Northern Virginia Property Tax Rates 2026: Fairfax vs. Loudoun vs. Arlington
Northern Virginia Property Tax Rates 2026: What Your Home Will Cost You Each Year & Month
Northern Virginia real estate tax rates in 2026 range from $0.805 per $100 of assessed value in Loudoun County to $1.135 in the City of Alexandria, with Prince William at $0.865, Arlington at $1.053, and Fairfax County at $1.12. On a $700,000 assessment, that is a spread of roughly $5,635 to $7,945 a year, or about $470 to $662 a month. Rates are only half the story: your home's assessed value, any special tax district, and your HOA dues decide your real monthly number.
- Loudoun is $0.805 per $100; Prince William $0.865; Arlington $1.053; Fairfax $1.12; Alexandria $1.135.
- A $700,000 assessment means about $470/month in taxes in Loudoun versus $653/month in Fairfax County.
- Your lender escrows taxes into your payment, so every $100/month lowers buying power by roughly $15,000–$17,000.
- Assessed value, special tax districts, and HOA dues can outweigh the headline rate — check the parcel, not the county.
- Before you write an offer, ask for a true monthly cost sheet on your target homes — I'll build one for you.
If you're comparing homes across county lines, the listing price is the number everyone watches and the tax bill is the number that quietly changes your payment for the next thirty years. I walk buyers through this comparison before they ever tour a house, because a $25,000 price difference can disappear in a few years of higher taxes — or grow, if the cheaper-rate county has a higher assessment.
Here's how the math works, what the rates are right now, and where the headline rate misleads you. This is a cost comparison only — it's not a recommendation about where you should live.
Current Tax Rates: Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, Alexandria & Prince William at a Glance
Real estate tax in Virginia is set by each locality, applied to the assessed value of the property, and expressed per $100. Here are the most recent adopted rates I could confirm from county and city sources:
| Jurisdiction | Rate per $100 | Source year |
|---|---|---|
| Loudoun County | $0.805 | Tax year 2026 (unchanged) |
| Prince William County | $0.865 | FY2027 (down from $0.906) |
| Arlington County | $1.053 | Adopted April 2026 (up from $1.033) |
| Fairfax County | $1.12 | FY2027 (down from $1.1225) |
| City of Alexandria | $1.135 | 2026 |
Rates change with each budget cycle, so verify the current figure on your locality's tax website before you finalize numbers for an offer. A few details worth knowing:
- Fairfax County trimmed its rate by a quarter-cent for FY2027, but the average homeowner's bill still rises because assessments grew.
- Loudoun and Prince William have held rates down in part by shifting more of the burden onto commercial and data center property — which is why your bill can still rise if your assessment does. I cover the broader picture in Data Centers in Northern Virginia: Do They Hurt Home Values?.
- Arlington raised its rate by two cents in 2026.
- Most localities bill in two installments; due dates vary (Prince William, for example, is July 15 and December 5), so confirm which dates apply to your parcel.
Searching homes in Fairfax County, Arlington, or Alexandria? You'll see the highest rates in the region. Looking at Leesburg and the Loudoun corridors or Woodbridge in Prince William? The rates are lower, but you still need to run the full monthly math.
Your Real Monthly Cost: What the Rate Means on a $500,000, $700,000 & $1,000,000 Home
The formula is simple: assessed value ÷ 100 × rate = annual tax. Here's the result if your assessment matches the price:
$500,000 Home: Annual and Monthly Tax by Jurisdiction
| Jurisdiction | Annual tax | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Loudoun | $4,025 | $335 |
| Prince William | $4,325 | $360 |
| Arlington | $5,265 | $439 |
| Fairfax County | $5,600 | $467 |
| Alexandria | $5,675 | $473 |
$700,000 Home: Reston, Vienna & Loudoun County Corridors
| Jurisdiction | Annual tax | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Loudoun | $5,635 | $470 |
| Prince William | $6,055 | $505 |
| Arlington | $7,371 | $614 |
| Fairfax County | $7,840 | $653 |
| Alexandria | $7,945 | $662 |
$1,000,000 Home: McLean, Tysons & Arlington
| Jurisdiction | Annual tax | Monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Loudoun | $8,050 | $671 |
| Prince William | $8,650 | $721 |
| Arlington | $10,530 | $878 |
| Fairfax County | $11,200 | $933 |
| Alexandria | $11,350 | $946 |
On a $700,000 home, the gap between Loudoun and Fairfax County is about $183 a month, or $2,200 a year. That matters for two reasons.
First, your lender counts it. Taxes are escrowed into your monthly payment and included in your debt-to-income ratio. At interest rates in the 6%–7% range, each $100 per month of extra payment cuts your purchasing power by roughly $15,000–$17,000. A buyer stretched to the limit in one county may qualify more comfortably in another — which is a conversation to have with your lender before you shop, not after you're under contract. See Do You Need a Jumbo Loan to Buy a Home in Northern Virginia? if your target is near the conforming-loan ceiling.
Second, it compounds against price. A $2,200 annual difference over seven years is $15,400 — before any assessment growth. That's real money to weigh against a lower or higher list price.
Your exact number depends on the specific parcel, and that's where a local analysis comes in. This is exactly the kind of comparison I build for clients before we write an offer.
Where the Headline Rate Misleads You: Assessments, Special Districts & HOA Dues
The rate is public. These factors are what change your actual bill:
- Assessed value is not the sale price. Localities assess on their own schedule and method. A home that just sold at $720,000 may be assessed at $650,000 — or $750,000. Look up the current assessment on the county's property records, and remember it can reset after a sale. A higher-rate county with a lower assessment can cost less than a lower-rate county with a higher one.
- Special tax districts can add to the base rate. Some parcels near Metrorail extensions or in community development districts carry an additional levy. Ask your agent or title company whether the property you're considering sits in one, and confirm it on the tax record.
- HOA and condo fees can outweigh the tax difference. A townhome with $350 in monthly dues in a lower-rate county can cost more per month than a similar home with no dues in a higher-rate county. Always request the HOA Resale Disclosure Packet — you have a 3-day right of rescission after receiving it — and in a condo, the Condo Resale Certificate. In communities like Reston, Reston Association assessments belong in your monthly math too.
- Taxes reset and you can appeal. If you believe your assessment is too high, Fairfax County has a formal appeal process with firm deadlines — here's the walkthrough: Fairfax County Property Tax Assessment Appeals.
- Virginia is a caveat emptor state. Nobody is obligated to hand you a total-cost picture. The Virginia Residential Property Disclosure Statement covers condition, not tax burden. Ask for numbers in writing and check them yourself.
For sellers: Your buyer's lender is looking at your tax bill too. Correct, current assessment information helps buyers underwrite with confidence. Property taxes are prorated at settlement through the Title/Settlement Company, as I explain in Property Tax Proration in Northern Virginia. Remember that sellers also pay the Virginia grantor's tax at closing — $0.25 per $100 — plus the NoVA Regional Congestion Relief Fee of $0.15 per $100, a combined $0.40 per $100. On a $700,000 sale, that's $2,800. See How Much Do Sellers Pay in Closing Costs in Northern Virginia? for the full itemized list. Buyers should also review Buyer Closing Costs in Northern Virginia.
How to Compare Total Monthly Cost Across Two Homes: 5 Steps
- Pull the current assessment and the locality's current rate for each parcel.
- Divide the annual tax by 12 and add homeowners insurance quotes for each address.
- Add HOA, condo, or Reston Association dues from the resale packet.
- Add any special district levy shown on the tax record.
- Add principal and interest at your lender's quoted rate and compare the all-in monthly payment — not the list price.
Frequently Asked Questions: Northern Virginia Property Taxes
Q: Which Northern Virginia county has the lowest property tax rate in 2026?
A: Loudoun County has the lowest adopted rate among the major jurisdictions at $0.805 per $100 of assessed value, followed by Prince William at $0.865. Your actual bill depends on your assessment and any special district, so compare parcels, not just rates. Browse Loudoun-area homes in Ashburn to see how this plays out by price point.
Q: How much are property taxes on a $700,000 house in Fairfax County?
A: At the FY2027 rate of $1.12 per $100, a $700,000 assessment produces about $7,840 a year, or $653 a month. That figure is escrowed into your mortgage payment if you have a lender. For details on contesting an assessment, read the Fairfax County appeal guide.
Q: Do property taxes go up when I buy a home in Northern Virginia?
A: Virginia doesn't have a purchase-triggered reassessment like some states, but localities reassess regularly and a recent sale price influences the next assessment. Expect your bill to track market values over time, even if the rate holds flat. Get a custom estimate with a free home valuation.
Q: Who pays property taxes at settlement in Virginia?
A: Taxes are prorated between buyer and seller through the Title/Settlement Company based on the closing date and the period already paid. Sellers also pay grantor's tax at $0.25 per $100 plus the $0.15 per $100 NoVA Regional Congestion Relief Fee. The details are in Property Tax Proration in Northern Virginia.
Q: Should I choose a home based on the county tax rate?
A: Use the rate as one input in your total monthly cost, alongside price, assessment, insurance, and HOA dues — not as the deciding factor by itself. The right comparison is the all-in payment on the specific homes you're considering. Start with the Northern Virginia blog or reach out and I'll run the numbers with you.
If you're thinking about buying and want to see the true monthly cost of the homes on your list, I'll build the comparison with you, using current assessments, rates, and dues. Schedule a consultation here. And if you own in Northern Virginia and want to know what your home is worth — and what a buyer's monthly payment will look like — I'd be glad to put together a free valuation. Find out what your home is worth today.
About Samantha Bard, REALTOR® Samantha Bard is a licensed REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Realty specializing in the Fairfax County and broader DC Metro real estate markets. As an Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR) and Seller Representative Specialist (SRS), she provides strategic, detail-oriented guidance to buyers, sellers, and investors navigating everything from first-time purchases to probate sales and out-of-state relocations. She is dedicated to helping clients across Northern Virginia make informed, confident real estate decisions.
License #0225198344 VA | Coldwell Banker Realty | (703) 471-7220
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