Property Tax in Prince William County, Virginia
Homeowners in Prince William County, Virginia pay a median of $4,910 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $500,600. 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 Prince William County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $4,910 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Prince William County, and $500,600 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 Prince William County is 0.98% (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 Prince William County
| Measure | Prince William County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $4,910 |
| Median home value | $500,600 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.98% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $409 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $981 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $3,924 |
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.
Prince William County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Virginia: #7 of 133 counties
- Median home value rank in Virginia: #9 of 133
- Population rank in Virginia: #2 of 133 (484,625 residents)
- Population density rank: #28 of 133 (1,446 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Virginia: #58 of 133 (335 sq mi, 0.8% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $409; per $1,000 of home value: $0.98
How Prince William County compares
Of the 133 Virginia counties with published data, 6 have a higher median property tax bill than Prince William County's $4,910, putting the county at #7 in the state. Its bill is about 83% higher than the state median of $2,686 and about 65% higher than the national median of $2,969.
Rates and values pull in opposite directions: an expensive housing market can produce big bills at ordinary rates. Here the derived rate is 0.98%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #9 within Virginia.
Some extra context for Prince William County: the median bill works out to about $409 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $981 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 484,625 people — the #2 most populous county in Virginia, spread over 335 square miles, a density of about 1,446 people per square mile. Its median home value, $500,600, ranks #9 among the state's 133 counties with data.
Nationally, Prince William County's median bill of $4,910 ranks #130 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 4% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 5.6% of Virginia's population, its median home value is about 39% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 9.81% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Prince William County to the most expensive county, Falls Church city ($10,001), is $5,091 a year.
Counties nearest Prince William County in the Virginia ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax city, VA | $6,392 | $677,400 | 0.94% |
| Loudoun County, VA | $6,186 | $701,000 | 0.88% |
| Manassas city, VA | $4,766 | $434,700 | 1.10% |
| Manassas Park city, VA | $4,329 | $381,200 | 1.14% |
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. Prince William County's medians imply a derived rate of 0.98%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $3,924 a year, or around $327 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in Prince William County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Prince William 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 Prince William County, Virginia?
The median real estate tax paid in Prince William County, Virginia is $4,910 per year, on a median home value of $500,600 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Prince William County, Virginia?
Dividing Prince William County's median tax bill ($4,910) by its median home value ($500,600) gives a derived effective rate of 0.98%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Prince William County compare with the rest of Virginia?
By median taxes paid, Prince William County stands at #7 among the 133 Virginia counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $4,910 median bill is about 83% higher than the state median ($2,686), and 6 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Prince William 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 Prince William County is $4,910 of tax on a $500,600 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Prince William County, Virginia?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Prince William 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.