Ranked from ACS 2023 5-Year
Counties Where Utilities Cost More Than Property Tax in Virginia
Property tax gets all the attention, but in much of the country the electricity and water bill is the larger line item. These are the counties where the gap is widest, using state residential electricity prices from the EIA.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
Virginia ranked
| # | County | Utilities over tax | Effective rate | Median home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buchanan County | $215 | 0.442% | $91,400 |
| 2 | Dickenson County | $207 | 0.498% | $101,100 |
| 3 | Lee County | $200 | 0.594% | $98,700 |
| 4 | Henry County | $199 | 0.502% | $120,300 |
| 5 | Covington city | $197 | 0.784% | $80,200 |
| 6 | Lunenburg County | $196 | 0.436% | $145,500 |
| 7 | Russell County | $195 | 0.538% | $119,600 |
| 8 | Wise County | $194 | 0.565% | $116,500 |
| 9 | Tazewell County | $189 | 0.618% | $116,100 |
| 10 | Brunswick County | $189 | 0.541% | $132,700 |
| 11 | Halifax County | $188 | 0.490% | $148,900 |
| 12 | Charlotte County | $188 | 0.513% | $144,000 |
| 13 | Danville city | $187 | 0.674% | $110,200 |
| 14 | Martinsville city | $187 | 0.806% | $92,500 |
| 15 | Nottoway County | $186 | 0.420% | $179,800 |
| 16 | Smyth County | $185 | 0.609% | $125,800 |
| 17 | Norton city | $183 | 0.782% | $100,700 |
| 18 | Grayson County | $181 | 0.620% | $132,300 |
| 19 | Prince Edward County | $181 | 0.403% | $203,700 |
| 20 | Scott County | $180 | 0.675% | $122,300 |
| 21 | Mecklenburg County | $180 | 0.488% | $169,400 |
| 22 | Bath County | $180 | 0.405% | $206,000 |
| 23 | Wythe County | $178 | 0.494% | $172,100 |
| 24 | Patrick County | $178 | 0.581% | $146,500 |
| 25 | Carroll County | $177 | 0.597% | $144,200 |
| 26 | Bland County | $177 | 0.553% | $157,100 |
| 27 | Buckingham County | $176 | 0.521% | $167,800 |
| 28 | Giles County | $174 | 0.632% | $143,500 |
| 29 | Pittsylvania County | $174 | 0.593% | $153,000 |
| 30 | Campbell County | $173 | 0.458% | $199,200 |
| 31 | Greensville County | $171 | 0.588% | $159,200 |
| 32 | Craig County | $169 | 0.455% | $210,500 |
| 33 | Accomack County | $169 | 0.498% | $193,100 |
| 34 | Galax city | $169 | 0.759% | $126,800 |
| 35 | Sussex County | $169 | 0.541% | $178,500 |
| 36 | Emporia city | $167 | 0.755% | $131,100 |
| 37 | Amherst County | $166 | 0.506% | $197,200 |
| 38 | Appomattox County | $165 | 0.532% | $189,200 |
| 39 | Alleghany County | $165 | 0.827% | $122,300 |
| 40 | Amelia County | $163 | 0.431% | $239,700 |
| 41 | Washington County | $163 | 0.514% | $201,800 |
| 42 | Highland County | $157 | 0.564% | $195,700 |
| 43 | Floyd County | $156 | 0.521% | $215,500 |
| 44 | Pulaski County | $151 | 0.644% | $182,500 |
| 45 | Franklin County | $150 | 0.533% | $222,800 |
| 46 | Richmond County | $150 | 0.555% | $214,200 |
| 47 | King and Queen County | $144 | 0.523% | $240,900 |
| 48 | Bedford County | $144 | 0.457% | $276,600 |
| 49 | Bristol city | $141 | 0.767% | $168,700 |
| 50 | Essex County | $140 | 0.574% | $228,600 |
| 51 | Charles City County | $136 | 0.604% | $224,100 |
| 52 | Augusta County | $134 | 0.490% | $281,400 |
| 53 | Southampton County | $134 | 0.661% | $208,800 |
| 54 | Cumberland County | $133 | 0.635% | $220,100 |
| 55 | Rockbridge County | $130 | 0.600% | $238,700 |
| 56 | Buena Vista city | $129 | 0.941% | $153,500 |
| 57 | Petersburg city | $128 | 0.918% | $157,900 |
| 58 | Shenandoah County | $128 | 0.546% | $265,800 |
| 59 | Surry County | $126 | 0.627% | $235,200 |
| 60 | Mathews County | $126 | 0.423% | $348,800 |
| 61 | Dinwiddie County | $126 | 0.601% | $246,100 |
| 62 | Radford city | $125 | 0.703% | $211,700 |
| 63 | Page County | $125 | 0.671% | $221,800 |
| 64 | Westmoreland County | $124 | 0.617% | $244,000 |
| 65 | Lancaster County | $124 | 0.490% | $307,600 |
| 66 | Nelson County | $123 | 0.536% | $283,000 |
| 67 | Rockingham County | $121 | 0.532% | $287,900 |
| 68 | Waynesboro city | $118 | 0.667% | $236,600 |
| 69 | Caroline County | $117 | 0.560% | $283,100 |
| 70 | Hopewell city | $116 | 0.969% | $165,100 |
| 71 | Northumberland County | $116 | 0.481% | $333,100 |
| 72 | Franklin city | $109 | 0.738% | $227,200 |
| 73 | Northampton County | $108 | 0.605% | $279,100 |
| 74 | Middlesex County | $108 | 0.564% | $299,800 |
| 75 | Staunton city | $108 | 0.709% | $239,300 |
| 76 | Gloucester County | $106 | 0.594% | $289,200 |
| 77 | King William County | $105 | 0.627% | $276,500 |
| 78 | Botetourt County | $102 | 0.655% | $268,900 |
| 79 | Lynchburg city | $101 | 0.839% | $211,800 |
| 80 | Louisa County | $101 | 0.646% | $275,600 |
| 81 | Frederick County | $99 | 0.509% | $355,000 |
| 82 | Roanoke city | $97 | 1.013% | $180,500 |
| 83 | Fluvanna County | $96 | 0.651% | $281,700 |
| 84 | Warren County | $95 | 0.586% | $315,800 |
| 85 | Madison County | $85 | 0.594% | $331,400 |
| 86 | Greene County | $82 | 0.637% | $315,300 |
| 87 | Orange County | $78 | 0.607% | $337,300 |
| 88 | Prince George County | $74 | 0.782% | $268,300 |
| 89 | Culpeper County | $73 | 0.548% | $386,400 |
| 90 | Colonial Heights city | $72 | 0.918% | $231,700 |
| 91 | Harrisonburg city | $68 | 0.781% | $278,200 |
| 92 | Montgomery County | $68 | 0.767% | $283,600 |
| 93 | King George County | $64 | 0.561% | $395,900 |
| 94 | Salem city | $63 | 0.912% | $244,800 |
| 95 | Hampton city | $61 | 0.965% | $234,100 |
| 96 | Spotsylvania County | $61 | 0.603% | $375,000 |
| 97 | Williamsburg city | $60 | 0.576% | $393,200 |
| 98 | Roanoke County | $54 | 0.875% | $267,300 |
| 99 | Lexington city | $51 | 0.864% | $275,300 |
| 100 | Isle of Wight County | $49 | 0.719% | $333,600 |
| 101 | Henrico County | $48 | 0.724% | $333,600 |
| 102 | Powhatan County | $48 | 0.634% | $381,300 |
| 103 | Goochland County | $48 | 0.500% | $483,700 |
| 104 | Portsmouth city | $45 | 1.069% | $229,400 |
| 105 | Hanover County | $40 | 0.672% | $372,700 |
| 106 | Newport News city | $40 | 1.030% | $243,300 |
| 107 | Winchester city | $40 | 0.769% | $325,900 |
| 108 | New Kent County | $39 | 0.679% | $371,500 |
| 109 | Chesterfield County | $29 | 0.783% | $336,700 |
| 110 | York County | $26 | 0.651% | $411,200 |
| 111 | Norfolk city | $21 | 1.007% | $271,900 |
| 112 | Clarke County | $19 | 0.512% | $538,900 |
| 113 | James City County | $17 | 0.665% | $419,200 |
| 114 | Rappahannock County | $17 | 0.569% | $490,200 |
| 115 | Richmond city | $13 | 0.864% | $328,100 |
| 116 | Fredericksburg city | $11 | 0.618% | $461,500 |
| 117 | Virginia Beach city | $5 | 0.800% | $366,300 |
| 118 | Chesapeake city | $4 | 0.818% | $359,100 |
| 119 | Suffolk city | $-7 | 0.932% | $329,600 |
| 120 | Stafford County | $-26 | 0.719% | $458,800 |
| 121 | Albemarle County | $-41 | 0.739% | $471,000 |
| 122 | Poquoson city | $-54 | 0.903% | $403,000 |
| 123 | Charlottesville city | $-55 | 0.814% | $448,400 |
| 124 | Fauquier County | $-100 | 0.770% | $543,700 |
| 125 | Manassas Park city | $-112 | 1.136% | $381,200 |
| 126 | Manassas city | $-148 | 1.096% | $434,700 |
| 127 | Prince William County | $-160 | 0.981% | $500,600 |
| 128 | Loudoun County | $-266 | 0.882% | $701,000 |
| 129 | Fairfax city | $-284 | 0.944% | $677,400 |
| 130 | Alexandria city | $-324 | 0.987% | $696,800 |
| 131 | Fairfax County | $-340 | 1.011% | $699,700 |
| 132 | Arlington County | $-399 | 0.899% | $864,800 |
| 133 | Falls Church city | $-585 | 0.995% | $1,005,400 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Counties Where Utilities Cost More Than Property Tax across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Virginia