How does West Virginia assess property value?

West Virginia assesses real property at 60% of its appraised fair market value. So a home worth $200,000 has an assessed value of $120,000, and tax is computed on that figure, not the full market value.

What is the West Virginia Homestead Exemption?

Homeowners age 65 or older, or permanently and totally disabled, can exempt the first $20,000 of assessed value from property tax. That reduces taxable assessed value before the levy rate is applied.

How are West Virginia levy rates expressed?

Levy rates are stated in cents (or dollars) per $100 of assessed value. A combined rate of $2.00 per $100 means $2 of tax for every $100 of assessed value, or 2% of the assessed amount.

What property classes does West Virginia use?

West Virginia has four classes. Class II is owner-occupied residential and farm property, which carries a lower levy rate than Class III and IV commercial and out-of-county property. Use the rate that matches your class.

Are property taxes high in West Virginia?

West Virginia has among the lowest effective property tax rates in the nation, often under 0.6% of market value, because the 60% assessment ratio and modest levy rates keep bills low compared with most states.

West Virginia Property Tax Estimator

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This estimator applies West Virginia’s property tax rules: a 60 percent assessment ratio, county levy rates stated per $100 of assessed value, and the $20,000 Homestead Exemption for qualifying seniors and disabled owners.

How it works

West Virginia first assesses your home at 60 percent of its appraised market value. If you qualify for the Homestead Exemption, the first $20,000 of assessed value is removed. The remaining assessed value is multiplied by the combined levy rate:

assessed     = market value × 0.60
taxable       = assessed − homestead exemption (if eligible)
annual tax    = taxable × (levy rate per $100 ÷ 100)

Levy rates combine state, county, school, and municipal levies and vary by county and by property class. Class II (owner-occupied residential) carries the lowest rates.

Example

A $200,000 owner-occupied home assesses at $120,000. With a combined levy rate of $1.50 per $100 and no Homestead Exemption, the tax is $120,000 × (1.50 ÷ 100) = $1,800 per year. A senior owner with the $20,000 exemption pays on $100,000, or $1,500.

Notes

This is an estimate. Levy rates differ across West Virginia’s 55 counties and update annually, and excess or bond levies can raise them. Confirm your exact combined levy rate and exemption eligibility with your county assessor and the West Virginia State Tax Department.