How Much Are Property Taxes in Richmond VA and the Surrounding Counties?
City of Richmond is $1.20 per $100 of assessed value. Goochland is $0.53. Here is the full published comparison and what it costs per month.
Property taxes in Richmond VA are $1.20 per $100 of assessed value in the City of Richmond, which is the highest rate among the core Richmond metro jurisdictions. Chesterfield County is $0.89, Henrico County is $0.83, Hanover County is $0.81, Powhatan County is $0.77, and Goochland County is $0.53 outside its Tuckahoe Creek Service District. Virginia assesses real property at fair market value, so on the same home the City of Richmond bill runs more than double the Goochland bill. This guide covers property tax rates in Richmond VA and surrounding counties, how Virginia real estate assessments work, the special service district and community development authority levies that change your actual bill, personal property car tax rates, real estate tax due dates by locality, and the exemptions and tax relief programs available to Richmond area homeowners.
Table of Contents
- Published real estate tax rates for Richmond and the surrounding counties
- How Virginia assesses property, and why the rate is only half the story
- What the rate difference actually costs you per month
- Special districts and additional levies that change your bill
- Personal property tax and the local taxes newcomers forget
- Due dates, appeals, exemptions and tax relief
- Frequently Asked Questions
Property taxes in Richmond VA and the surrounding counties are set as a rate per $100 of assessed value, and the spread across the metro area is wide. The City of Richmond levies $1.20 per $100 of assessed value. Chesterfield County is $0.89. Henrico County is $0.83. Hanover County is $0.81. Powhatan County is $0.77. Goochland County is $0.53, the lowest in the region, with an additional levy inside one specific service district.
Those are published rates adopted by the governing bodies of each locality, and you can verify every one of them on the locality’s own finance or commissioner of the revenue page. Rates are reset annually during each jurisdiction’s budget process, typically in the spring, so before you make a decision on the strength of a number in any article, including this one, confirm the current rate directly with the locality. The Mission Realty Team treats these figures as approximate for planning and verified only when the county says so in writing.
The rate is the part everybody compares. The assessment is the part that actually determines your bill, and it is where most of the surprise lives. A lower rate applied to a higher assessment is not a bargain, which is why the honest way to compare Richmond area property taxes is to run the same round assessment through each rate and look at the monthly difference.
What Are the Real Estate Tax Rates in Richmond VA and the Surrounding Counties?
The City of Richmond’s real estate tax rate is $1.20 per $100 of assessed value. Richmond City Council has acted to maintain the rate at $1.20, and the city has described this as the lowest city real estate rate in more than forty years, which tells you something about how the city has historically funded itself relative to its neighbors.
Among the counties, Chesterfield County publishes a 2026 rate of $0.89 per $100 for both residential and commercial real estate, following a one-cent reduction adopted with the fiscal year 2026 budget. Henrico County publishes $0.83 per $100 in its approved tax rate schedule, adopted after a two-cent reduction, and the county has noted that its rate is the lowest among Virginia’s ten largest localities. Hanover County publishes $0.81 per $100, which the county has described as the lowest in the region.
West and south of the metro core the rates drop further. Powhatan County publishes $0.77 per $100 of assessed value. Goochland County publishes $0.53 per $100, a rate the county has held for many years, with an additional ad valorem levy inside the Tuckahoe Creek Service District covered in section four. Treat all of these as approximate for budgeting purposes and verify the operative rate with the locality’s commissioner of the revenue or finance department for the specific parcel you are considering.
How Does Virginia Assess Property, and Why Is the Rate Only Half the Story?
Virginia requires real property to be assessed at fair market value. There is no fractional assessment ratio to decode, which makes Virginia refreshingly simple compared with states that assess at some percentage of value. Your bill is your assessed value divided by 100, multiplied by the rate. A home assessed at $400,000 in Henrico at $0.83 produces an annual bill of $3,320.
The complication is that assessments move, and they do not move on the same schedule everywhere. Assessment and the setting of the tax rate are two entirely separate functions performed by two different offices: the assessor determines value, and the governing body sets the rate. Powhatan County states this distinction on its own real estate tax rate page, and it is the single most useful thing a homeowner can understand about the system. A locality can cut its rate and your bill can still rise, because your assessment rose faster than the rate fell.
That is exactly what happened across much of the Richmond region over the past several years. Several localities reduced rates while total assessed values increased, which is why counties publish notices of proposed real property tax increase even when the rate is unchanged or lower. Under Virginia law those notices compare the proposed rate against a lowered rate that would have produced equivalent revenue. Reassessment cycles differ by jurisdiction, so confirm with the assessor whether the locality reassesses annually or on a multi-year cycle.
What Does the Rate Difference Actually Cost Per Month in the Richmond Area?
Run one round number through every rate and the comparison becomes concrete. Using $400,000 purely as an illustrative assessed value, and not as a claim about what any home in any of these jurisdictions is worth, the annual real estate tax bill works out to $4,800 in the City of Richmond, $3,560 in Chesterfield, $3,320 in Henrico, $3,240 in Hanover, $3,080 in Powhatan, and $2,120 in Goochland outside the Tuckahoe Creek Service District.
The spread between the top and the bottom of that list is $2,680 a year, or roughly $223 a month on an identical assessment. On a mortgage payment that is real money and it is money that never goes away, unlike private mortgage insurance or a temporary rate buydown. Because most Richmond area buyers escrow taxes with their mortgage payment, that difference shows up directly in the monthly payment your lender qualifies you on.
What that does not tell you is where the better value is. Rate is a price for a bundle of services: schools, public safety, roads, refuse collection, water and sewer, libraries and parks. A lower rate in a rural county frequently comes with a private well and septic system you maintain yourself, no county trash pickup, a longer commute, and different school options. The Mission Realty Team’s advice is to compare total cost of living in a place rather than the tax line alone, and to be honest with yourself about the commute.
Which Special Districts and Extra Levies Change Your Richmond Area Tax Bill?
The countywide rate is not always the whole rate. Goochland County levies an additional ad valorem tax inside the Tuckahoe Creek Service District, reported at $0.32 per $100 of assessed value on top of the $0.53 countywide rate, which brings the combined rate inside that district to roughly $0.85. The Tuckahoe Creek district covers much of eastern Goochland along the Route 288 and Broad Street Road corridor, which is where a substantial share of the county’s newer housing sits. That single line item erases most of Goochland’s apparent advantage for properties inside the district.
Henrico County publishes several additional real estate levies as well. The GreenCity II Community Development Authority carries an additional $0.25 per $100 of assessed value. Numbered streetlight districts and the Virginia Center Commons special service district carry additional real estate levies ranging from roughly $0.003 to $0.031 per $100, depending on the district. These are small individually but they are real, and they are assessed by parcel.
Community development authority financing has also been used in larger master planned communities in Chesterfield County. Because district boundaries follow tax map parcels rather than neighborhood names, two homes on the same street can sit on opposite sides of a district line. Never accept a subdivision-level answer. Ask the county to confirm the district status of the specific parcel identification number.
What About Personal Property Tax and the Local Taxes Newcomers Forget?
Virginia localities tax vehicles, and this catches people moving from states that do not. Henrico County publishes a tangible personal property tax rate of $3.35 per $100 of assessed value on cars, trucks and motorcycles. Hanover County publishes $3.57 per $100. Powhatan County publishes $3.60 per $100. Rates and vehicle valuation methods vary, and several localities apply a separate lower rate to qualifying personal-use vehicles or apply state car tax relief, so confirm the current rate and the relief percentage with the locality.
There are also targeted low rates worth knowing about. Henrico assesses $1.00 per $100 for qualifying vehicles used by volunteer firefighters, volunteer rescue squad members and Virginia Defense Force members, and $0.01 per $100 for disabled veterans’ vehicles and vehicles specially equipped for physically handicapped individuals. Virginia voters also amended the state constitution to allow an exemption from local property tax on one motor vehicle used primarily by or for a veteran with a 100 percent service-connected, permanent and total disability.
Beyond property, localities levy their own consumption taxes that affect your monthly cost of living. Henrico County publishes a 4.0 percent food and beverage meals tax, an 8.0 percent lodging tax, a utility consumers’ tax on electricity, and motor vehicle license fees of $20.00 for vehicles under 4,000 pounds, $25.00 for heavier vehicles and $15.00 for motorcycles. Every locality has its own version of this list, and it is worth reading before you assume two counties cost the same.
When Are Richmond Area Property Taxes Due, and What Relief Is Available?
Due dates differ by locality and this is a genuinely easy way to incur a penalty. Henrico County mails real estate and personal property bills in April and November, with installments due on or before June 5 and on or before December 5, a 10 percent late payment penalty, and interest accruing at a 4 percent annual rate on unpaid balances. Hanover County bills real estate twice a year with payments due June 5 and October 5, which is not the same second date as Henrico. Confirm your own locality’s dates with the treasurer rather than assuming.
On exemptions, the most significant one in Virginia is constitutional. Under Article X, Section 6-A of the Constitution of Virginia, the real property of a veteran rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs with a 100 percent service-connected, permanent and total disability is exempt from real property taxation, with provisions extending to certain surviving spouses and to surviving spouses of members of the armed forces killed in the line of duty. This is a full exemption on the qualifying dwelling and it is not subject to an income or age test. Apply through the locality’s commissioner of the revenue.
Beyond that, every Richmond area locality operates a real estate tax relief program for elderly and disabled homeowners with income and net worth limits set locally, and localities also administer land use taxation programs that assess qualifying agricultural, horticultural and forestal land at use value rather than fair market value. Land use deferral matters enormously in Goochland, Powhatan and Hanover, because buying a parcel currently in land use and then changing its use can trigger roll-back taxes. Ask the assessor whether the parcel is in a land use program before you close.
| Locality | Real estate tax rate per $100 of assessed value | Annual bill on a $400,000 assessment (illustrative) |
|---|---|---|
| City of Richmond | $1.20 | $4,800 |
| Chesterfield County | $0.89 | $3,560 |
| Henrico County | $0.83 | $3,320 |
| Hanover County | $0.81 | $3,240 |
| Powhatan County | $0.77 | $3,080 |
| Goochland County, outside Tuckahoe Creek Service District | $0.53 | $2,120 |
| Goochland County, inside Tuckahoe Creek Service District | Approximately $0.85 combined, including the reported $0.32 ad valorem levy | Approximately $3,400 |
| Henrico parcels in the GreenCity II Community Development Authority | $0.83 plus an additional $0.25 | Approximately $4,320 |
Frequently Asked Questions About Property Taxes in Richmond VA and Surrounding Counties
How much are property taxes in Richmond VA?
The City of Richmond’s real estate tax rate is $1.20 per $100 of assessed value, which on a home assessed at $400,000 produces an annual bill of $4,800. Virginia assesses real property at fair market value, so there is no fractional ratio to apply. The city bills in installments; confirm the current rate and your due dates with the City of Richmond finance department, since rates are reset annually during the budget process.
Which Richmond area county has the lowest property tax rate?
Goochland County, at $0.53 per $100 of assessed value, which the county has held for many years. The important caveat is the Tuckahoe Creek Service District in eastern Goochland, where a reported additional ad valorem levy of $0.32 per $100 brings the combined rate to roughly $0.85 and erases most of the advantage. Outside that district Goochland is by a wide margin the lowest rate in the region.
What is the Henrico County property tax rate?
Henrico County publishes a real estate tax rate of $0.83 per $100 of assessed value in its approved tax rate schedule, adopted following a two-cent reduction, and the county has stated this is the lowest rate among Virginia’s ten largest localities. Henrico also publishes a tangible personal property tax rate of $3.35 per $100 on cars, trucks and motorcycles. Some Henrico parcels carry additional streetlight district or community development authority levies.
What is the Chesterfield County property tax rate in 2026?
Chesterfield County publishes a 2026 real estate tax rate of $0.89 per $100 of assessed value, applying equally to residential and commercial property, following a one-cent reduction adopted with the fiscal year 2026 budget. On a $400,000 assessment that is $3,560 a year. Confirm the current figure and any applicable community development authority levy with the Chesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue for your specific parcel.
Are property taxes cheaper in Hanover County than in Henrico?
Slightly. Hanover County publishes $0.81 per $100 of assessed value against Henrico’s $0.83, a two-cent difference that works out to about $80 a year on a $400,000 assessment. That is a rounding error compared with the difference between either county and the City of Richmond at $1.20. Where Hanover and Henrico genuinely diverge is assessments, commute distance, school divisions, and whether the property is on public utilities.
Why did my Richmond area tax bill go up when the rate went down?
Because assessment and rate are set separately. The assessor determines fair market value and the governing body sets the rate, and if your assessed value rose faster than the rate fell, your bill rises. That is why Virginia localities publish a notice of proposed real property tax increase even when the rate is unchanged, comparing the proposed rate against a lowered rate that would have produced equivalent revenue on the new assessments.
When are real estate taxes due in Henrico County?
Henrico County mails real estate and personal property bills in April and November, with installments due on or before June 5 and on or before December 5. Late payment carries a 10 percent penalty and interest accrues at a 4 percent annual rate on the unpaid balance from the first of the month following the due date. If a due date falls on a weekend or legal holiday, payment is due the first business day after.
When are real estate taxes due in Hanover County?
Hanover County bills real estate twice a year with payments due June 5 and October 5. Note that the second installment date differs from Henrico’s December 5, which is a common and expensive assumption for people who move between the two counties. Hanover also publishes a personal property tax rate of $3.57 per $100 of assessed value with its own separate due date, so check the county’s tax due date schedule.
Do I have to pay car tax in the Richmond area?
Yes. Virginia localities levy a tangible personal property tax on vehicles, and it surprises people relocating from states that do not. Henrico publishes $3.35 per $100 of assessed value, Hanover $3.57, and Powhatan $3.60. State car tax relief may reduce what you actually pay on qualifying personal-use vehicles, and several localities apply a separate lower rate to those vehicles. Register with the commissioner of the revenue promptly after you move in.
Is there a property tax exemption for disabled veterans in Virginia?
Yes, and it is a full exemption rather than a discount. Under Article X, Section 6-A of the Constitution of Virginia, the real property of a veteran rated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs with a 100 percent service-connected, permanent and total disability is exempt from real property taxation, with provisions extending to certain surviving spouses. There is no age or income test. Apply through your locality’s commissioner of the revenue, and bring your VA rating decision.
What is land use taxation and why does it matter in Goochland and Powhatan?
Land use taxation, also called use value assessment, lets localities assess qualifying agricultural, horticultural and forestal land at its use value rather than its fair market value, which sharply reduces the tax bill. It matters when you buy acreage because changing the use of a parcel currently enrolled can trigger roll-back taxes covering prior years. Always ask the assessor whether a parcel is enrolled in a land use program before you go under contract.
Can I appeal my property assessment in the Richmond area?
Yes. The normal path is an administrative review with the locality’s assessor first, then an appeal to the local board of equalization, and ultimately to circuit court. Both administrative and board deadlines are tied to the date on your assessment notice and they are short, so read the notice the day it arrives. Bring comparable sales and documentation of any condition issues; an appeal based on the size of the increase alone rarely succeeds.
Should I choose a county just because the property tax rate is lower?
No. The rate buys a bundle of services, and a lower rate frequently comes with a private well and septic system you maintain, no county refuse collection, a longer commute, and a different school division. Run the full monthly picture including commute cost, utilities, and whether you will be paying to maintain your own water and wastewater. The Mission Realty Team routinely builds that comparison for clients deciding between two jurisdictions.
How do I find out the exact tax bill on a specific Richmond area property?
Contact the commissioner of the revenue or finance office for the locality with the parcel identification number and ask for the current assessed value and the total effective rate on that parcel, including any special service district or community development authority levy. Most Richmond area localities also publish online real estate assessment lookup tools. Do not rely on the seller’s stated tax figure, which may reflect an exemption or deferral you will not receive.
Where can I get help comparing property taxes across Richmond area counties?
The Mission Realty Team compares total carrying cost, not just the tax line, across the City of Richmond, Henrico, Chesterfield, Hanover, Goochland and Powhatan, and we verify special district status by parcel before our clients write offers. Rates change annually in the spring budget cycle, so we confirm the operative figure with the locality rather than relying on a published article. Call us at 804-601-4960.
Get the Real Tax Number on the Specific Property You Are Considering
Published countywide rates are the starting point, not the answer. What you actually pay depends on the current assessment, whether the parcel sits inside a service district or community development authority, whether it is enrolled in land use deferral, and which exemptions you qualify for. The Mission Realty Team verifies all of it by parcel ID before our clients go under contract, and we will tell you honestly when a lower-rate county is not actually the cheaper place to live. Call 804-601-4960. Confirm the current rate with the locality before you budget on it – every Richmond area rate is reset annually.
