Property Tax in Fairfax County, Virginia
Homeowners in Fairfax County, Virginia pay a median of $7,072 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $699,700. 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 Fairfax County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Fairfax County homeowners pay more than $7,072 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 $699,700, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 1.01%. 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 Fairfax County
| Measure | Fairfax County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $7,072 |
| Median home value | $699,700 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.01% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $589 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,011 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $4,044 |
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.
Fairfax County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Virginia: #3 of 133 counties
- Median home value rank in Virginia: #4 of 133
- Population rank in Virginia: #1 of 133 (1,144,474 residents)
- Population density rank: #13 of 133 (2,927 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Virginia: #47 of 133 (391 sq mi, 1.0% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $589; per $1,000 of home value: $1.01
How Fairfax County compares
The median tax bill in Fairfax County is about 163% higher than the state median ($2,686 for Virginia) and about 138% higher than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #3 out of 133 Virginia counties with published Census data — 2 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. Fairfax County's derived rate of 1.01% sits above the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Fairfax County: the median bill works out to about $589 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,011 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 1,144,474 people — the #1 most populous county in Virginia, spread over 391 square miles, a density of about 2,927 people per square mile. Its median home value, $699,700, ranks #4 among the state's 133 counties with data.
Nationally, Fairfax County's median bill of $7,072 ranks #45 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 1% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 13.2% of Virginia's population, its median home value is about 94% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 10.11% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Fairfax County to the most expensive county, Falls Church city ($10,001), is $2,929 a year.
Counties nearest Fairfax County in the Virginia ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Falls Church city, VA | $10,001 | $1,005,400 | 0.99% |
| Arlington County, VA | $7,774 | $864,800 | 0.90% |
| Alexandria city, VA | $6,879 | $696,800 | 0.99% |
| Fairfax city, VA | $6,392 | $677,400 | 0.94% |
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Fairfax County's derived rate of 1.01%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $4,044 a year. That is only an illustration using the derived rate — a real bill is computed from the property's assessed value, its exemptions, and the combined rates of its specific taxing districts, so it can be higher or lower.
The usual sequence is: the local assessor values the property; exemptions are applied; the taxable value is multiplied by the combined local rates; and the county bills and collects the tax, distributing it to the schools, municipalities and districts that levied it.
Checking your assessment in Fairfax County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Fairfax 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 Fairfax County, Virginia?
The median real estate tax paid in Fairfax County, Virginia is $7,072 per year, on a median home value of $699,700 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Fairfax County, Virginia?
Dividing Fairfax County's median tax bill ($7,072) by its median home value ($699,700) gives a derived effective rate of 1.01%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Fairfax County compare with the rest of Virginia?
Fairfax County ranks #3 of 133 Virginia counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $7,072 is about 163% higher than the Virginia median of $2,686.
How are property taxes calculated in Fairfax County, Virginia?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in Fairfax County is $7,072 of tax on a $699,700 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Fairfax County, Virginia?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Fairfax County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.