Crozet and Northern Virginia, compared
Crozet costs less to buy and less to tax than Northern Virginia: the median Crozet home sold for $559,900 over the 12 months ending August 2026, against $747,577 in Fairfax County in September 2026, and Albemarle's $0.894 tax rate is under Fairfax's $1.12. Per square foot Fairfax costs $349 against Crozet's $256.
The Northern Virginia figures on this page are Fairfax County's, the region's largest county.
CrozetNorthern Virginia
Is Crozet cheaper than Northern Virginia?
Yes: Crozet's median sale was $559,900 over the 12 months ending August 2026, about $187,677 below Fairfax County's September 2026 median of $747,577. Crozet homes also sold faster, at 14 days on market against Fairfax's 40.
| Crozet | Northern Virginia | |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $559,900 | $747,577 |
| Price per sq ft | $256 | $349 |
| Median days on market | 14 | 40 |
| Sale price vs. list price | 100% | 99.5% |
| Homes sold | 237 in 12 months (about 20 a month) | 932 in September alone |
| Middle half of sales | $429K to $784K | not published |
Crozet: CAAR MLS sales via Town Realty analysis, 12 months ending August 2026. Northern Virginia: Redfin Housing Market data, September 2026 (one month), checked 28 Oct 2026. The two windows differ, so read the gap as a range, not to the dollar.
Are property taxes lower in Crozet or Northern Virginia?
Crozet's. Albemarle County charges $0.894 per $100 of assessed value for 2026; Fairfax County lowered its rate to $1.12 in May 2026. On the same $559,900 house that's about $5,006 a year in Crozet against $6,271 in Fairfax.
| Crozet | Northern Virginia | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 real estate tax rate | $0.894 per $100 | $1.12 per $100 |
| Yearly bill on a $559,900 home | $5,006 | $6,271 |
| Yearly bill on each place's median | $5,006 | $8,373 |
Rates: Cville Right Now, Albemarle Supervisors approve FY2027 budget with no tax rate increases, 22 Apr 2026; Fairfax County, Board of Supervisors adopts FY 27 budget, reduces real estate tax rate, 5 May 2026. Bills computed from those rates, before any relief programs.
Which schools serve Crozet and Northern Virginia?
Crozet is in Albemarle County Public Schools, where every address feeds Henley Middle and Western Albemarle High. Fairfax County is served by Fairfax County Public Schools, which assigns schools by address across a county of about 1.17 million people.
In both places the division's own address lookup is the final word for a specific house. Our Crozet schools guide maps each neighborhood to its schools.
Albemarle County GIS school districts (pulled 26 Oct 2026); Virginia Department of Education School Quality Profiles.
How long is the commute in Crozet compared with Northern Virginia?
Shorter in Crozet, on average: 22.2 minutes for Albemarle County workers against 28.9 in Fairfax County, per the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 survey. Crozet to Northern Virginia is about 2 hours 30 minutes by a local's typical drive, so it works for an occasional office day, not a daily commute.
| Crozet | Northern Virginia | |
|---|---|---|
| Average commute to work | 22.2 min (Albemarle County) | 28.9 min |
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 (QuickFacts).
Do you get more house for the money in Crozet or Northern Virginia?
More in Crozet. At the median price per square foot, $559,900 buys about 2,187 square feet in Crozet and about 1,604 in Fairfax County.
Crozet is a community of about 9,200 people at the foot of the Blue Ridge, where 83 of the last 237 sales were new construction; Fairfax County is home to about 1.17 million.
Square feet computed from median price per sq ft (sources above). Population: U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts (American Community Survey 2020-2024; July 2025 estimates); 2020 census, Crozet CDP.
Crozet and Northern Virginia, answered
How far is Crozet from Northern Virginia?
About 2 hours 30 minutes by car, a local's typical drive as of October 2026.
Is Crozet cheaper than Northern Virginia?
Yes. Crozet's median sale was $559,900 over the 12 months ending August 2026, against $747,577 in Fairfax County in September 2026, and the price per square foot is $256 against $349.
Are property taxes lower in Crozet than in Fairfax County?
Yes. Albemarle's 2026 rate is $0.894 per $100 of assessed value and Fairfax County's is $1.12, so the same $559,900 house is taxed about $5,006 a year in Crozet and $6,271 in Fairfax.
Is it worth moving from Northern Virginia to Crozet?
For space and cost, the numbers favor Crozet: a lower median price, a lower tax rate and a shorter average commute. What you give up is the DC region's job market and Metro at your door.
Do homes sell as fast in Crozet as in Northern Virginia?
Faster. Crozet's median was 14 days on market over the 12 months ending August 2026; Fairfax County's was 40 days in September 2026.
Moving from Northern Virginia?
Ask what your Northern Virginia budget buys in Crozet, street by street.
- CAAR MLS sold data via Town Realty analysis, 12 months ending August 2026 (237 Crozet sales)
- Redfin, Fairfax County, VA Housing Market, September 2026 (checked 28 Oct 2026)
- Cville Right Now, Albemarle Supervisors approve FY2027 budget with no tax rate increases, 22 Apr 2026
- Fairfax County, Board of Supervisors adopts FY 27 budget, reduces real estate tax rate, 5 May 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts (American Community Survey 2020-2024; July 2025 estimates); 2020 census, Crozet CDP
- Albemarle County GIS school districts, pulled 26 Oct 2026
- Drive times: a Crozet native's typical drive (October 2026)