Property tax in Arlington County, Virginia
In Arlington County, the property tax bill comes from the Arlington County Treasurer's Office. Every due date for the 2026 bill has passed, and the county had not posted the next cycle's dates when we checked. You can look up and pay the bill on the county's own payment page. Taken from Arlington County's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Arlington County, Virginia is $8,153 a year, which is about 0.91% of the county's median home value of $895,000. That effective rate is higher than the typical Virginia county (0.6%) and higher than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Who sends the property tax bill in Arlington County, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the Arlington County Treasurer's Office. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the Arlington County Department of Real Estate Assessments, which is who to ask if the value looks wrong. For how to look up and pay the bill, go to the county's own payment information.
Arlington has no incorporated towns, so there is one real estate bill: the Department of Real Estate Assessments values every property each year as of January 1, and the Treasurer bills and collects the tax. The relief program is run by the Department of Human Services, not the Treasurer. Online card payments carry a 2.35% convenience fee; electronic checks are free. Mailed payments go to Arlington County Treasurer, P.O. Box 1754, Merrifield, VA 22116-1754.
When are property taxes due in Arlington County?
Every due date for the 2026 bill has passed, and Arlington County had not posted the next cycle's dates when we checked on September 23, 2026. If that bill is still unpaid, the late-payment rules below apply to it. Counties usually repeat the schedule, but confirm the new dates on your next bill. For the 2026 bill, Arlington County splits the bill into 2 payments, the first due June 15, 2026 and the last October 5, 2026. A payment made up to 30 days late carries a penalty of 5% of the tax (or $5 on a tax of $5 to $100), and after 30 days an additional 5% penalty (or $5, whichever is greater); penalties never exceed the tax itself. Interest at 10% a year starts the day after the due date.
| Payment | Due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First half | June 15, 2026 (passed) | Real estate tax is billed in two equal installments. Payments must be received or postmarked by the due date. If a due date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or holiday, the county assesses no late penalty on a payment made the next business day. |
| Second half | October 5, 2026 (passed) | Owners who pay through a mortgage escrow account do not get a bill unless the lender fails to pay; owners who have paid off their mortgage should expect a bill and pay it directly. |
From Arlington County's published schedule, checked September 23, 2026. If a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the county's own rules on the next business day apply.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Arlington County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Arlington County's average effective rate of 0.91% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $8,145 / year
Property tax in Arlington County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $8,153 |
| Median home value | $895,000 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.91% |
| Typical Virginia county rate | 0.6% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Arlington County compare in Virginia?
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Arlington County has the 14th highest effective property-tax rate: 13 rank higher and 119 rank lower. That places it among the most heavily taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 1339th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Virginia county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Arlington County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Arlington County's 46,221 owner-occupied homes, 86.7% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 91.8% pay at least $2,000, and 1.5% pay under $800. Another 2.8% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 702 | 1.5% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 957 | 2.1% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 793 | 1.7% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 2,370 | 5.1% |
| $3,000 or more | 40,082 | 86.7% |
| No property tax paid | 1,317 | 2.8% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $8,044 and owners without one pay $8,362. That is within 10% either way, so in Arlington County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Arlington County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $8,153 is about 3.9% of the median income of Arlington County homeowner households, $210,943 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 41.3% of Arlington County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Arlington County?
Yes. The median bill went from $6,302 in 2015-2019 to $8,153 in 2020-2024, a 29.4% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 26.9%, from $705,400 to $895,000.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Arlington County
Arlington County borders 5 counties, 2 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County, VA | 1.01% | $7,368 | $732,800 |
| Alexandria city, VA | 0.96% | $7,024 | $735,100 |
| Falls Church city, VA | at least 0.95% | $10,000+ | $1,055,600 |
| Arlington County, VA (this county) | 0.91% | $8,153 | $895,000 |
| Montgomery County, MD | 0.87% | $5,539 | $640,300 |
| District of Columbia, DC | 0.58% | $4,312 | $737,100 |
How is a home assessed in Arlington County?
Virginia assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Arlington County included. How Virginia assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Arlington County?
No. Virginia has no general homestead exemption; relief is limited to the elderly and disabled, disabled veterans, and surviving spouses of service members and first responders killed in the line of duty. That is the Virginia rule, and it applies in Arlington County. Virginia's exemptions and relief programs in full.
On top of the Virginia programs, Arlington County runs its own:
- Real Estate Tax Relief Program (elderly and disabled): For owners 65 or older or totally and permanently disabled, where all owners live in the home as their sole dwelling: with household assets (not counting the home) of $515,200 or less, the tax is fully exempt at household income up to $63,104, 75% exempt up to $77,022, 50% up to $91,149 and 25% up to $112,187; at income up to $139,551 with assets up to $695,519 the tax can be deferred instead, and any balance an exemption does not cover can be deferred without penalty or interest until the property changes ownership. Apply by November 16, 2026 (file by March 31 to get an adjusted bill in time).
How to appeal your Arlington County property assessment
In Arlington County you appeal to the Arlington County Board of Equalization (after an optional review by the Department of Real Estate Assessments). The deadline: A request for review by the Department of Real Estate Assessments is due March 1 each year, moved to the next business day when March 1 falls on a weekend; for 2026 the deadline was March 2. An appeal to the Board of Equalization must be filed or postmarked by April 15, and an owner may go straight to the Board without the department review. The county advises filing with the Board by April 15 if the department review result has not arrived by April 1, to preserve the right to appeal. A further appeal is a suit in Circuit Court. Each January assessment notice prints that year's instructions and deadlines. How to file. Checked September 23, 2026 against the official appeal rules.
How Virginia's appeal process works, including the next level if the first one turns you down.
Virginia rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Virginia page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Arlington County's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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Virginia income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Virginia actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Arlington County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Arlington County, Virginia: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.