Real estate tax per $100: Virginia Beach $0.97, Chesapeake $1.01, Norfolk $1.23, Portsmouth $1.24. Home values, schools and commutes compared.

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. Sources: the Virginia Beach Real Estate Assessor, Chesapeake’s fiscal 2027 tax levy ordinance (PDF), Norfolk’s Adopted FY 2027 Budget overview (PDF), Portsmouth’s fiscal 2027 tax hearing notice (PDF), the state’s School Quality Profiles, Zillow Research and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2019-2023 five-year estimates.

Virginia Beach shares borders with Norfolk and Chesapeake, and Portsmouth is the next city west. These are the three nearest cities to Virginia Beach’s center by the Census Bureau’s internal points: Norfolk about 16 miles, Chesapeake about 17 and Portsmouth about 19.

All four are independent cities. None is in a county, so there is no county tax, county police or county school system. Each city sets its own real estate rate, runs its own school division and provides its own police, fire and trash service. So the city line decides which taxes, schools and services apply.

What this means for you

  • Taxes: Virginia Beach has the lowest real estate rate of the four, $0.97 per $100.
  • Home values: Virginia Beach and Chesapeake are nearly level in Zillow’s index, about $425,000; Norfolk and Portsmouth are lower.
  • Schools: each city has its own division; on-time graduation for the class of 2026 ranged from 84% in Norfolk to 97% in Virginia Beach.

Part of our Virginia Beach neighborhoods guide.

Real estate tax rates

City Fiscal 2027 rate per $100 Source
Virginia Beach $0.97 Real Estate Assessor
Chesapeake $1.01 ($1.00 general levy plus $0.01 for mosquito control) Tax levy ordinance
Norfolk $1.23 ($1.39 in the Downtown Improvement District) Adopted FY 2027 Budget
Portsmouth $1.24 Tax hearing notice

Portsmouth’s notice says its proposed fiscal 2027 budget “maintains the FY 2026 real property tax rate of $1.24.” Virginia Beach also has 11 special service districts with their own rates, from $0.98 in Sandbridge to $1.55; see our property taxes guide.

On a home assessed at $366,300, the median value of owner-occupied homes in Virginia Beach in the Census survey, the general rate in each city would mean a yearly bill of about $3,553 in Virginia Beach, $3,700 in Chesapeake, $4,505 in Norfolk and $4,542 in Portsmouth. Each city assesses at its own values, so the same house would not carry the same assessment in each.

Chart: tax rates

Bar chart of fiscal 2027 real estate tax rates per $100 of assessed value: Virginia Beach $0.97, Chesapeake $1.01, Norfolk $1.23, Portsmouth $1.24

Tax relief: Virginia Beach’s Commissioner of the Revenue runs senior and disabled real estate tax relief, 757-385-4385. Norfolk’s budget sets aside about $13.4 million for relief for qualifying senior and disabled homeowners and for disabled veterans and surviving spouses. Portsmouth’s assessor refers residents to its Tax Relief and Tax Freeze programs.

When bills are due: Virginia Beach bills twice a year, due Dec. 5 and June 5. Portsmouth bills quarterly, due Sept. 30, Dec. 31, March 31 and June 30, its assessor says.

Home values

City Typical home value, Sept. 2026 A year earlier Change
Virginia Beach $424,785 $411,847 +3.1%
Chesapeake $424,217 $409,560 +3.6%
Norfolk $310,673 $306,036 +1.5%
Portsmouth $266,504 $260,029 +2.5%

Source: Zillow’s city home value file from Zillow Research. The Zillow Home Value Index is a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price. More in our home prices guide.

Chart: home values

Bar chart of the Zillow Home Value Index in September 2026: Virginia Beach $424,785, Chesapeake $424,217, Norfolk $310,673, Portsmouth $266,504

Schools

Each city runs its own division. Every high school below was fully accredited for 2025-26 on the state’s School Quality Profiles. Rates are the four-year on-time graduation rate for the class of 2026, for the whole division and for each high school.

City Division on-time graduation High schools (on-time graduation)
Virginia Beach 97% Bayside, Floyd Kellam, Ocean Lakes and Salem 99%; Frank W. Cox, Princess Anne and Tallwood 97%; Kempsville 96%; First Colonial 95%; Green Run and Landstown 94%
Chesapeake 94% Grassfield and Hickory 98%; Western Branch 95%; Great Bridge 94%; Deep Creek and Indian River 91%; Oscar F. Smith 90%
Portsmouth 88% Churchland 91%; I.C. Norcom 88%; Manor 85%
Norfolk 84% Granby 88%; Matthew Fontaine Maury 87%; Norview 83%; Lake Taylor 78%; Booker T. Washington 77%

Virginia Beach also has Green Run Collegiate, a small high school whose class of 2026 graduated at 100%. More in our schools guide.

People, income and commutes

From the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2019-2023 five-year estimates, the same vintage for all four cities.

City Population Median household income Median home value (owner-occupied) Mean travel time to work
Virginia Beach 457,066 $90,685 $366,300 23.2 minutes
Chesapeake 251,153 $94,189 $359,100 25.5 minutes
Norfolk 235,037 $64,017 $271,900 22.9 minutes
Portsmouth 97,299 $58,972 $229,400 23.0 minutes

The Census median home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, so it runs below Zillow’s current index. See also our population guide.

Who provides city services

Service Virginia Beach Chesapeake Norfolk Portsmouth
Police Virginia Beach Police Department Chesapeake Police Department Norfolk Police Department Portsmouth Police Department
Fire and EMS Virginia Beach Fire Department Chesapeake Fire Department Norfolk Fire-Rescue Portsmouth Fire Rescue and Emergency Services
Trash Public Works waste management Waste Management Division Trash and recycling Waste management
Schools Virginia Beach City Public Schools Chesapeake City Public Schools Norfolk City Public Schools Portsmouth City Public Schools

For Virginia Beach pickup days, see our trash and recycling guide.

How to check an address

  • Which city a parcel is in, and its assessed value: in Virginia Beach, the city’s property search; elsewhere, that city’s real estate assessor (Chesapeake, Portsmouth, or Norfolk’s real estate tax questions).
  • The zoned school: in Virginia Beach, the VBCPS School Locator; elsewhere, the city’s school division.
  • The tax: multiply the assessed value by the rate and divide by 100. A Virginia Beach home assessed at $400,000 owes $3,880 a year at $0.97. Check a Virginia Beach bill with the Treasurer’s real estate tax search, and check whether the parcel is in a special service district with a different rate.

Census distances use the Census Bureau’s internal point for each city. Rates and figures were checked on the official pages linked above on Oct. 19, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Are property taxes lower in Virginia Beach or Chesapeake?

Virginia Beach’s real estate rate for fiscal 2027 is $0.97 per $100 of assessed value. Chesapeake’s is $1.01, including a 1-cent levy for mosquito control. Norfolk’s is $1.23 and Portsmouth’s $1.24.

Is Virginia Beach more expensive than Norfolk?

Zillow’s typical home value in September 2026 was $424,785 in Virginia Beach and $310,673 in Norfolk. Chesapeake was $424,217 and Portsmouth $266,504. The index is a modeled value, not a sale price.

Which has the higher graduation rate, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk or Portsmouth?

Of these four, Virginia Beach City Public Schools had the highest four-year on-time graduation rate for the class of 2026, 97%, on the state’s School Quality Profiles. Chesapeake was 94%, Portsmouth 88% and Norfolk 84%.

Do Virginia Beach residents pay county taxes?

No. Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake and Portsmouth are all independent cities, so none is in a county. Each city sets one real estate rate and runs its own police, fire, trash and school division.