Property tax in Stafford County, Virginia
The median property tax bill in Stafford County, Virginia is $3,410 a year, which is about 0.7% of the county's median home value of $485,100. 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 Stafford County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Stafford County's average effective rate of 0.7% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $3,396 / year
Property tax in Stafford County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $3,410 |
| Median home value | $485,100 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.7% |
| 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 Stafford County compare in Virginia?
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Stafford County has the 47th highest effective property-tax rate: 46 rank higher and 86 rank lower. That is on the higher side for Virginia. Nationally, it ranks 1905th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Virginia county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Stafford County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Stafford County's 42,121 owner-occupied homes, 57.1% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 75.8% pay at least $2,000, and 5.2% pay under $800. Another 5.6% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 2,173 | 5.2% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 2,643 | 6.3% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 2,992 | 7.1% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 7,889 | 18.7% |
| $3,000 or more | 24,070 | 57.1% |
| No property tax paid | 2,354 | 5.6% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $3,473 and owners without one pay $3,196. That is within 10% either way, so in Stafford County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Stafford County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $3,410 is about 2.2% of the median income of Stafford County homeowner households, $152,094 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 80.5% of Stafford 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 Stafford County?
Yes. The median bill went from $2,848 in 2015-2019 to $3,410 in 2020-2024, a 19.7% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 40.2%, from $346,100 to $485,100. 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 Stafford County
Stafford County borders 8 counties, 1 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles County, MD | 1.01% | $4,339 | $428,500 |
| Prince William County, VA | 0.94% | $4,999 | $530,100 |
| Fauquier County, VA | 0.75% | $4,320 | $573,700 |
| Stafford County, VA (this county) | 0.7% | $3,410 | $485,100 |
| Fredericksburg city, VA | 0.6% | $2,907 | $483,700 |
| Spotsylvania County, VA | 0.58% | $2,347 | $404,900 |
| King George County, VA | 0.53% | $2,254 | $428,300 |
| Caroline County, VA | 0.52% | $1,597 | $307,700 |
| Culpeper County, VA | 0.52% | $2,141 | $409,200 |
How is a home assessed in Stafford County?
Virginia assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Stafford County included. How Virginia assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Stafford 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 Stafford County. Virginia's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Stafford 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. Stafford County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Stafford County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the Local Board of Equalization, then circuit court. That is the Virginia rule; Stafford 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 Stafford 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 Stafford County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Stafford 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.