Property Taxes in Arlington
Arlington's FY2026 real estate tax rate is $1.053 per $100 of assessed value -- a 2-cent increase from calendar-year 2025 -- against assessed values running about 8% below actual market values on average, meaning the effective rate against real market value runs closer to roughly $0.975 per $100; a real, meaningful Real Estate Tax Relief Program offers up to full exemption or deferral for eligible seniors and disabled homeowners.
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Learn moreThe FY2026 Rate, and a Worked Example on the Primary Median-Home Figure
Arlington County's advertised real estate tax rate for FY2026 is $1.053 per $100 of assessed value, a 2-cent increase from the calendar-year-2025 rate, per Arlington County's own Newsroom and ARLnow. Applied to this record's primary $818,000 median-home figure (see the housing-market topic page), that works out to roughly $8,614/year in real estate tax at the nominal rate -- though see the note below on effective vs. nominal rate, since assessed value and market value aren't identical.
Assessed Value Runs Below Market Value -- A Real, Disclosed Gap
ARLnow separately reported that Arlington's tax-assessed property values run about 8% lower than actual market values on average, per the base Arlington record. That means the EFFECTIVE rate against real market value is somewhat lower than the nominal $1.053/$100 figure suggests: roughly $1.053 / 1.08 ≈ $0.975 per $100 of market value, a transparent calculation from two sourced inputs rather than an independently published effective-rate statistic. Applied to an $818,000 market-value home, that works out closer to $7,976/year in practice -- meaningfully different from the naive nominal-rate calculation above, and worth understanding before budgeting off either figure alone.
Real Estate Tax Relief for Seniors and the Disabled: Real, and Potentially Substantial
Arlington County's Real Estate Tax Relief Program provides an exemption, a deferral, or both, for eligible homeowners who are age 65 or older, or totally/permanently disabled -- up to 100% exemption for those meeting the lowest income tier. 2026 program limits run around $108,000 in maximum qualifying income and $562,100 in maximum qualifying assets, per Arlington County's own program page. Arlington asks applicants to file by March 31 for a timely adjusted current-year bill, though the final 2026 filing deadline runs later, to November 16 -- confirm current-year specifics directly with Arlington's Commissioner of the Revenue, since income/asset limits and deadlines can shift year to year.
Personal Property Tax on Vehicles: A Narrower Relief Band Than Most Virginia Localities
As detailed in the base record, Arlington's personal property tax rate on vehicles is $5.00 per $100 of assessed value, and Arlington applies its Personal Property Tax Relief Act (PPTRA) relief using a county-specific formula covering only the $3,001-$20,000 assessed-value band -- narrower than the standard first-$20,000 relief most other Virginia localities apply. One 2026 source estimated the tax due on a $30,000 vehicle at approximately $1,196 under this Arlington-specific formula.
No State-Level Property Tax; Confirm the Current Mill/Rate Structure Directly
Virginia property tax is levied entirely at the local (county/city) level -- there is no separate state property tax layered on top of Arlington's county rate. Because Arlington's assessed-value-to-market-value gap and its FY2026 rate are both real, current, and subject to change in future budget cycles, confirm the actual current bill for a specific property directly with the Arlington County Assessor rather than relying on any single percentage figure in this file.
Key takeaways
- Arlington's FY2026 real estate tax rate is $1.053 per $100 of assessed value (up 2 cents from 2025) -- on the base record's primary $818,000 median-home figure, that's roughly $8,614/year at the nominal rate.
- Assessed values run about 8% below market values on average, so the EFFECTIVE rate against real market value is closer to about $0.975 per $100 -- roughly $7,976/year on an $818,000 market-value home, a transparent calculation from two sourced inputs, not an independently published statistic.
- Arlington's Real Estate Tax Relief Program offers up to 100% exemption or deferral for eligible homeowners 65+ or disabled (2026 limits: ~$108,000 income, ~$562,100 assets) -- file by March 31 for a timely current-year adjustment, final 2026 deadline November 16.
- Personal property (vehicle) tax runs $5.00/$100 of assessed value, with Arlington's PPTRA relief formula covering only the $3,001-$20,000 band -- narrower than most other Virginia localities' standard first-$20,000 relief.
- Virginia property tax is purely local -- no separate state property tax layer. Confirm the actual current bill for any specific property directly with the Arlington County Assessor given real, ongoing year-to-year rate and assessment changes.
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