Property tax in Washington County, Virginia
The median property tax bill in Washington County, Virginia is $1,065 a year, which is about 0.5% of the county's median home value of $214,000. 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 Washington County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Washington County's average effective rate of 0.5% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $1,070 / year
Property tax in Washington County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,065 |
| Median home value | $214,000 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.5% |
| 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 Washington County compare in Virginia?
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Washington County has the 111th highest effective property-tax rate: 110 rank higher and 22 rank lower. That is on the lower side for Virginia. Nationally, it ranks 2647th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Virginia county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Washington County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Washington County's 16,756 owner-occupied homes, 8% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 16.3% pay at least $2,000, and 33.4% pay under $800. Another 1.6% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 5,596 | 33.4% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 5,816 | 34.7% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 2,347 | 14% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 1,389 | 8.3% |
| $3,000 or more | 1,337 | 8% |
| No property tax paid | 271 | 1.6% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,161 and owners without one pay $986. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.
How does the Washington County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $1,065 is about 1.5% of the median income of Washington County homeowner households, $73,413 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 75.8% of Washington 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 Washington County?
Yes. The median bill went from $867 in 2015-2019 to $1,065 in 2020-2024, a 22.8% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 41%, from $151,800 to $214,000. 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 Washington County
Washington County borders 7 counties, 2 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol city, VA | 0.75% | $1,387 | $184,100 |
| Scott County, VA | 0.62% | $885 | $143,000 |
| Sullivan County, TN | 0.58% | $1,234 | $213,300 |
| Smyth County, VA | 0.58% | $805 | $139,600 |
| Grayson County, VA | 0.56% | $843 | $150,100 |
| Washington County, VA (this county) | 0.5% | $1,065 | $214,000 |
| Russell County, VA | 0.48% | $576 | $120,600 |
| Johnson County, TN | 0.4% | $710 | $178,600 |
How is a home assessed in Washington County?
Virginia assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Washington County included. How Virginia assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Washington 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 Washington County. Virginia's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Washington 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. Washington County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Washington County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the Local Board of Equalization, then circuit court. That is the Virginia rule; Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Washington 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.