If you have researched the sales and feel your assessment is incorrect, you should file for a “Request for Review” of your assessment. The request can be submitted online, via email, or regular mail. It is important to note that the deadline to file this is March 15th. Please be as specific as possible when stating your reasons for the disputed value. Do not hesitate to call the Office and talk to an appraiser before submitting a Review. The appraiser can guide you through every step and answer questions regarding the assessment.

Real property assessments in the City of Alexandria are conducted annually and under state law are required to have a January 1 effective date of each calendar year. Therefore, the valuation of real property is conducted using closed and recorded property transfers that occurred during the previous calendar year. This methodology was affirmed by a recent advisory opinion issued by the Virginia Attorney General which concluded that, "the sale of real property after January 1 does not impact real property assessments for the current tax year." Therefore, it would be erroneous to use information subsequent to the effective date of valuation because it would reflect future market conditions that could not have been foreseen at the time of valuation. However, subsequent sales information may be used as evidence of the fair market value of the property during the annual assessment cycle that occurs after the date of the sale.

A 2014 amendment to §58.1-3330(B) of the Code of Virginia requires the disclosure of tax rate, tax levy, and percent change from the previous year. Since the tax rate is set by City Council after assessment notices are mailed, it is not possible to show the tax rate or levy for the current year's assessment. The percentage change shown reflects the change in the tax levy, and not the change in assessed value. This information is not intended to replace the tax bills which are mailed separately.

Your total assessed value is the Office of Real Estate Assessments’ estimate of the 100% fair market value of your property as of January 1. Fair market value is defined as: 

The most probable price, as of a specified date, for which the specified property rights should sell after reasonable exposure in a competitive market under all conditions requisite to a fair sale, with the buyer and seller each acting prudently, knowledgeably, and for self-interest, assuming that neither is under undue duress.

A simple question to ask yourself is: "Would I be able to sell my property for this assessed value as of January 1?"

The Office of Real Estate Assessments uses mass appraisal methods to determine the fair market value of your property. Your assessment notice allocates a land value (as if vacant), and an improvement value. The total value as it appears on your notice is intended to be your property's fair market value.

Your 2024 assessment is supported by sales that occurred during 2023. 

First, data about each property is gathered. You may see the types of data we keep on record on our Real Estate Assessment Search site.  The data remains on the record unless an appraiser has reason to change it (typically due to an inspection following a sale or permit activity). Next, we create study groups of properties we feel are similar. Then, appraisers analyze the sales of properties that occurred in each study group. We compare the sales to the previous year’s assessed value and look for trends in the sales prices. The appraisers finally will determine whether to increase, decrease or leave the assessed values of the properties in the group unchanged from the previous year.

If no sales occur in a study group, appraisers will use other comparable study groups to analyze and determine what action to take regarding the assessed values.

Think about it in terms of house hunting – if you really wanted to live in X neighborhood, but if there was nothing available, where else would you look?

Commercial properties are analyzed by their property class (office building, apartment, hotel, industrial, etc.) and are valued based on the income, sales, and/or cost approaches. 

For most commercial properties, more weight is usually given to the income approach.  The income approach is a method of estimating market value based upon the income that a property generates. The net operating income (NOI) is divided by a capitalization rate to develop the value. 

Commercial property owners are required by Section 58.1-3294 of the Code of Virginia to submit information to us on Income and Expense surveys annually.  This information is used to determine the ranges of operating characteristics and the investment criteria in the marketplace so that our fair market value assessments can be as accurate as possible.

A study group is a group of properties that we consider to be most similar to one another.  We categorize properties by any number or combination of shared features, frequently: location, year built, type, style, size, layout, or by homeowner or condominium associations.   We analyze the sales in each group to help determine the market value of a property that has not sold.  We also compare the properties in these groups to confirm that property assessments are equitable.

Each property that sells in any given year may not be the best comparable sale for every other property in the group, but they are generally similar in significant ways.  Some of the properties in a study group may be better comparables than the others.

A study group is represented by a four-digit number.  The study group number can be found on the property information page of our Search website (realestate.alexandriava.gov). The study group is also on your assessment notice.

All valid sales used to determine the assessments are listed on the website. Start by clicking on the "Search Property & Sales Data" link on the Office’s webpage. Then enter in the subject property’s address or databank number. At the top of the screen, click the tab titled “Sales Used for Assessment.” The list that appears shows all of the valid sales that were analyzed to determine the 2024 assessment. The column headings (in blue) are all sortable, which should help in determining the most comparable properties. Once you have located the sales you believe to be most comparable, compare the sales price and the assessed value of those properties to your own. The more similar the comparable property, the more likely the assessed values will be closely related.

Any property owner who wishes to update the address to which real estate tax bills and any real estate tax-related correspondence are mailed must update the mailing address on file with the Real Estate Assessment Division .

Requests for address changes for assessment notices and tax bills must be made in writing by the property owner(s) or an authorized agent. These requests may be submitted by e-mail, mail, or in person. The mailing/billing address cannot be updated over the phone.  All requests should include the property address and the new mailing address.

Requests may be emailed to: realestate@alexandriava.gov

Address change forms may also be mailed or delivered in person during regular office hours to:

Real Estate Assessment Division     
301 King Street, Room 2600
Alexandria VA 22314

If you are an authorized agent, please review the requirements for valid Letters of Authorization prior to submitting a change of address request.

The mailing/billing address cannot be updated over the phone or by any other office. The Finance Department is required by law to mail the biannual real estate tax bills and related correspondence to either the owner's mailing address on file with the Real Estate Division or to the owner's mortgage company (whichever is applicable).

The percentage change of your assessment will generally be close to the assessment change of other properties located in your study group. However, in many of the City's residential areas, especially where there are a variety of building sizes, styles and quality, assessment changes may fall within a range of percentages. Reasons for this include cases where properties have received improvements over the past year that would cause the assessment to change at a different percentage rate. Also, staff appraisers physically inspect a number of neighborhoods each year and occasionally make adjustments to property data based on what they observe during the course of their inspections.

Each jurisdiction is unique, but surprisingly enough, assessment changes in Alexandria as of January 1 are comparable to those in the neighboring jurisdictions of Northern Virginia. Assessments in these jurisdictions are also based on the sales that occurred during the previous calendar year.

Assessment information for the following nearby jurisdictions can be found on their assessment office websites:

• Fairfax County
• Arlington County
• City of Falls Church

There is no provision to limit the amount of change from year to year. The Constitution of Virginia requires that real estate assessments represent 100% of fair market value.

Newspapers often publish sales data in a summary format for large areas, such as by zip code, by city or by county. This information can show general trends in the market. However, these trends should not be compared to the percentage change in your January 1 assessed value. One reason for this is that the time period can fluctuate for the reporting of the data. The assessment office primarily relies on sales during the past calendar year within precise areas and of properties that are more similar in nature to your property. In addition, data reported by the sources noted above are typically averages, which imply a range of percentage change.

City Council will set the tax rate in May 2024.

To calculate your taxes use the following formula:
(Assessed value ÷ 100) (tax rate).

For example, in tax year 2023, the real estate tax on a residence assessed at $200,000 is $2,220 ($200,000 x 2022 tax rate of $1.11 per $100).

The Office of Real Estate Assessments prides itself on maintaining accurate real estate data for the basis of the assessments for all property owners and for use by the public. Please notify us immediately if you note an error in your property information by sending an e-mail to realestate@alexandriava.gov, or by calling 703.746.4646.

The City assesses all real estate as it is on January 1st of each year. New construction that is not fit for occupancy is assessed at a value reflecting the percentage of completion as of January 1 (e.g. 50%, 75%, etc.). Upon completion, it is assessed at its full value at the end of the month of completion.

The Office of Budget Management develops proposed budgets annually for City Council’s approval. 

Please use the Real Estate Receipt Calculator tool to see what percentage of your taxes support which City services.