Photo: Mojo Hand · CC BY-SA 3.0Measured against area pay, Tappahannock costs more to live in than 67% of U.S. towns
Up 2.2% in a year, 26% below the Virginia typical home.
Census 2020–24 home values, rents, tax bills and cost burden, measured against the median household income of Essex County, VA ($57K). How TownRatings grades cost of living
The grade compares costs with what households across Essex County earn ($57K, Census 2020–24). Even so, the typical home costs 3.9 years of area income, and 50% of renters pay 30% or more of income for housing.
In dollars
- $307Ktypical home, 26% below the Virginia typical homeZillow, September 2026
- $1,200a month for a two-bedroom, utilities includedHUD Fair Market Rent, 2026
In paychecks the grade
- 3.9 yrsof area income buys the typical home; the typical U.S. town: 3.3$57K, Essex County income
- 20%of area income goes to the median rent; the typical U.S. town: 18%Census 2020–24
- 50%of renters pay 30%+ of income for housing; across Virginia: 49%Census 2020–24
- 19%of owners do; the typical U.S. town: 20%Census 2020–24
Housing in Tappahannock, in brief
Most Tappahannock households rent
69% of households rent their home, 674 in all, against 33% across Virginia. Renting ↓
Written from the data on this page. Home values are the Zillow Home Value Index, through September 2026; incomes, rents paid, taxes and ownership come from the Census American Community Survey.
What’s behind Tappahannock’s grade
Measured against what households in the area earn, Tappahannock is more affordable than 33% of U.S. towns. The share of households paying 30%+ for housing pulls the grade down most; property tax holds it up.
Prices here have kept pace with Virginia: up 23.7% in five years, against 23.5% statewide (Zillow).
Up 23.7% in five years
About the same pace as Virginia (23.5%).
Show as a table
| January | Tappahannock | Virginia |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $178,000 | $251,000 |
| 2018 | $184,000 | $261,000 |
| 2019 | $189,000 | $269,000 |
| 2020 | $196,000 | $282,000 |
| 2021 | $222,000 | $309,000 |
| 2022 | $259,000 | $342,000 |
| 2023 | $276,000 | $364,000 |
| 2024 | $290,000 | $384,000 |
| 2025 | $303,000 | $402,000 |
| 2026 | $301,000 | $408,000 |
| September 2026 | $307,000 | $412,000 |
A typical Tappahannock home worth $177K in October 2016 is worth about $307K today.
Zillow Home Value Index: the typical value of all homes (middle third), smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through September 2026.
A typical home costs 3.9 years of area income
The calculator starts from the area income the grade uses. Switch to Tappahannock’s own median, or type yours.
That’s $71K short of a typical Tappahannock home.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,200 a month here, $530 less than owning.
An estimate, not a loan offer: payments of up to 28% of income, a 30-year fixed loan, Tappahannock’s typical property tax (0.49% of value a year, from the Census) and insurance of about 0.35%. Mortgage insurance, HOA fees and other debts aren’t included.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,200
Renters already here pay a median of $942, so moving in tends to cost more than staying put.
Fair Market Rent a month, utilities included
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (King and Queen County, VA HUD Metro FMR Area): the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent and renters: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Property tax runs below the Virginia norm
The median bill is $1,063 (Virginia: $2,790), 0.49% of a home’s value a year, against 0.73% statewide.
Census American Community Survey 2020–24: the median real-estate tax bill homeowners report, and that bill ÷ the median home value. Bills include town, school and county taxes. The Census reports bills over $10,000 only as “$10,000+”.
Tappahannock and its neighbors
One source per column.
Cost next door · one source per column
| Town | Cost | Typical home Zillow, September 2026 | Median value Census 2020–24 | Tax rate bill ÷ value | 2-bed rent HUD 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tappahannock | C | $307K | $219K | 0.49% | $1,200 |
Questions about the cost of living in Tappahannock
Is Tappahannock expensive to live in?
Measured against what households in the area earn, Tappahannock costs more than 67% of U.S. towns: a C for cost of living. The typical home costs 3.9 years of the median household income of Essex County, VA ($57K).
How much does a house cost in Tappahannock?
About $307K, Zillow’s typical value for September 2026, up 2.2% in a year. The Virginia typical home is $412K.
What salary do you need to live in Tappahannock?
To buy the typical home with 20% down at 6.3%, about $74,000 a year, keeping the payment (about $1,730 a month with tax and insurance) at 28% of income. To rent a two-bedroom at 30% of income, about $48,000.
How much is rent in Tappahannock?
HUD puts a two-bedroom at about $1,200 a month with utilities, the going rate for someone moving in. Renters already here pay a median of $942 (Census 2020–24).
What are property taxes in Tappahannock?
The median bill is $1,063 a year, 0.49% of the median home value (Virginia: $2,790, 0.73%), from the Census 2020–24.
Are home prices in Tappahannock going up?
Yes: up 2.2% in the past year and 23.7% in five years, against 23.5% across Virginia (Zillow).
Neighbors talk housing
What Tappahannock buyers, sellers and renters are saying.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, September 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The calculator is an estimate, not a loan offer. Regional price levels: BEA; electricity: EIA. How TownRatings grades cost of living.