Property tax in Staunton city, Virginia
In Staunton city, the property tax bill comes from the City of Staunton Treasurer. The 2026 bill is paid in 2 installments, and the next one is due December 5, 2026. You can look up and pay the bill on the county's own payment page. Taken from Staunton city's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Staunton city, Virginia is $1,818 a year, which is about 0.7% of the county's median home value of $259,200. 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.
Who sends the property tax bill in Staunton city, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the City of Staunton Treasurer. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the City Assessor's Office, 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.
Staunton is an independent city, so the city bill is the only local real estate tax bill; no county bill comes on top of it. The tax is split unevenly: three quarters is due in June and one quarter in December, and bills usually go out in early May. The city reassesses every two years, and the next general reassessment takes effect January 1, 2027. Property in the Downtown Service District owes an additional tax. Card payments online carry a fee charged by the city's payment provider, not the city.
When are property taxes due in Staunton city?
For the 2026 bill, Staunton city splits the bill into 2 payments, the first due June 20, 2026 and the last December 5, 2026. The next one due is the second installment (one quarter of the tax), on December 5, 2026.
| Payment | Due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First installment (three quarters of the tax) | June 20, 2026 (passed) | Three quarters of the year's tax is due June 20. June 20, 2026 was a Saturday, and the city accepts a payment without penalty on the next business day when a due date falls on a day its office is closed, so the last day was Monday, June 22, 2026. When a mortgage company pays the tax from escrow, the whole year's tax is due June 20. |
| Second installment (one quarter of the tax) | December 5, 2026 | The remaining quarter is due December 5. December 5, 2026 is a Saturday, and the city accepts a payment without penalty on the next business day when a due date falls on a day its office is closed, so a payment on Monday, December 7, 2026 is on time. |
From Staunton city'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 Staunton city
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Staunton city'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: $1,814 / year
Property tax in Staunton city at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,818 |
| Median home value | $259,200 |
| 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 Staunton city compare in Virginia?
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Staunton city has the 48th highest effective property-tax rate: 47 rank higher and 85 rank lower. That is on the higher side for Virginia. Nationally, it ranks 1906th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Virginia county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Staunton city actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Staunton city's 6,885 owner-occupied homes, 15.7% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 39.2% pay at least $2,000, and 8.1% pay under $800. Another 4.6% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 560 | 8.1% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 1,708 | 24.8% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 1,602 | 23.3% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 1,620 | 23.5% |
| $3,000 or more | 1,081 | 15.7% |
| No property tax paid | 314 | 4.6% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,796 and owners without one pay $1,858. That is within 10% either way, so in Staunton city paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.
How does the Staunton city property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $1,818 is about 2.1% of the median income of Staunton city homeowner households, $86,137 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 60.9% of Staunton 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 Staunton city?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,459 in 2015-2019 to $1,818 in 2020-2024, a 24.6% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 53.4%, from $169,000 to $259,200. 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 Staunton city
Staunton city borders 1 county.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staunton city, VA (this county) | 0.7% | $1,818 | $259,200 |
| Augusta County, VA | 0.47% | $1,446 | $306,100 |
How is a home assessed in Staunton city?
Virginia assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Staunton city included. How Virginia assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Staunton 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 Staunton city. Virginia's exemptions and relief programs in full.
On top of the Virginia programs, Staunton city runs its own:
- Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly and Disabled: For an owner aged 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled, who lives in the home as the only dwelling, with household income of no more than $50,000 (the first $2,500 of each other relative's income is not counted) and net worth of no more than $80,000 not counting the home and up to one acre: the city exempts part of the real estate tax on a sliding scale, 100% for income up to $27,500, 75% up to $35,000, 50% up to $42,500 and 25% up to $50,000. It is run by the Commissioner of the Revenue. Apply by May 1.
- Rehabilitation Abatement Program: When an owner renovates an existing building and meets the city's conditions, the city abates the increase in assessed value that comes from the renovation for seven years. It is run by the City Assessor's Office.
How to appeal your Staunton city property assessment
In Staunton city you appeal to the City of Staunton Board of Equalization (after an appeal to the City Assessor). The deadline: The city reassesses every two years, and a notice of assessment is mailed when a value changes. The City Assessor takes appeals for 30 days from the mailing of the notice, and written appeals to the Board of Equalization are accepted for the 30 days after that; the notice gives the exact deadlines. For 2026, which was not a reassessment year, appeals to the Assessor closed March 23, 2026 and appeals to the Board of Equalization closed April 23, 2026. The next general reassessment takes effect January 1, 2027. A further appeal goes to the Circuit Court. 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 Staunton 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 Staunton city
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Staunton 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.