Property Tax in Newport News city, Virginia
Homeowners in Newport News city, Virginia pay a median of $2,507 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $243,300. 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 Newport News city numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Newport News city homeowners pay more than $2,507 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 $243,300, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 1.03%. 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 Newport News city
| Measure | Newport News city |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $2,507 |
| Median home value | $243,300 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.03% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $209 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,030 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $4,120 |
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.
Newport News city at a glance
- Median tax rank in Virginia: #27 of 133 counties
- Median home value rank in Virginia: #66 of 133
- Population rank in Virginia: #11 of 133 (184,774 residents)
- Population density rank: #16 of 133 (2,678 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Virginia: #98 of 133 (68 sq mi, 0.2% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $209; per $1,000 of home value: $1.03
How Newport News city compares
Set against its state, Newport News city's median bill of $2,507 is about 7% lower than the Virginia median ($2,686). Against the country as a whole it is about 16% lower than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #27 of 133 Virginia counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Newport News city's median home, at $243,300, ranks #66 by value in Virginia, while its derived rate of 1.03% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Newport News city: the median bill works out to about $209 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,030 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 184,774 people — the #11 most populous county in Virginia, spread over 68 square miles, a density of about 2,678 people per square mile. Its median home value, $243,300, ranks #66 among the state's 133 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 675 record a higher median tax bill than Newport News city — it sits in the top 22% nationally. The county holds roughly 2.1% of Virginia's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $243,300 versus $360,700), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.03% adds up to about 10.30% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Buchanan County, medians $404 — $2,103 less than Newport News city per year.
Counties nearest Newport News city in the Virginia ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield County, VA | $2,636 | $336,700 | 0.78% |
| New Kent County, VA | $2,523 | $371,500 | 0.68% |
| Hanover County, VA | $2,506 | $372,700 | 0.67% |
| Winchester city, VA | $2,505 | $325,900 | 0.77% |
Newport News city and its population peers
Counties of a similar size can tax very differently. The table below shows the counties closest to Newport News city in population across the United States, with their median bills and home values. Within the group of 9, Newport News city ($2,507) ranks #3 of 9 by median tax paid.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeSoto County, MS | 188,598 | $1,595 | $248,700 | 0.64% |
| Tippecanoe County, IN | 187,399 | $1,355 | $217,600 | 0.62% |
| Boone County, MO | 185,874 | $2,232 | $254,100 | 0.88% |
| Kent County, DE | 185,043 | $1,331 | $290,600 | 0.46% |
| Medina County, OH | 183,049 | $3,448 | $268,000 | 1.29% |
| Ulster County, NY | 182,109 | $6,124 | $315,100 | 1.94% |
| Shasta County, CA | 181,554 | $2,442 | $347,200 | 0.70% |
| Bay County, FL | 181,368 | $1,653 | $276,900 | 0.60% |
The closest population match is Kent County, Delaware (185,043 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $1,331 on a median home value of $290,600 — $1,176 more than Newport News city pays.
Inside Virginia itself, the counties closest to Newport News city in population are Norfolk city (235,037 residents, median tax $2,738 on a median value of $271,900); Richmond city (227,595 residents, median tax $2,834 on a median value of $328,100); Stafford County (160,520 residents, median tax $3,301 on a median value of $458,800); Alexandria city (156,788 residents, median tax $6,879 on a median value of $696,800). Same state, same broad tax framework — yet the median bills still differ, because assessed values and the mix of county, municipal and school-district rates are set locally.
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 1.03%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $1,030 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $4,120. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Illustrative bills in Newport News city at the derived rate
The derived rate of 1.03% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Newport News city — 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 | $1,545 | $129 |
| $250,000 | $2,575 | $215 |
| $350,000 | $3,605 | $300 |
| $500,000 | $5,150 | $429 |
| $750,000 | $7,725 | $644 |
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 Newport News city
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in Newport News city; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
More Virginia counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Newport News city, Virginia?
The median real estate tax paid in Newport News city, Virginia is $2,507 per year, on a median home value of $243,300 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Newport News city, Virginia?
The derived effective rate is 1.03% — the median bill ($2,507) expressed as a share of the median home value ($243,300). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Newport News city compare with the rest of Virginia?
By median taxes paid, Newport News city stands at #27 among the 133 Virginia counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $2,507 median bill is about 7% lower than the state median ($2,686), and 26 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Newport News city, 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 Newport News city, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $2,507 on a median home value of $243,300.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Newport News city, Virginia?
Yes. Request your property record card from the Newport News city assessor's office and check it for errors, then compare your assessed value with recent sales of similar homes. If it still looks too high, file a formal appeal with the local review board named on your assessment notice before the deadline printed on the notice — windows are short, often 30 to 90 days.