Property tax in Kanawha County, West Virginia
The median property tax bill in Kanawha County, West Virginia is $964 a year, which is about 0.65% of the county's median home value of $147,300. That effective rate is higher than the typical West Virginia county (0.49%) 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 Kanawha County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Kanawha County's average effective rate of 0.65% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $957 / year
Property tax in Kanawha County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $964 |
| Median home value | $147,300 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.65% |
| Typical West Virginia county rate | 0.49% |
| 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 Kanawha County compare in West Virginia?
Among West Virginia's 55 counties, Kanawha County has the 5th highest effective property-tax rate: 4 rank higher and 50 rank lower. That places it among the most heavily taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 2095th of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every West Virginia county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Kanawha County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Kanawha County's 54,328 owner-occupied homes, 6.2% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 13.5% pay at least $2,000, and 38.3% pay under $800. Another 4.9% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 20,784 | 38.3% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 17,518 | 32.2% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 6,068 | 11.2% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 3,940 | 7.3% |
| $3,000 or more | 3,380 | 6.2% |
| No property tax paid | 2,638 | 4.9% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,119 and owners without one pay $835. 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 Kanawha County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $964 is about 1.3% of the median income of Kanawha County homeowner households, $71,858 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 71.1% of Kanawha 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 Kanawha County?
Yes. The median bill went from $776 in 2015-2019 to $964 in 2020-2024, a 24.2% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 30.9%, from $112,500 to $147,300. 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 Kanawha County
Kanawha County borders 9 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone County, WV | 0.67% | $620 | $93,100 |
| Kanawha County, WV (this county) | 0.65% | $964 | $147,300 |
| Fayette County, WV | 0.64% | $676 | $105,800 |
| Putnam County, WV | 0.59% | $1,311 | $223,300 |
| Jackson County, WV | 0.53% | $834 | $157,200 |
| Lincoln County, WV | 0.51% | $538 | $105,300 |
| Raleigh County, WV | 0.5% | $754 | $150,900 |
| Nicholas County, WV | 0.46% | $554 | $121,600 |
| Roane County, WV | 0.44% | $537 | $122,100 |
| Clay County, WV | 0.35% | $377 | $109,100 |
How is a home assessed in Kanawha County?
West Virginia assesses homes at 60% of market value in every county, Kanawha County included. How West Virginia assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Kanawha County?
Not as a dollar amount. A West Virginia home you own and live in is Class II property, whose combined levy rate is capped at half the rate on ordinary Class III and Class IV property. That is the West Virginia rule, and it applies in Kanawha County. West Virginia's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Kanawha County?
Tax is billed once a year and paid in two equal halves. The first half is payable September 1 and goes delinquent October 1; the second is payable the following March 1 and goes delinquent April 1. Pay on or before the date an installment is payable and you get a 2.5% discount, which applies to either half. Once a payment goes delinquent, interest runs at 9% a year. County sheriffs mail the bills, called tax tickets, in July.
West Virginia splits the bill into 2 installments. That is the West Virginia rule. Kanawha County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Kanawha County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the the county commission sitting as the board of equalization and review, then the West Virginia Office of Tax Appeals. The filing deadline is typically while the county board is in session, which opens by February 1 and must adjourn by the end of February. That is the West Virginia rule; Kanawha County sets the exact dates and forms. The West Virginia appeal process step by step.
West Virginia rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the West 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 Kanawha 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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West Virginia income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what West Virginia actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Kanawha County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Kanawha County, West 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.