Filed under Areas · 4 min read
Ask someone where they live in the Richmond area and you may hear a ZIP code, a neighborhood or a county name. For practical purposes the answer that matters is which of three local governments collects their taxes and runs their schools: the City of Richmond, Henrico County or Chesterfield County. A mailing address that says Richmond does not settle the question.
Why the city and the counties are separate
Virginia is unusual. The Code of Virginia defines a city as an independent incorporated community. Richmond is not inside Henrico or Chesterfield; it is its own locality at the same level as a county. The U.S. Census Bureau reports it separately as Richmond city, and it runs its own school division, tax office and utilities.
So a move across the city line, even by a few blocks, can change your real estate and car tax rates, your school division and the local government you deal with for permits and services.
The three side by side
| Census measure | Richmond city | Henrico County | Chesterfield County |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 237,257 | 342,775 | 397,148 |
| Land area, square miles | 59.93 | 233.68 | 423.51 |
| Owner-occupied homes | 43.5% | 64.5% | 76.7% |
| Median home value | $353,000 | $359,200 | $366,000 |
| Median gross rent | $1,372 | $1,541 | $1,629 |
| Median household income | $64,587 | $88,783 | $101,931 |
| Persons per household | 2.10 | 2.42 | 2.66 |
| Mean travel time to work | 21.7 min | 22.6 min | 26.4 min |
| Persons under 18 | 17.5% | 20.9% | 23.0% |
Housing and income figures are from the 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey as shown in Census QuickFacts. Several patterns stand out. The city is compact and dense, with fewer than a quarter of Chesterfield’s square miles. Most city households rent, while three in four Chesterfield homes are owner-occupied. Median home values are close across all three, but rents are lowest in the city. Commutes are shortest in the city and longest in Chesterfield, which is consistent with its size.
Who lives where
Age profiles differ too. Residents 65 and older make up 14.1 percent of the city’s population, 18.8 percent of Henrico’s and 17.9 percent of Chesterfield’s. The counties are also where most new homes are being built: Census QuickFacts lists 2,323 building permits for Henrico and 2,194 for Chesterfield in 2025.
Schools
Each locality has its own school division: Richmond City Public Schools, Henrico County Public Schools and Chesterfield County Public Schools. Virginia law makes public schools free to school-age children who reside in the division, which means your address decides the division, and within it your zone school. On the state’s School Quality Profiles, every school listed for each of the three divisions shows as fully accredited, but the spread of performance levels differs. Comparing Schools in the Richmond Area: How to Read Virginia’s School Quality Profiles explains how to read those profiles.
Taxes
Real estate and vehicle personal property taxes are set locally, so they differ across the line. The City of Richmond lists its rates as $1.20 per $100 of assessed value for real estate and $3.70 per $100 for passenger vehicles. Henrico and Chesterfield set their own rates and due dates; check each county’s finance department before comparing houses. The details for the city are in Richmond Real Estate and Car Taxes: Rates, Due Dates, Appeals and the Shrinking Car Tax Relief.
Sales tax works the same way in principle: Virginia collects it and returns a local share. In the city the general rate is 6 percent, of which 1 percent is the city’s share.
What the three share
Some services cross the lines, which softens the differences:
- Transit. GRTC, the regional bus system, is jointly owned by the City of Richmond and Chesterfield County and runs zero-fare service across the region. See Getting Around Richmond: Zero-Fare Buses, the Pulse, LINK Microtransit and the Airport.
- Water. Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities sells water wholesale to Henrico and Chesterfield, as well as Hanover, Goochland and Powhatan counties.
- Gas. Richmond Gas Works, run by the city, serves the city and portions of Henrico and Chesterfield.
- Utility taxes. Because providers cross boundaries, the city notes that some bills show taxes for another locality. Your bill should reflect where the service address is.
How to decide
Start with daily life rather than the label. If you want to walk or take the Pulse bus line to work, the city’s density matters most. If you want a larger lot and newer construction, the counties offer more land. If a specific school matters, start from the school and work back to the addresses zoned for it. Then compare the full monthly cost, including local taxes and utilities, using The Cost of Living in Richmond, VA: Housing, Taxes, Utilities and Everyday Spending.
Tip: When a listing says Richmond, check the property’s locality in the city’s Parcel Mapper or the county’s property records before you compare taxes or schools. The mailing address alone may not tell you which locality the property is in.