What a Bristol house pays
Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.
Sent only to free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.
Starts at the typical market value, $184,100; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.
- Property tax$1,712
0.930% of $184,100
- Electricity$1,582
1032 kWh a month $1,582
- Water and sewer$1,379
7,000 gallons a month on BVU Authority: water $59, sewer $56 a month
- Trash$456
City trash can, $38 a month
- Home insurance$1,332
Typical premium $1,332
A Bristol house at the typical market value ($184,100) pays about $6,500 a year: $1,710 property tax and charges, $1,380 water and sewer, $460 trash, $1,580 electricity, $1,330 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.
Rates checked Oct 22, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.
Ways to pay less
Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:
Seniors or disabled: apply for real estate tax reliefReduced real estate tax if you qualify
The Commissioner of the Revenue takes applications for Real Estate Tax Relief for Elderly/Disabled; the form asks about the applicant's sole dwelling and ownership and requires proof of income.
How: The application must be filed every year between February 1 and May 1; the form lists the Commissioner of the Revenue, 497 Cumberland St, Room 101, Ph: 276-645-7316.
Loaner trash can for clean-outsFree extra can
Fee-paying residents can borrow one extra can free of charge for two weeks, four times each year.
How: Call 276-645-7380.
Free cardboard recycling containersFree
The city encourages recycling cardboard at its free blue cardboard recycling containers.
How: Locations are on the back of the orange tag.
Money dates
- Feb 1 – May 1 each yearin 101 daysThe elderly/disabled real estate tax relief application must be filed every year between February 1 and May 1.
- Jun 5 and Dec 5 each yearReal estate tax is due June 5 and December 5 of each year.
Who serves this house
- Water
- BVU Authority
- BVU water rates: customer charge for residential (single-family) and a rate per 1,000 gallons; customers outside the city limits of Bristol, Virginia, are subject to a 50% surcharge on Water Rates.
- Property tax
- 0.93% of value
- 2025-26 rate on the city's current tax rate sheet
- Garbage
- City of Bristol, Virginia
- Weekly pickup for a $38.00 fee; BVU Authority sends the fee as a separate invoice in the same envelope
- Sewer
- BVU Authority
- Monthly customer charge plus a rate per 1,000 gallons
- Electricity
- BVU Authority
- Schedule RS: Residential, Rate Class 22
- Gas
- Atmos Energy
- Atmos's Virginia tariff covers Bristol and adjacent areas in Washington County; monthly customer charge $13.24
Other VA cities
What a Chesapeake house paysWhat a Fairfax house paysWhat a Roanoke house paysWhat a Newport News house paysWhat a Herndon house paysWhat a Lynchburg house paysWhat a Hampton house paysWhat a Salem house paysWhat a Danville house paysWhat a Suffolk house paysWhat a Smithfield house paysWhat a Radford house paysWhat a Manassas house paysWhat a Warrenton house paysWhat a Norfolk house paysWhat a Portsmouth house paysWhat a Hopewell house paysWhat a Williamsburg house paysWhat a Martinsville house paysWhat a Petersburg house pays
How these numbers are made
- Property tax is the city rate of $0.93 per $100 on a Census median home value; there is no county tax in an independent city and no schools line separate from the city rate.
- Water is $23.50 a month plus $4.86 per 1,000 gallons, with the 5% city utility consumer tax on water charges folded in (so $24.68 and $5.10 in the first tier); sewer is $25.00 a month plus $4.59 per 1,000 gallons, and the tax page lists the 5% on water charges only, so none is added to sewer.
- Trash is the city's $38.00 fee billed on a separate invoice by BVU; the sources do not say the fee period, and the $19.00/month second-container price suggests monthly, so it is entered as monthly; the can size is not stated, so 96 gallons is only a placeholder.
- Electricity is BVU's Schedule RS: $31.50 less the $1.54 credit, plus the average of the summer, winter and transition energy charges, the 12-month average of the fuel cost adjustment (Aug 2025 to Jul 2026), and state, local and special regulatory consumption taxes up to 2,500 kWh.
- Gas (Atmos Energy) is not priced: its bill depends on gas cost and rider charges not captured here. Electric consumption taxes of Washington County and Scott County apply only to customers outside the city.
- Water figures shown include the 5% Bristol, VA Utility Consumer Tax on water charges (modelled: base rate x 1.05).
- Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.
How Bristol compares
A typical Bristol house against the 15 Virginia cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.
| Per year | Bristol | Median | Where it falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property tax rate | 0.93% | 1.06% | lower than 11 of the other 14 Virginia cities we cover |
| Water | $708 | $614 | higher than 10 of the other 14 Virginia cities we cover |
| Sewer and utility-bill fees | $671 | $784 | lower than 10 of the other 14 Virginia cities we cover |
| Trash | $456 | $234 | higher than 11 of the other 12 Virginia cities we cover |
| Electricity and gas | $1,582 | $3,304 | lower than 14 of the other 14 Virginia cities we cover |
| Home insurance | $1,332 | $1,332 | in the middle of 13 other Virginia cities we cover |
| Total | $6,461 | $10,361 | lower than 13 of the other 14 Virginia cities we cover |
Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.
Questions to ask your candidates
Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.
1. Property tax rate
The fact: Bristol's property tax rate is 0.93%, lower than 11 of the other 14 Virginia cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.
Ask: "Property tax in Bristol is 0.93%, lower than 11 of the other 14 Virginia cities we cover. What should that money pay for first, and would you change anything about how it is set?"
2. Trash
The fact: Trash pickup here costs about $456 a year for the standard cart, higher than 11 of the other 12 Virginia cities we cover. Where trash is billed through the tax bill or a separate hauler, it is not counted here.
Ask: "Trash pickup here costs about $456 a year for the standard cart, higher than 11 of the other 12 Virginia cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything about the service or the price?"
3. Electricity and gas
The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $1,582 a year, lower than 14 of the other 14 Virginia cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.
Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $1,582 a year for a typical house, lower than 14 of the other 14 Virginia cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"
Common questions about Bristol house costs
What is the property tax rate in Bristol?
About 0.93% of the value before exemptions a year (2025-26 rate on the city's current tax rate sheet), plus flat charges on the same bill.
How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Bristol?
About $4,650 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions.
How much is the water bill in Bristol?
About $115 a month for water and sewer at typical use (7,000 gallons a month) on BVU Authority.
How much does trash pickup cost in Bristol?
$38 a month for a house.
Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Bristol?
Yes. Seniors or disabled: apply for real estate tax relief: The Commissioner of the Revenue takes applications for Real Estate Tax Relief for Elderly/Disabled; the form asks about the applicant's sole dwelling and ownership and requires proof of income.
How much does a house in Bristol cost to run each year?
A Bristol house at the typical market value ($184,100) pays about $6,500 a year: $1,710 property tax and charges, $1,380 water and sewer, $460 trash, $1,580 electricity, $1,330 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.