- Get more information about real estate assessments from the Understanding Real Estate Assessments page.
- Assessment appeals may be made through the Department of Tax Administration or the Board of Equalization.
- View the FY 2025 Advertised Budget Plan.
The Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration (DTA) begins mailing Tax Year 2024 real estate assessment notices to County taxpayers today. The notices will be sent to all County real estate owners.
Of the County’s 357,509 taxable parcels, 309,972 experienced a value change for Tax Year 2024. The assessed value of properties may change for a variety of reasons. Among these are market driven value increases or declines, referred to as Equalization changes, and/or value changes generated by structural changes (i.e., new construction, remodeling), rezoning, and land divisions/consolidations, referred to as Growth changes. A combination of these factors can apply to the same property.
Overall, of the 357,509 properties that have a 2024 assessment change, 7,248 are due to growth, and 350,261 changed due to equalization. The following chart categorizes the 350,261 equalization parcels by the number and percent that experienced 2024 value increases, decreases, or remained the same.
| Equalization Base | # of Parcels | Parcels with an Increase | Parcels with a Decrease | Parcels Unchanged |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential |
339,282 |
247,786 (73.03%) |
48,204 (14.21%) |
43,292 (12.76%) |
| Non-Residential |
10,979 |
4,044 (36.47%) |
2,730 (24.87%) |
4,245 (38.66%) |
| Total |
350,261 |
251,790 (71.89%) |
50,934 (14.54%) |
47,537 (13.57%) |
The January 1, 2024 taxable assessment base increased from the January 1, 2023 base. Main book assessments for 2024 total approximately $323.89 billion, which is an increase of approximately $8.62 billion, or 2.73 percent over the 2023 assessment base. The Equalization, Growth, Residential, and Non-Residential components are shown below.
| Equalization Change | Growth Change | Total Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential |
$6.92 B (2.86%) |
$1.30 B (0.54%) |
$8.22 B (3.40%) |
| Non-Residential |
-$0.91 B (-1.24%) |
$1.31 B (1.78%) |
$0.40 B (0.54%) |
| Total |
$6.01 B (1.91%) |
$2.61 B (0.82%) |
$8.62 B (2.73%) |
It is important to note that these percentages represent the aggregate change to the overall tax base and are not necessarily indicative of a specific change to any singular property. Individual assessment changes may vary considerably. For example, a key factor in determining the need to change residential assessments is the relationship of prior year assessments to the current sales prices of comparable properties.
| 2024 Mean Assessed Value | % Change | |
|---|---|---|
| Single Family |
$902,670 |
2.79% |
| Townhomes |
$551,511 |
2.99% |
| Condominiums |
$351,552 |
4.21% |
As noted in the FY 2025 Advertised Budget Plan, the mean assessed value for tax year 2024 of all improved residential property is approximately $744,526.
The percentage of residential equalization change by magisterial district is illustrated on the accompanying map. Again, it is important to note that individual properties may experience value changes that are considerably different than the percentages shown on the map.
2024 Notice of Assessment, Contact and Appeal Information
Pursuant to state law, taxpayers are provided prior year tax amounts on their real estate notice along with assessed value information. It is important to understand that the tax amounts shown on the notice for the current 2024 valuation are estimates based on the 2023 tax rates, as required by state law. Tax rates for 2024 have not yet been adopted by the Board of Supervisors. The Board will adopt 2024 tax rates as part of their deliberation on the FY 2025 Advertised Budget Plan.
Upon receipt of their annual assessment notice, residents and businesses with questions or comments may contact DTA at 703-222-8234 (TTY 711) or visit our website at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/taxes. By doing so, they can review individual property characteristics, including their own, and obtain a list of residential sales within each assessment neighborhood. They may also review answers to frequently asked questions.
Property owners or businesses may visit the County website at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/taxes/appointments to request a virtual or phone appointment with a DTA team member.
Administrative appeals can be filed with DTA if taxpayers believe their assessment is not equitable in comparison with similar properties or if they believe their assessment exceeds fair market value. Both non-residential and residential property appeals may be made in writing to the Real Estate Division of DTA, but only residential assessment appeals can be initiated online through DTA’s website, www.fairfaxcounty.gov/taxes. Appeal application forms can be obtained by calling DTA or by downloading them directly from DTA’s webpage.
DTA encourages property owners to file appeals as early as possible. Administrative appeals filed after April 1, 2024 will not be accepted. Electronic Appeals must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. (EDT) on April 1, 2024. Administrative appeals will not be accepted after this date.
Real Estate appeals can also be filed with the Board of Equalization (BOE). Under state law, the BOE is independent from DTA and consists of nine taxpayers appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The BOE conducts formal hearings and considers sworn testimony. BOE appeal forms are available on the BOE website at www.fairfaxcounty.gov/boe or by calling the BOE office at 703-324-4891.
Property owners are encouraged to contact DTA concerning assessment concerns; however, property owners may appeal directly to the BOE or to the Circuit Court of Fairfax County.
The statutory deadline for filing an appeal with the BOE is June 3rd, 2024. BOE appeals emailed/uploaded to Egnyte must be received by 4:30 p.m. (EDT) June 3, 2024.