Portsmouth city, Virginia property tax
The median homeowner in Portsmouth city, Virginia pays $2,452 a year in property tax on a home worth $229,400, an effective rate of 1.07%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
Portsmouth city taxes property at 1.07%, within a rounding error of the national 0.98%. With the rate close to typical, the $2,452 bill is driven by what housing is worth here rather than by how hard it is taxed.
Inside Virginia it is one of the most heavily taxed counties there is, ranking #3 of 129, against a statewide 0.74%. At the other end of the same state, Prince Edward County charges 0.40%. A spread that wide inside one state is normal, because school districts, not states, set most of the levy.
The median home costs 3.89 times the median household income of $58,972, close to the national 3.86. Incomes run below the national median, and house prices run below it too, which is what keeps the ratio ordinary. The county has 97,299 residents, which is small enough that the medians describe a reasonably coherent market.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Portsmouth city | Virginia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 1.07% | 0.74% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $2,452 | $2,686 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $229,400 | $360,700 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,266 | $1,514 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $58,972 | $90,974 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.89× | 3.96× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 25.76% | 19.97% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 56.85% | 67.18% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 97,299.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roanoke County | 0.88% | $2,340 | $267,300 |
| Suffolk city | 0.93% | $3,073 | $329,600 |
| Roanoke city | 1.01% | $1,828 | $180,500 |
| Montgomery County | 0.77% | $2,174 | $283,600 |
| Frederick County | 0.51% | $1,807 | $355,000 |
Portsmouth city property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Portsmouth city, Virginia?
The effective rate is 1.07% of home value, from a median tax bill of $2,452 against a median home value of $229,400. That is 0.09 points above the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Portsmouth city?
Roughly $4,280 a year at the county effective rate of 1.07%.
Is Portsmouth city expensive compared with the rest of Virginia?
It ranks #3 of 129 Virginia counties by effective property tax rate, and #911 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.33 points above the Virginia average of 0.74%.
What does housing cost in Portsmouth city?
The median home is worth $229,400 and median gross rent is $1,266 a month. Median household income is $58,972, which puts the home at 3.89 times annual income and rent at 25.76% of it.