Cooper Center Releases 2024 Virginia Local Tax Rates Book
The Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service released today the 2024 Virginia Local Tax Rates Book. In its 39th edition, the book is the state’s only comprehensive view of local taxation.
The Virginia Local Tax Rates Book compiles tax information for 29 Virginia cities, 92 counties, and for one of the state’s incorporated towns, and references all the tax categories permitted in the Code of Virginia as of 2024. The book compiles taxes for real property, special district tax levies, tangible personal property, machinery and tools, tobacco, meals, lodging, and more.
Local tax rates are an indispensable resource for anyone involved with local government in Virginia, including the press and the public.
“The Tax Rate Book is an invaluable resource for all Virginia officials and particularly Commissioners of the Revenue and Finance Administrators,” said Ann Burkholder, commissioner of the revenue in Winchester. “It allows us to make evidence-based comparative decisions about what is best for our communities,” added Mary Blowe, Winchester’s assistant city manager. Both worked with the Cooper Center in gathering data for the latest edition, as did the professional association for Virginia’s Commissioners of the Revenue Association of Virginia.
The Book is available on the Cooper Center website as a PDF at https://www.coopercenter.org/virginia-local-tax-rates or can be emailed by request.
The Virginia Institute of Government (VIG), housed in the Cooper Center, helped coordinate the compilation of this latest edition, produced after a five-year hiatus. VIG builds the capacity of local government staff and leaders from across the country to develop the skills necessary for effective, high-performing, and inclusive local governance.
“Our heartfelt thanks go to the commissioners of the revenue, finance directors, and all their staff members from around the Commonwealth for taking the time to respond to this data collection effort,” commented Charles Hartgrove, managing director of VIG.
The data was gathered and reviewed by the Center for Survey Research (CSR), also housed in the Cooper Center. CSR is a full-service survey provider that executes every step of a survey project including creative design, collecting data, and producing comprehensive but accessible reports.
The book now resumes its annual production, with the next edition slated for December 2025.
“Our hope is to take the tax rate project even further next year,” said CSR director Kara Fitzgibbon. “In keeping with the Cooper Center’s commitment to publicly accessible data, we plan for the 2025 edition to be available as a web-based data visualization in addition to the traditional downloadable PDF.”
The University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service supports a well-informed citizenry by providing nonpartisan, reliable research and leadership training to individuals and entities that serve the public good. The Cooper Center's staff are experts in public management, demography, economics and public finance, policy, political science, mediation, leadership and organizational development, survey research, and more. For more information, please visit http://www.coopercenter.org/.
