Growls

Members of the Arlington County Board like to remind voters that the county has the lowest real estate tax rate in Northern Virginia. While that may be true, Arlington County residential property owners paid the second highest taxes in Northern Virginia in 2009, according to data from the Census Bureau. The Tax Foundation writes:

“In Tax Foundation Fiscal Fact, No. 248, "New Census Data on Property Taxes on Homeowners," the Tax Foundation's Data Analysis Division uses newly updated data from the 2009 American Community Survey to rank high-population counties across the country according to various property tax measures.”

Tax Foundation Fiscal Fact, No. 248, "New Census Data on Property Taxes on Homeowners,” also provides data on Northern Virginia’s local governments.

Jurisdiction           Median Property    Rank
                                     Taxes Paid
                                      on Homes

Loudoun County          $5,032                32
Arlington County          $4,595                41
Fairfax County               $4,492                45
Alexandria city              $3,937                68
Prince William                $3,441               101

Good information to be armed with the next time a smiling County Board member tells you that Arlington County has the lowest taxes in Northern Virginia.