Property Tax in Chesterfield County, Virginia
Homeowners in Chesterfield County, Virginia pay a median of $2,636 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $336,700. Those are the Census Bureau's published medians for the county (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023) — the typical bill and the typical home value for owner-occupied households.
What the Chesterfield County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Chesterfield County homeowners pay more than $2,636 a year and half pay less. The exact bill for any one home depends on its assessed value, exemptions, and which school, municipal and special districts cover it.
Set against the median home value of $336,700, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 0.78%. That rate is an estimate computed from the two medians — no county publishes a rate calculated this way — but it adjusts for home prices, which makes comparisons between counties more meaningful.
The key figures for Chesterfield County
| Measure | Chesterfield County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $2,636 |
| Median home value | $336,700 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.78% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $220 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $783 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $3,132 |
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.
Chesterfield County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Virginia: #25 of 133 counties
- Median home value rank in Virginia: #33 of 133
- Population rank in Virginia: #5 of 133 (371,610 residents)
- Population density rank: #37 of 133 (877 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Virginia: #41 of 133 (423 sq mi, 1.1% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $220; per $1,000 of home value: $0.78
How Chesterfield County compares
The median tax bill in Chesterfield County is about the same as the state median ($2,686 for Virginia) and about 11% lower than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #25 out of 133 Virginia counties with published Census data — 24 counties in the state have a higher median bill.
Comparisons cut both ways: a county can have a modest rate but high bills because homes are expensive, or a high rate but modest bills because homes are cheaper. Chesterfield County's derived rate of 0.78% sits below the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Chesterfield County: the median bill works out to about $220 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $783 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 371,610 people — the #5 most populous county in Virginia, spread over 423 square miles, a density of about 877 people per square mile. Its median home value, $336,700, ranks #33 among the state's 133 counties with data.
Nationally, Chesterfield County's median bill of $2,636 ranks #613 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 20% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 4.3% of Virginia's population, its median home value is about 7% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 7.83% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Chesterfield County to the most expensive county, Falls Church city ($10,001), is $7,365 a year.
Counties nearest Chesterfield County in the Virginia ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk city, VA | $2,738 | $271,900 | 1.01% |
| York County, VA | $2,676 | $411,200 | 0.65% |
| New Kent County, VA | $2,523 | $371,500 | 0.68% |
| Newport News city, VA | $2,507 | $243,300 | 1.03% |
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. Chesterfield County's medians imply a derived rate of 0.78%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $3,132 a year, or around $261 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in Chesterfield County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Chesterfield 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 Chesterfield County, Virginia?
The median real estate tax paid in Chesterfield County, Virginia is $2,636 per year, on a median home value of $336,700 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Chesterfield County, Virginia?
The derived effective rate is 0.78% — the median bill ($2,636) expressed as a share of the median home value ($336,700). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Chesterfield County compare with the rest of Virginia?
Chesterfield County ranks #25 of 133 Virginia counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $2,636 is about the same as the Virginia median of $2,686.
How are property taxes calculated in Chesterfield 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 Chesterfield County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $2,636 on a median home value of $336,700.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Chesterfield County, Virginia?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Chesterfield 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.