average (this is possible because Virginia's home values are somewhat higher than the national median).
Because Virginia has no state-set property tax rate, any statewide "average" (whether 0.71%, 0.78%, or 0.80% depending on the source's methodology and data year) is a population-weighted blend that doesn't represent what any actual homeowner pays — the real number could be nearly triple the average in Fairfax/Arlington/Alexandria or under half the average in rural counties like Bedford or Buchanan. Practical tip: always check your specific county or independent city's Commissioner of the Revenue website for the actual current millage rate and locally-set relief program thresholds (income/asset limits change periodically and are not indexed automatically), rather than relying on any statewide figure to estimate an actual bill.
Facts on this page reflect research current as of 2026-07-05. Programs, rates, and laws change — confirm current figures with the relevant state agency before relying on them.