What a Martinsville home costs each year
Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.
Suggestions as you type come from Google; the lookup uses free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.
Starts at the typical market value, $98,400; your assessed value is often lower. Typical use.
- Property tax$827
0.840% of $98,400
- Electricity$2,081
1000 kWh a month $2,081
- Water and sewer$937
7,000 gallons a month on City of Martinsville water: water $39, sewer $39 a month
- Trash$307
Weekly curbside pickup, $26 a month
- Home insuranceNot included
We don't have a typical premium for this city yet. Add yours with Adjust.
A Martinsville house at the typical market value ($98,400) costs about $4,200 a year: $830 property tax and charges, $940 water and sewer, $310 trash, $2,080 electricity; home insurance is not included (no typical premium yet). Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.
Rates checked Oct 23, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.
Ways to pay less
One change saves this house about $225 a year:
Bring water use down to 5 units
$225 a yearAbove 5 units a month, City of Martinsville water charges $4.68 a unit instead of $0.00.
How: Most of the top tier is outdoor watering: fix leaks and water less often in summer.
Worth checking
Seniors 65+: $6 a month off water$6.00/month
Age 65 or older and you own or lease the home you live in: a $6.00/month discount on your water service. Bring ID showing your date of birth.
Elderly or disabled: real estate tax reliefIncome based
Relief is income based and calculated on a calendar year.
Money dates
- Dec 5in 42 daysReal estate tax bills are due on December 5.
- Apr 1Real estate tax relief applications may be made from January 2 until April 1 of each year.
Who serves this house
- Water
- City of Martinsville water
- Within city limits: $29.81 minimum a month for a 3/4" meter covers the first 4,000 gallons; each additional 1,000 gallons $3.50
- Property tax
- 0.84% of value
- FY 2027 (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), City of Martinsville
- Garbage
- First Piedmont (city contract)
- First Piedmont handles the city's trash collection
- Sewer
- City of Martinsville
- Sewer rates within and outside city limits: $29.14 for the first 4,000 gallons a month, then $3.50 per 1,000 gallons
- Electricity
- Martinsville Electric Department
- Martinsville Electric Department was established in 1904 to provide electric service to Martinsville’s residents
Other VA cities
Chesapeake home costsFairfax home costsRoanoke home costsNewport News home costsHerndon home costsLynchburg home costsHampton home costsSalem home costsDanville home costsSuffolk home costsSmithfield home costsRadford home costsManassas home costsBristol home costsWarrenton home costsNorfolk home costsPortsmouth home costsHopewell home costsWilliamsburg home costsPetersburg home costsHarrisonburg home costsVirginia Beach home costs
How these numbers are made
- Property tax: the City of Martinsville rate of $0.84 per $100 of assessed value adopted in the FY2027 budget (June 2026); Martinsville is an independent city with no county rate and its schools are funded through the city.
- Starting value: $98,400, the Census median home value (2020-2024); this is a market value, not the city assessment.
- Water and sewer: city schedule effective July 1, 2024; the minimum charge covers the first 4,000 gallons a month, then $3.50 per 1,000 gallons each. No newer schedule was found.
- Electricity: Residential R.S. schedule effective 07-01-25 with the $0.02388 power cost adjustment; the FY2027 budget raised the power cost adjustment by about 6% (a 1,000 kWh bill from $176.38 to $186.78 in the proposal), and the new factor was not found, so the modeled bill (about $173 at 1,000 kWh) likely runs low, by roughly $13 a month against the proposal figure of $186.78; it is the July 2025 schedule, not calibrated to the unpublished new factor. Trash: $20.60 plus the $5 increase. Gas: Martinsville has no city gas utility and the gas provider was not sourced, so gas is not included; insurance not included.
- Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.
- City schedule of water and sewer rates (July 1, 2024)
- City electric terms and schedules of service
- City of Martinsville Electric
- City utility billing
- City real estate tax relief
- City FAQ
- Cardinal News: budget preview (May 26, 2026)
- Cardinal News: trash rates (Jan 13, 2026)
- WSET: council adopts budget
- Census QuickFacts: Martinsville city
How Martinsville compares
A typical Martinsville house against the 23 Virginia cities we cover, using the same default numbers as the total above.
| Per year | Martinsville | Median | Where it falls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property tax rate | 0.84% | 1.06% | lower than 18 of the other 22 Virginia cities we cover |
| Water | $472 | $571 | lower than 15 of the other 22 Virginia cities we cover |
| Sewer and utility-bill fees | $464 | $806 | lower than 21 of the other 22 Virginia cities we cover |
| Trash | $307 | $300 | higher than 10 of the other 18 Virginia cities we cover |
| Electricity and gas | $2,081 | $3,284 | lower than 21 of the other 22 Virginia cities we cover |
| Total | $4,151 | $9,242 | lower than 22 of the other 22 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: Martinsville's property tax rate is 0.84%, lower than 18 of the other 22 Virginia cities we cover. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.
Ask: "Property tax in Martinsville is 0.84%, lower than 18 of the other 22 Virginia cities we cover. What should that money pay for first, and would you change anything about how it is set?"
2. Sewer and utility-bill fees
The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $464 a year, lower than 21 of the other 22 Virginia cities we cover. Some cities bill sewer on the property tax bill instead, which is not counted here.
Ask: "Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here cost about $464 a year, lower than 21 of the other 22 Virginia cities we cover. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"
3. Electricity and gas
The fact: Electricity and gas for a typical house here cost about $2,081 a year, lower than 21 of the other 22 Virginia cities we cover. Rates are set mostly by the utility and the state.
Ask: "Electricity and gas here cost about $2,081 a year for a typical house, lower than 21 of the other 22 Virginia cities we cover. Which parts of that can the city influence, and what would you do about them?"
Common questions about Martinsville house costs
What is the property tax rate in Martinsville?
About 0.84% of the value before exemptions a year (FY 2027 (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027), City of Martinsville), plus flat charges on the same bill.
How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Martinsville?
About $4,200 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions.
How much is the water bill in Martinsville?
About $78 a month for water and sewer at typical use (7,000 gallons a month) on City of Martinsville water.
How much does trash pickup cost in Martinsville?
$26 a month for a house.
Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Martinsville?
Yes. Seniors 65+: $6 a month off water: Age 65 or older and you own or lease the home you live in: a $6.00/month discount on your water service. Bring ID showing your date of birth.
How much does a house in Martinsville cost to run each year?
A Martinsville house at the typical market value ($98,400) costs about $4,200 a year: $830 property tax and charges, $940 water and sewer, $310 trash, $2,080 electricity; home insurance is not included (no typical premium yet). Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.