In proportion to its average household income, the lowest of all Virginia Cities with populations of 50,000 or more, it seems a fair statement that the City of Roanoke takes a greater bite of its residents’ income for real estate taxes than any other municipality in the Commonwealth. Just consider the numbers below…
Highest Real Estate Tax Rates in Virginia Cities With Population of 50,000 or More
(As reported by the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Services and the U.S. Census Bureau.)
1. Portsmouth
’08 Real Estate Tax: $1.26*
’07 Real Estate Tax: $1.36
’08 Estimated Provisional Population: 97,599
’07 Median Household Income: $43,473
2. Richmond
’08 Real Estate Tax: $1.20*
’07 Real Estate Tax: $1.23
’08 Estimated Provisional Population: 195,463
’07 Median Household Income: $37,442
3. Newport News
’08 Real Estate Tax: $1.20
’07 Real Estate Tax: $1.20
’08 Estimated Provisional Population: 180,978
’07 Median Household Income: $46,082
4. ROANOKE CITY
’08 Real Estate Tax: $1.19
’07 Real Estate Tax: $1.19
’08 Estimated Provisional Population: 92,344
’07 Median Household Income: $35,530
5. Norfolk
’08 Real Estate Tax: $1.11
’07 Real Estate Tax: $1.11
’08 Estimated Provisional Population: 235,092
’07 Median Household Income: $40,361
6. Hampton
’08 Real Estate Tax: $1.06*
’07 Real Estate Tax: $1.14
’08 Estimated Provisional Population: 144,204
’07 Median Household Income: $47,408
7. Lynchburg
’08 Real Estate Tax: $1.05
’07 Real Estate Tax: $1.05
’08 Estimated Provisional Population: 70,734
’07 Median Household Income: $36,385
8. Chesapeake
’08 Real Estate Tax: $1.04
’07 Real Estate Tax: $1.04
’08 Estimated Provisional Population: 216,622
’07 Median Household Income: $63,113
9. Suffolk
’08 Real Estate Tax: $0.91*
’07 Real Estate Tax: $0.94
’08 Estimated Provisional Population: 81,907
’07 Median Household Income: $61,464
10. Virginia Beach
’08 Real Estate Tax: $0.89
’07 Real Estate Tax: $0.89
’08 Estimated Provisional Population: 431,451
’07 Median Household Income: $62,477
11. Alexandria
’08 Real Estate Tax: $0.85**
’07 Real Estate Tax: $0.83
’08 Estimated Provisional Population: 137,947
’07 Median Household Income: $77,797
Notes: income figures are in 2007 inflation adjusted dollars from US Census Bureau 2005-2007 estimates. Population totals are from Weldon Cooper Center 2007 final and 2008 provisional estimates. Tax Rates from Weldon Cooper Center Virginia Local Tax Rates 2008 report. All taxes are per $100 of assessed value.
*= decreased real estate tax from ’07 to ’08
**= increased real estate tax from ’07 to ’08
A Few More Things to Consider:
- While Roanoke kept its rate the same, four of the 11 cities above – Portsmouth, Richmond, Hampton and Suffolk – reduced their real estate tax rate for 2008.
- Four cities with 2007 household incomes between 73% and 119% higher than Roanoke have 2008 real estate tax rates ranging between 12.6% and 28.6% lower.
- Only three cities have a higher real estate tax than Roanoke (Richmond and Newport News are higher by 0.8% and Portsmouth is higher by 5.9%.)
- The City of Alexandria has a population approx 1.5 times the size of Roanoke, but its average household income is 119% higher while its real estate tax is 28.6% lower.
