Virginia · FIPS 51057 · ACS 2020–2024
Essex County, Virginia property tax rate
Homeowners in Essex County paid a median of $1,348 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $238,100 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.58% of home value, 25% below the Virginia rate of 0.78% and 38% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.58%Effective tax rate±0.10% margin · Virginia: 0.78%
- $1,348Median tax per yearVirginia: $2,790 · U.S.: $3,119
- $238,100Median home valueVirginia: $383,700
- 3,190Owner-occupied homes72% of households own
| Measure | Essex County | Virginia | U.S. | Essex County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.58% | 0.78% | 0.94% | 0.61% | −0.03 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $1,348 | $2,790 | $3,119 | $1,312 | +$36 (+2.7%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $1,537 | $3,014 | $3,489 | $1,495 | +$42 (+2.8%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $1,120 | $2,316 | $2,576 | $1,032 | +$88 (+8.5%) |
| Median home value | $238,100 | $383,700 | $332,700 | $228,600 | +$9,500 (+4.2%) |
| Total taxes paid | $5,033,400 | $8,529,454,200 | $360,573,527,500 | $4,722,800 |
How Essex County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $5.82 a year, against $7.79 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in Virginia: 47 of 116 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 29% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.56% of value; homes without one: 0.61%. Median bills: $1,537 and $1,120.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (−0.03 pts) and the median tax changed +$36 (+2.7%). The two 5-year surveys share four years of responses, so year-to-year moves are small and partly noise.
- Margin of error: the effective rate is 0.58% ± 0.10% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 3,190 owner-occupied homes.
Virginia counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsylvania County | 0.57% | $948 | $161,400 |
| Patrick County | 0.58% | $845 | $153,400 |
| Dinwiddie County | 0.58% | $1,409 | $257,800 |
| Orange County | 0.59% | $1,997 | $364,200 |
| Rockbridge County | 0.59% | $1,492 | $248,800 |
| Wise County | 0.59% | $693 | $118,600 |
| Powhatan County | 0.59% | $2,448 | $416,000 |
| Botetourt County | 0.60% | $1,862 | $289,200 |
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table-based summary file: B25090 (aggregate real estate taxes), B25082 (aggregate home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes), B25077 (median home value) and B25003 (tenure); files dated January 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, same tables (files dated October 31, 2024), for the comparison column.
- Geography names: Census Bureau Geos20245YR.txt (file dated January 22, 2026).
Effective rate = total real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied homes ÷ their total value, as reported by owners to the Census Bureau. It is not a millage rate. Your bill depends on your assessed value, exemptions (such as homestead) and local levies.