Property Tax in Albemarle County, Virginia
The median real estate tax bill in Albemarle County, Virginia is $3,482 per year, and the median home is worth $471,000. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the Albemarle County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $3,482 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Albemarle County, and $471,000 is the middle home value. Neither figure describes a specific property — together they describe the typical homeowner's situation in the county.
The derived effective rate for Albemarle County is 0.74% (median tax ÷ median value). Treat it as an estimate for comparison only: it comes from survey medians of different households, not from the county's rate schedule.
The key figures for Albemarle County
| Measure | Albemarle County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $3,482 |
| Median home value | $471,000 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.74% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $290 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $739 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $2,956 |
For context, the Virginia medians are $2,686 of tax on $360,700 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Albemarle County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Virginia: #13 of 133 counties
- Median home value rank in Virginia: #12 of 133
- Population rank in Virginia: #16 of 133 (113,683 residents)
- Population density rank: #56 of 133 (158 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Virginia: #6 of 133 (720 sq mi, 1.8% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $290; per $1,000 of home value: $0.74
How Albemarle County compares
Set against its state, Albemarle County's median bill of $3,482 is about 30% higher than the Virginia median ($2,686). Against the country as a whole it is about 17% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #13 of 133 Virginia counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Albemarle County's median home, at $471,000, ranks #12 by value in Virginia, while its derived rate of 0.74% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Albemarle County: the median bill works out to about $290 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $739 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 113,683 people — the #16 most populous county in Virginia, spread over 720 square miles, a density of about 158 people per square mile. Its median home value, $471,000, ranks #12 among the state's 133 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 315 record a higher median tax bill than Albemarle County — it sits in the top 10% nationally. The county holds roughly 1.3% of Virginia's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $471,000 versus $360,700), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.74% adds up to about 7.39% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Buchanan County, medians $404 — $3,078 less than Albemarle County per year.
Counties nearest Albemarle County in the Virginia ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlottesville city, VA | $3,649 | $448,400 | 0.81% |
| Poquoson city, VA | $3,640 | $403,000 | 0.90% |
| Stafford County, VA | $3,301 | $458,800 | 0.72% |
| Suffolk city, VA | $3,073 | $329,600 | 0.93% |
Albemarle County and its population peers
For a like-for-like sense of scale, compare Albemarle County with its national population peers: the counties nearest to its 113,683 residents, listed in the table below with their own Census medians. Of the 9 counties in that group, Albemarle County's median bill of $3,482 is #3 of 9.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County, AL | 116,141 | $610 | $149,500 | 0.41% |
| Jefferson County, NY | 116,130 | $2,851 | $181,000 | 1.57% |
| Newton County, GA | 115,530 | $2,133 | $233,300 | 0.91% |
| St. Mary's County, MD | 114,372 | $3,392 | $390,900 | 0.87% |
| Lycoming County, PA | 113,570 | $2,647 | $195,600 | 1.35% |
| Northwest Hills Planning Region, CT | 112,848 | $5,609 | $311,700 | 1.80% |
| Ontario County, NY | 112,405 | $4,460 | $202,900 | 2.20% |
| Androscoggin County, ME | 112,323 | $2,913 | $232,000 | 1.26% |
The closest population match is Lycoming County, Pennsylvania (113,570 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $2,647 on a median home value of $195,600 — $835 more than Albemarle County pays.
Staying within Virginia, the counties nearest Albemarle County by population are Spotsylvania County (143,876 residents, median tax $2,263 on a median value of $375,000); Hampton city (137,334 residents, median tax $2,259 on a median value of $234,100); Hanover County (111,652 residents, median tax $2,506 on a median value of $372,700); Montgomery County (99,159 residents, median tax $2,174 on a median value of $283,600). The spread in their median bills — all under the same state framework — shows how much of the property tax burden is decided county by county and district by district.
How the tax is worked out
Think of the final bill as three ingredients: the assessed value of the property, the exemptions subtracted from it, and the combined rate of every district the property sits in. Albemarle County's medians imply a derived rate of 0.74%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $2,956 a year, or around $246 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Illustrative bills in Albemarle County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.74% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Albemarle County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 0.74% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $1,108 | $92 |
| $250,000 | $1,848 | $154 |
| $350,000 | $2,586 | $216 |
| $500,000 | $3,695 | $308 |
| $750,000 | $5,542 | $462 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in Albemarle County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Albemarle County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Albemarle County, Virginia?
The median real estate tax paid in Albemarle County, Virginia is $3,482 per year, on a median home value of $471,000 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Albemarle County, Virginia?
On a derived basis, 0.74%: the county's median tax bill of $3,482 divided by its median home value of $471,000. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Albemarle County compare with the rest of Virginia?
Albemarle County ranks #13 of 133 Virginia counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $3,482 is about 30% higher than the Virginia median of $2,686.
How are property taxes calculated in Albemarle County, Virginia?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Albemarle County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $3,482 on a median home value of $471,000.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Albemarle County, Virginia?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Albemarle County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.