Property tax in Williamsburg city, Virginia
In Williamsburg city, the property tax bill comes from the City of Williamsburg Treasurer and Finance Department. The FY 2027 bill is paid in 2 installments, and the next one is due December 1, 2026. You can look up and pay the bill on the county's own payment page. Taken from Williamsburg city's own pages, checked September 23, 2026.
The median property tax bill in Williamsburg city, Virginia is $2,518 a year, which is about 0.59% of the county's median home value of $428,100. 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.
Who sends the property tax bill in Williamsburg city, and how do you pay it?
The bill comes from the City of Williamsburg Treasurer and Finance Department. The value it is based on is set by a separate office, the City of Williamsburg Real Estate Assessment Office (City Assessor), 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.
Williamsburg is an independent city, so there is no separate county bill: the city values the home, bills it and collects it. The City Assessor reassesses every property each year as of January 1 and mails notices in late February; the city's tax year runs July 1 to June 30. Online payments by card carry a 3.5% fee ($2.50 minimum). After hours, payments can go in the drop box at the main entrance of the Municipal Building at 401 Lafayette Street.
When are property taxes due in Williamsburg city?
For the FY 2027 (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027) bill, Williamsburg city splits the bill into 2 payments, the first due December 1, 2026 and the last June 1, 2027. City code adds a 10% penalty, at least $10, to any half not paid by its due date. Interest at 10% a year is charged on the unpaid tax and penalty from the first day of the next month, so from January 1 on an unpaid first half and from July 1 on an unpaid second half. If you cannot pay on time, the Treasurer's office will in most cases accept monthly installments; call before the bill is late.
| Payment | Due | Note |
|---|---|---|
| First half | December 1, 2026 | Covers July 1 to December 31, 2026. December 1, 2026 is a Tuesday. |
| Second half | June 1, 2027 | Covers January 1 to June 30, 2027. June 1, 2027 is a Tuesday. |
From Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg city
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Williamsburg city's average effective rate of 0.59% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $2,526 / year
Property tax in Williamsburg city at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $2,518 |
| Median home value | $428,100 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.59% |
| 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 Williamsburg city compare in Virginia?
Among Virginia's 133 counties, Williamsburg city has the 73rd highest effective property-tax rate: 72 rank higher and 60 rank lower. That is near the middle for Virginia. Nationally, it ranks 2313th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Virginia county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Williamsburg city actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Williamsburg city's 2,673 owner-occupied homes, 36.8% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 58.7% pay at least $2,000, and 10.4% pay under $800. Another 5.3% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 278 | 10.4% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 311 | 11.6% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 373 | 14% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 586 | 21.9% |
| $3,000 or more | 983 | 36.8% |
| No property tax paid | 142 | 5.3% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $2,168 and owners without one pay $2,813. 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 Williamsburg city property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $2,518 is about 2.4% of the median income of Williamsburg city homeowner households, $104,723 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 53.2% of Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg city?
Yes. The median bill went from $1,722 in 2015-2019 to $2,518 in 2020-2024, a 46.2% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 39.9%, from $306,000 to $428,100. Bills rose faster than values, which usually means local rates went up or an exemption shrank.
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 Williamsburg city
Williamsburg city borders 2 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| James City County, VA | 0.65% | $2,901 | $447,200 |
| York County, VA | 0.64% | $2,794 | $433,200 |
| Williamsburg city, VA (this county) | 0.59% | $2,518 | $428,100 |
How is a home assessed in Williamsburg city?
Virginia assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Williamsburg city included. How Virginia assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg city. Virginia's exemptions and relief programs in full.
On top of the Virginia programs, Williamsburg city runs its own:
- Real Estate Tax Deferral Program: Owners who are 65 or older or permanently and totally disabled and live in the home as their only dwelling can defer the year's real estate tax, with 2% interest, if 2025 household income is within the city's limits by family size (for example $60,350 for one person and $68,950 for two) and net worth excluding the home and up to ten acres is no more than $344,752; deferred taxes are a lien on the home and come due within a year of a sale or leaving the program. Apply by December 1, 2026.
How to appeal your Williamsburg city property assessment
In Williamsburg city you appeal to the Williamsburg Board of Equalization (after the City Assessor's administrative review). The deadline: Start with an informal review by the City Assessor, using the Assessment Review Application; assessment notices for 2026 were mailed February 27, 2026. To go on to the Board of Equalization you must first finish that review, then file the board's application, complete with every document you plan to present: by email before 4:30 PM on May 1, or by mail postmarked by May 1. Hand delivery is by appointment only. The May 1, 2026 deadline for 2026 assessments has passed. A Board of Equalization decision can be appealed to the Circuit Court of Williamsburg and James City County, and a board hearing is required before going to 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 Williamsburg 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 Williamsburg city
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Williamsburg 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.