Property tax in Lancaster County, Virginia
The median property tax bill in Lancaster County, Virginia is $1,558 a year, which is about 0.48% of the county's median home value of $327,000. That effective rate is lower 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 Lancaster County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Lancaster County's average effective rate of 0.48% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $1,570 / year
Property tax in Lancaster County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,558 |
| Median home value | $327,000 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.48% |
| 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 Lancaster County compare in Virginia?
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Lancaster County has the 116th highest effective property-tax rate: 115 rank higher and 17 rank lower. That places it among the least taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 2715th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Virginia county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Lancaster County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Lancaster County's 4,645 owner-occupied homes, 22.8% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 38% pay at least $2,000, and 24.2% pay under $800.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 1,126 | 24.2% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 1,110 | 23.9% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 613 | 13.2% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 706 | 15.2% |
| $3,000 or more | 1,059 | 22.8% |
| No property tax paid | 31 | 0.7% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,378 and owners without one pay $1,726. Here the owners without a mortgage pay more, which can happen where long-held homes sit in the higher-value parts of the county. Census table B25103.
How does the Lancaster County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $1,558 is about 1.9% of the median income of Lancaster County homeowner households, $83,384 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 81.5% of Lancaster 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 Lancaster County?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,296 in 2015-2019 to $1,558 in 2020-2024, a 20.2% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 27.1%, from $257,200 to $327,000. 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 Lancaster County
Lancaster County borders 5 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County, VA | 0.57% | $1,348 | $238,100 |
| Richmond County, VA | 0.56% | $1,290 | $231,500 |
| Middlesex County, VA | 0.5% | $1,778 | $352,200 |
| Accomack County, VA | 0.48% | $985 | $204,300 |
| Lancaster County, VA (this county) | 0.48% | $1,558 | $327,000 |
| Northumberland County, VA | 0.47% | $1,645 | $346,800 |
How is a home assessed in Lancaster County?
Virginia assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Lancaster County included. How Virginia assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Lancaster 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 Lancaster County. Virginia's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Lancaster County?
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. Lancaster County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Lancaster County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the Local Board of Equalization, then circuit court. That is the Virginia rule; Lancaster County 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 Lancaster 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 Lancaster County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Lancaster 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.