Virginia Property Tax Rates in 2026: A County-by-County Look

How to Read These Numbers

Virginia real estate tax is expressed as a rate per $100 of assessed value. To estimate the annual bill, divide the assessed value by 100 and multiply by the rate. The assessed value is the number the locality assigns to your property for tax purposes, which is usually lower than the market value or sale price, so expecting an assessment equal to a recent listing price overstates your bill.

Rates are set by each city or county's elected board and can change with every budget cycle, so the table below is a snapshot of the most recently published rates, with the official source for each linked in the Sources section.

The 2026 Rates at a Glance

Properties inside the Town of Culpeper also pay an additional town levy on top of the county rate. Orange County is intentionally not listed here: its current rate could not be confirmed from an official source at the time of writing, so we chose not to quote a number. Orange County homeowners should verify the current rate with the Orange County Commissioner of the Revenue before planning a move.

What a Rate Means in Dollars

To make the spread concrete, here is a simple example using an assessed value of $400,000, which we have chosen only to illustrate the math. Divide 400,000 by 100 to get 4,000 taxable units, then multiply by each rate:

• City of Fredericksburg: about $3,400 a year at $0.85 combined.
• Stafford County: about $3,870 a year at $0.9675.
• Spotsylvania County: about $2,949 a year at $0.7373.
• Culpeper County: about $1,800 a year at $0.45 (before any town levy).
• King George County: about $2,320 a year at $0.58.

Those are example calculations for comparison only, not quotes on any property. Your real assessment will depend on the value the locality assigns, and local exemptions may reduce the bill further.

A Closer Look at Each Locality

City of Fredericksburg. The city's published real estate rate is $0.84 per $100 effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, with a separate $0.01 fire tax per $100 that began in 2024. City buyers pay for walkability, downtown, and the smallest commutes, and the combined rate sits in the middle of the regional range.

Stafford County. At $0.9675 per $100, Stafford carries the highest rate in this comparison, a reflection of the county's school construction and growth demands. It is also the region's most popular option for families moving toward the D.C. commute, so downsizers should weigh the tax difference against the convenience and resale demand.

Spotsylvania County. The 2026 rate is $0.7373 per $100, down modestly from the prior year's $0.7343. Because Spotsylvania is ringed by 55+ communities like Virginia Heritage and Turnberry East, this is the rate most local downsizers will actually pay, and one of the more affordable in the region.

Culpeper County. The county's total 2026 rate is $0.45 per $100, made up of $0.37 for real estate and $0.08 for fire and rescue. Properties inside the Town of Culpeper pay an additional town rate on top, so the rural county seats and outlying areas are where the lowest bills show up.

King George County. The 2026 rate is $0.58 per $100, down from $0.68 the prior year following the county's 2026 reassessment. The drop is a reminder that rates and assessments move together, and that the annual bill can change even when the rate stays flat, because the assessed value can change.

Don't Forget Exemptions and Appeals

The rates above are the starting point, not the final bill. Virginia localities offer property tax relief for elderly and disabled homeowners, including income-limited exemptions and deferral programs that vary by city and county. Many Fredericksburg-area retirees qualify for relief they never claim because the application is separate from the annual bill. If your assessment jumps after a reassessment, you also have a formal path to appeal. Our guide to senior property tax relief and guide to appealing your assessment walk through both in plain language.