Albemarle County, Virginia: property records and tax sales

Parcels

What Albemarle County’s parcel records hold

Parcels	50,870 parcels on file.
Median assessor value	$466,000, from the 49,684 parcels with a value on file.
Recorded sales, 12 months	6,765 parcels whose last recorded sale fell between December 30, 2024 and December 30, 2025, the latest sale in the county file, median $578,444 (sales of $10,000 or more).
Years since the last sale	Median 8.2 years.

Source: county assessor records and Virginia’s VGIN statewide parcel layer, as copied into shinnslist’s parcel store, read October 12, 2026. Each parcel counts once, by its most recent recorded sale. Nothing here predicts that an owner will sell.

Housing

Albemarle County’s housing, from the Census

Housing units	49,159, of which 3,247 (7%) stood vacant; 691 (1%) are seasonal or second homes.
Owner-occupied	66% of occupied homes; the rest are rented.
Median home value	$495,400, as owners reported it.
Median gross rent	$1,692 a month, utilities included.
Median year built	1992.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, tables B25002, B25003, B25004, B25077, B25064, B25035.

Tax sales

How tax sales work in Albemarle County

Lien sales	None. Virginia does not sell tax liens; it sells the property itself at a court-ordered tax sale.
When a parcel can be sold	Once its real estate taxes are still unpaid on December 31 after the second anniversary of the due date; one year for condemned, derelict or blighted buildings.
How	The treasurer publishes the list, the locality sues in circuit court, and the court confirms the sale. The owner can stop it any time before the sale by paying every tax, penalty, interest and cost.

Source: Va. Code § 58.1-3965. Albemarle County sets its own sale calendar. Not legal or investment advice.

Questions

Albemarle County, answered