By Michela Worthington, ABR, SRS, REALM Certified | The OwnRVA Group, brokered by Real Broker, LLC
If you've spent any time house hunting around Richmond, you've probably noticed that "Henrico" shows up on listing after listing — and that those listings can range from a $250,000 starter home to a multimillion-dollar estate. That's not a glitch. Henrico County is enormous, and it wraps almost entirely around the north and west sides of the City of Richmond. When a buyer tells me they "want to be in Henrico," my honest first response is always a question: which Henrico?
Because here's the truth I tell every client — Henrico isn't one market. It's a dozen distinct markets stitched together under one county government. Let me walk you through how I actually think about it, so you can figure out where you fit.
First, Understand the Shape of Henrico
Henrico County is a horseshoe. It surrounds Richmond on the north, east, and west, but it does not include the city itself — the City of Richmond is its own independent jurisdiction with its own tax rate, schools, and services. (If you're weighing city versus county, my guide to the best neighborhoods in Richmond, VA is a good companion piece to this one.)
The single most useful mental model is East Henrico versus West Henrico, split roughly by the I-95 corridor and downtown Richmond. The two halves feel like different counties, and they price differently too.
West Henrico runs from the city line out through Tuckahoe, Glen Allen, and Short Pump toward the Goochland border. This is the higher-priced, faster-growing, retail-and-office-dense side.
East Henrico covers Highland Springs, Sandston, Varina, and the area near Richmond International Airport. It's generally more affordable, more rural as you head south and east, and home to some of the county's best per-dollar value.
Neither side is "better." They're answers to different questions — budget, commute, lot size, and what you want your daily life to look like.
The Major Submarkets
Short Pump & the Far West End
Short Pump (which spills across the Henrico–Glen Allen line) is the county's marquee growth area — Short Pump Town Center anchors a dense corridor of retail, restaurants, and newer construction. Homes here skew newer and larger, and luxury inventory is deep. If you want the full breakdown, I wrote a dedicated guide to Short Pump, VA real estate. As of 2026, this is consistently one of the higher price tiers in the county.
Glen Allen
Just east of Short Pump, Glen Allen blends established subdivisions with newer development and sits near the Innsbrook office corridor. Average home values here run around $517,000 as of 2026 — typically the priciest of the named Henrico submarkets I track, thanks to the mix of larger homes and proximity to West End employment.
Tuckahoe
Tuckahoe is the inner-ring West End — closer to the city, with mature trees, established subdivisions, and a wide range of home ages. Average values sit around $456,000 as of 2026. Buyers who want West End access without Short Pump's newest-construction premiums often land here. If you're drawn to the historic, gated end of this area, my Windsor Farms, Richmond, VA guide covers the high end of the western corridor.
Lakeside
Lakeside, in the near-north of the county, is one of Henrico's more attainable West End-adjacent areas. Average values run around $341,000 as of 2026, and the housing stock tends toward smaller, older homes — which makes it a frequent entry point for first-time buyers who still want a short hop to the city.
Highland Springs & East Henrico
Highland Springs, along with neighboring Sandston, anchors the east side. Prices here are generally lower than the West End, and the area offers easy access to I-64, the airport, and the eastern employment corridor. For buyers prioritizing affordability and a straightforward commute east, this is worth a serious look.
Varina
Varina is Henrico's rural southeast — large lots, farmland, riverfront pockets along the James, and a much quieter pace. If you're looking for acreage inside the county line, Varina is usually where I take you. Pricing varies enormously here based on land, so the "median" matters less than the specific parcel.
What It Costs in 2026
Countywide, Henrico's housing data tells a consistent story of demand. As of 2026, the median sale price across Henrico County runs in the roughly $380,000–$430,000 range depending on the month and data source, with average Zillow home values near $362,000 (up about 6.5% year over year). Homes have been selling quickly — around 20 days on market in spring 2026, down from 26 days a year earlier — which tells you inventory is still tight.
Here's how I'd frame the tiers as of 2026:
Entry / first-home tier: Lakeside, parts of East Henrico (Highland Springs, Sandston) — often below the county median.
Established mid-market: Tuckahoe and much of the inner West End — roughly $440,000–$470,000 average.
Premium / new-construction tier: Glen Allen and Short Pump — frequently $500,000 and well up from there.
Wild-card: Varina, where the right acreage parcel can land almost anywhere.
These are ranges, not promises — your actual price depends on the specific home, lot, and week you're shopping. I'll always pull live, address-level comps before we talk numbers.
The Tax Advantage People Forget to Ask About
This is one of the most important — and most overlooked — reasons buyers choose Henrico, so I bring it up early.
Henrico County's real estate tax rate is dramatically lower than the City of Richmond's. As of 2026, Henrico's rate sits around $0.83–$0.85 per $100 of assessed value (the Board of Supervisors reduced it from $0.85 to $0.83 in 2025 to ease the impact of rising assessments), while the City of Richmond's rate is $1.20 per $100.
On a $400,000 home, that gap is real money. At roughly $0.83, Henrico's annual real estate tax lands near $3,300; at Richmond's $1.20, the same assessed value would run about $4,800. That's roughly $1,500 a year in difference — money that goes straight to your buying power or your monthly budget. I always run this comparison for clients deciding between a city address and a county one, because it can change which homes you can comfortably afford.
(Always confirm the current year's adopted rate and your specific assessment — rates are set annually and assessments change.)
Services, Commute & Where People Work
Henrico is widely regarded for the breadth of its county services, and the western office corridors are a big part of why the West End commands the prices it does.
Innsbrook is a 630-acre mixed-use corporate center in the West End — home to roughly 500 companies and around 22,000 employees, including the headquarters of insurer Markel. The broader West Creek/Goochland-line corridor also includes Capital One's large campus just beyond the county's western edge. For West End buyers, these corridors mean short commutes; for East Henrico buyers, I-64 and the airport-area employment base do the same thing on the other side.
The county is laced by I-95 (north–south) and I-64 (east–west), which is exactly why the East/West split matters so much for your daily drive. A Short Pump address and a Highland Springs address can both be "in Henrico" and yet point your commute in completely opposite directions.
On schools: Henrico County Public Schools serves the entire county, and specific school assignments are tied to your home's address. I always pull the exact assigned schools and current state ratings for any home you're serious about — that's a factual, address-by-address question, and I'd rather give you the real data than a generalization.
How to Choose Where in Henrico to Buy
When a client asks me to narrow it down, we work through four honest questions:
Where do you need to be most mornings? Your commute anchor (West End office, downtown, the airport, eastern industrial corridor) does more to narrow Henrico than anything else.
What's your real budget — including taxes? Henrico's low rate may stretch you into a tier you didn't expect. We model the full monthly number, not just price.
What do you want your lot to feel like? A quarter-acre in Tuckahoe and three acres in Varina are both "Henrico," and they're entirely different lives.
New or established? Short Pump and Glen Allen offer newer stock; Lakeside and Tuckahoe lean older with mature trees. Both have devoted fans.
There's no single right answer — that's the whole point of a county this varied. My job is to match the specific you to the specific Henrico that fits.
Working With Michela
I'm Michela Worthington of The OwnRVA Group, brokered by Real Broker, LLC, and I help buyers and sellers across Henrico County and the greater Richmond area every day. Whether you're comparing the West End to East Henrico, weighing county versus city taxes, or trying to find acreage out toward Varina, I'll give you straight, address-level answers — not generalities.
If you're ready to figure out which Henrico is yours, let's talk. Reach out through my contact page and we'll start with your priorities and your budget, and build the search from there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Henrico County a good place to buy a home in 2026?
Henrico offers a wide range of price points, a notably low county real estate tax rate (around $0.83–$0.85 per $100 as of 2026), strong county services, and easy interstate access. With homes selling in roughly 20 days in spring 2026, it remains a competitive market, so working with a local agent to move quickly helps.
What is the difference between East Henrico and West Henrico?
West Henrico (Tuckahoe, Glen Allen, Short Pump) is the higher-priced, retail- and office-dense, faster-growing side near I-64's western reach. East Henrico (Highland Springs, Sandston, Varina) is generally more affordable, more rural as you head southeast, and oriented toward the airport and eastern employment corridors. They feel like two different counties.
How much are real estate taxes in Henrico County compared to Richmond?
As of 2026, Henrico's real estate tax rate is roughly $0.83–$0.85 per $100 of assessed value, compared with the City of Richmond's $1.20 per $100. On a $400,000 home, that's roughly a $1,500-per-year difference. Always confirm the current adopted rate and your specific assessment.
What is the median home price in Henrico County?
As of 2026, the median sale price across Henrico County runs in roughly the $380,000–$430,000 range depending on the month and data source, with average home values near $362,000. Prices vary widely by submarket — Lakeside is more attainable, while Glen Allen and Short Pump sit at the premium end.
Which Henrico neighborhood is best for first-time buyers?
It depends on your budget and commute, but Lakeside (averaging around $341,000 as of 2026) and parts of East Henrico like Highland Springs and Sandston are frequent entry points because they price below the county median while keeping you close to the city or eastern job corridors.
Where can I find acreage or rural property in Henrico?
Varina, in the county's rural southeast, is where I take buyers wanting larger lots, farmland, or riverfront pockets along the James River. Pricing there depends heavily on the specific parcel rather than a neighborhood median.
Does Henrico have good schools?
Henrico County Public Schools serves the whole county, and your specific school assignment depends on your home's address. I provide the exact assigned schools and current state ratings for any property you're considering, so you get factual, address-level information rather than generalizations.