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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Ritchie County, West Virginia

Ritchie County has an effective property tax rate of 0.66%. On the median home value of $115,900, that's roughly $763 per year. Median household income is $50,582.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.66%
median tax $763 ÷ median home $115,900
Median Home Value1
$115,900
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$50,582
per-capita $27,681
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$763
at 0.66% 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.

MetricRitchie CountyWest Virginia (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.66%0.49%
Median home value1$115,900—
State income tax3top rate 4.82%top rate 4.82%
State sales tax36.60% combined6.60% 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 Ritchie County, WV

Homes in Ritchie County, West Virginia, are quite affordable, with a median value of $115,900. That price point pairs with an effective property tax rate of 0.658%, which sits above West Virginia's statewide median of 0.489% and ranks fourth among the state's 55 counties. Even so, the median annual tax bill comes to just $763 — a figure that stays low largely because home values here are so far below national norms. Buyers weighing a move to the area around Smithville, the largest of the county's principal towns, will find that the combination of inexpensive housing and a tax bill under $800 keeps yearly ownership costs down. Median household income is $50,582, with per-capita income at $27,681. Compared with the national median effective rate of 0.794%, Ritchie County's rate is still lower, so the higher-than-average state ranking does not translate into steep bills.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Ritchie County, WV?
The effective rate is 0.66% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.66% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($115,900), the estimated annual bill is about $763.
Is Ritchie County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 0.49% 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 Ritchie County 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 Ritchie County 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.