County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Portsmouth city, Virginia

Portsmouth city has an effective property tax rate of 1.04%. On the median home value of $246,900, that's roughly $2,557 per year. Median household income is $60,491.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
1.04%
median tax $2,557 ÷ median home $246,900
Median Home Value1
$246,900
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$60,491
per-capita $33,568
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$2,557
at 1.04% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricPortsmouth cityVirginia (state context)
Effective property tax rate11.04%0.60%
Median home value1$246,900
State income tax3top rate 5.75%top rate 5.75%
State sales tax35.77% combined5.77% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Portsmouth city, VA

In Portsmouth, Virginia, the median home value of $246,900 carries an annual real-estate tax bill of about $2,557, based on an effective rate of 1.036%. That's a meaningful line item against a median household income of $60,491 — roughly one dollar of every twenty-four earned goes toward property taxes. The statewide median effective rate is 0.601%, and Portsmouth ranks 3rd of 133 counties in Virginia for property tax rate, so homeowners here pay considerably more than many elsewhere in the state. Nationally, the median effective rate is 0.794%, which Portsmouth also exceeds. For a household bringing in around $60,000 a year, setting aside $2,557 for taxes shapes budgeting decisions throughout the year, from housing costs to savings. Per-capita income in the county sits at $33,568.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Portsmouth city, VA?
The effective rate is 1.04% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 1.04% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($246,900), the estimated annual bill is about $2,557.
Is Portsmouth city's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 0.60% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Portsmouth city assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Portsmouth city assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.