Cost to Own
United StatesVirginiaHanover County FIPS 51085 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-09-10
The part nobody budgets Even with the mortgage fully paid off, the median home in Hanover County still costs $857 a month in taxes, insurance, utilities and upkeep. See how that compares nationwide

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Hanover County, Virginia

A $373,000 home here costs

$2,795

per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 6.76% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $120,000 a year.

P&I 69%Tax 7%Insurance 3%Utilities 9%Upkeep 11%

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,937. The real number is $857 higher every month, 44% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

County median: $372,700
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
VA average household

Compare with Henrico County · Spotsylvania County · Louisa County · any county

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $298,400 borrowed $1,937
Property tax0.672% effective rate, Hanover County assessor via Census ACS $209
Homeowners insuranceVirginia averages $1,199/yr (NAIC), or 0.295% of home value $92
Electricity17.22¢/kWh, Virginia residential average, EIA $178
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year, the cost nobody budgets $311
Total monthly $2,795

How Hanover County compares

Hanover County ranks 2,079th of 3,133 US counties by effective property tax rate, meaning property taxes here are lower than in 1,054 counties and higher than in 2,078. Within Virginia it ranks 52nd of 133.

Hanover County 0.672% 20% lower than national
Virginia average 0.671%
National median0.837%
Highest in America, Menominee County, WI3.636%

Paying the full bill when you don't have to?

Virginia runs property tax relief: homestead, senior, veteran and disability programs, and nearly all of it requires a filing homeowners never make. See what you can claim in Virginia. Buying instead? The state's down payment help is the program lenders forget to mention.

The numbers behind this page

MeasureHanover CountySource
Median home value$372,700ACS B25077
Median real estate taxes paid$2,506ACS B25103
Effective property tax rate0.672%Derived
Median gross rent$1,496ACS B25064
Occupied housing units42,012ACS B25003
Population111,652ACS B01003
Residential electricity price17.22¢/kWhEIA 5.6.A, June 2026
30-year fixed mortgage rate6.76%Freddie Mac PMMS

The risk behind the insurance bill

FEMA rates Hanover County's overall natural hazard risk Relatively Low among US counties. Expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture here run about $28.5 million a year, county-wide, across every building in it, not per household.

One thing to be clear about: the insurance figure above does not know about any of this. It applies your state's average premium rate to the county's median home value, because published premium data does not exist at county level. Two counties in the same state get the same rate here even when FEMA rates one of them Very High and the other Very Low. So in a high-risk county treat the insurance line as a floor, not an estimate, and get a real quote before you budget.

Drought FEMA National Risk Index percentile 91 Relatively High
Earthquake FEMA National Risk Index percentile 83.8 Relatively Low
Hurricane FEMA National Risk Index percentile 74.9 Relatively Low

Ratings are FEMA's own, relative to all US counties. A high drought or heat rating also shows up in the climate figures for Hanover County.

Talk to someone who works this market

Every figure on this page is a county average. What your specific house costs, or what it would sell for, comes down to the street, the age of the roof and the condition of the systems. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Hanover County every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.

I'm looking to buy in Hanover County I already own here and may sell

The weather behind that power bill

Hanover County runs an average high of 86.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 27.2°F in its coldest, with 45.3" of precipitation a year and 29% of it falling in a single three-month stretch. That climate is what sets the $178 electricity line above: 1,302 cooling degree days and 3,995 heating degree days a year.

See the full Hanover County climate breakdown , month by month temperatures, when the rainy season lands, snowfall, and what the heating and cooling actually cost.

Cities and towns in Hanover County

Each has its own median home value and its own effective tax rate, which can differ noticeably from the county average of 0.672%.

Neighbouring counties

Counties sharing a border with Hanover County. Crossing a state line can change the tax rate dramatically for an otherwise identical house.

All 133 counties in Virginia

Questions about owning here

What is the property tax rate in Hanover County?

The effective property tax rate in Hanover County, Virginia is 0.672% of home value per year. On the county's median home value of $372,700, that works out to about $2,506 annually, or $209 per month.

How much does it cost to own a home in Hanover County?

A $373,000 home in Hanover County, Virginia costs approximately $2,795 per month with 20% down at 6.76%. That breaks down as $1,937 principal and interest, $209 property tax, $92 insurance, $246 utilities and $311 set aside for maintenance.

Why is this higher than the payment my lender quoted?

Lender quotes usually show principal and interest only, and sometimes property tax and insurance. They almost never include electricity, water or a maintenance reserve. Here those add about $557 a month, which is why the real cost is 44% above the mortgage payment alone.

Is it cheaper to rent in Hanover County?

Median gross rent in Hanover County, Virginia is $1,496 per month, compared with $2,795 a month to own the median home all in. Renting is cheaper month to month, though rent does not build equity and is not fixed for 30 years.

How much is the electric bill in Hanover County?

Virginia residential electricity averages 17.22¢ per kWh. At the VA average household usage of 1032 kWh per month, that is about $178. Actual bills vary considerably with house size, insulation and climate.

What salary do you need to buy a home in Hanover County?

Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Hanover County, Virginia at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $120,000 a year. That covers the full $2,795 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.

One county over In Goochland County, the same $373,000 home pays about $642 a year less in property tax than it does here. See what else changes across the line

Sources & methodology

  • Median home value, real estate taxes paid, gross rent, occupied units and population, US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, tables B25077, B25103, B25064, B25003, B01003.
  • Effective property tax rate, median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value.
  • Mortgage rate, Freddie Mac PMMS, updated weekly.
  • Residential electricity price, US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A.
  • Homeowners insurance, NAIC average premium for Virginia ($1,199/yr), expressed as 0.295% of median home value and applied to the price above. A quote for your specific house will differ with roof age, claims history and coverage.
  • Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are modelled national estimates, not quoted figures. Every assumption is editable above.

Full methodology