Property tax in Bristol city, Virginia
The median property tax bill in Bristol city, Virginia is $1,387 a year, which is about 0.75% of the county's median home value of $184,100. That effective rate is higher than the typical Virginia county (0.6%) and lower 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.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Bristol city
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Bristol city's average effective rate of 0.75% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $1,381 / year
Property tax in Bristol city at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,387 |
| Median home value | $184,100 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.75% |
| 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 Bristol city compare in Virginia?
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Bristol city has the 38th highest effective property-tax rate: 37 rank higher and 95 rank lower. That is on the higher side for Virginia. Nationally, it ranks 1743rd of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Virginia county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Bristol city actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Bristol city's 4,598 owner-occupied homes, 7.4% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 22.9% pay at least $2,000, and 16.3% pay under $800. Another 2.3% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 751 | 16.3% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 1,836 | 39.9% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 853 | 18.6% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 712 | 15.5% |
| $3,000 or more | 339 | 7.4% |
| No property tax paid | 107 | 2.3% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,423 and owners without one pay $1,318. That is within 10% either way, so in Bristol city paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Bristol city property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $1,387 is about 2.2% of the median income of Bristol city homeowner households, $62,847 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 63.6% of Bristol city's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Bristol city?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,052 in 2015-2019 to $1,387 in 2020-2024, a 31.8% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 64.8%, from $111,700 to $184,100. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
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 Bristol city
Bristol city borders 2 counties, 1 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol city, VA (this county) | 0.75% | $1,387 | $184,100 |
| Sullivan County, TN | 0.58% | $1,234 | $213,300 |
| Washington County, VA | 0.5% | $1,065 | $214,000 |
How is a home assessed in Bristol city?
Virginia assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Bristol city included. How Virginia assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Bristol city?
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 Bristol city. Virginia's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Bristol city?
Set locally. Each county, city or town bills on its own schedule, commonly semiannually, and sets its own due dates and late penalties. Virginia has no statewide due date.
That is the Virginia rule. Bristol city issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Bristol city property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the Local Board of Equalization, then circuit court. That is the Virginia rule; Bristol city sets the exact dates and forms. The Virginia appeal process step by step.
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 Bristol city'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 Bristol city
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Bristol city, 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.