Smyth County, Virginia property tax
The median homeowner in Smyth County, Virginia pays $766 a year in property tax on a home worth $125,800, an effective rate of 0.61%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.61%, Smyth County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. That puts the median bill at $766. Rates this low usually mean the state, rather than the county, carries more of the school funding.
It ranks #72 of 129 Virginia counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.74%, and #2,062 nationally. The state runs from 1.14% in Manassas Park city down to 0.40% in Prince Edward County.
The median home costs 2.68 times the median household income of $46,859, against 3.86 nationally, which is a comfortable ratio by American standards. 70.87% of occupied homes are owned rather than rented, and cheap housing relative to income is usually why. With 29,585 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
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
| Smyth County | Virginia | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.61% | 0.74% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $766 | $2,686 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $125,800 | $360,700 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $692 | $1,514 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $46,859 | $90,974 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 2.68× | 3.96× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 17.72% | 19.97% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 70.87% | 67.18% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 29,585.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County | 0.60% | $861 | $144,200 |
| Mecklenburg County | 0.49% | $826 | $169,400 |
| Fredericksburg city | 0.62% | $2,853 | $461,500 |
| Wythe County | 0.49% | $851 | $172,100 |
| Powhatan County | 0.63% | $2,418 | $381,300 |
Smyth County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Smyth County, Virginia?
The effective rate is 0.61% of home value, from a median tax bill of $766 against a median home value of $125,800. That is 0.37 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Smyth County?
Roughly $2,440 a year at the county effective rate of 0.61%.
Is Smyth County expensive compared with the rest of Virginia?
It ranks #72 of 129 Virginia counties by effective property tax rate, and #2062 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.13 points below the Virginia average of 0.74%.
What does housing cost in Smyth County?
The median home is worth $125,800 and median gross rent is $692 a month. Median household income is $46,859, which puts the home at 2.68 times annual income and rent at 17.72% of it.