In tax year 2026, the median North Carolina homeowner paid $1,813 in property taxes, a median effective rate of 0.81% of market value, compared with 1.27% nationally. Rates range from 0.39% in Macon County to 1.64% in Gaston County, because each county, city, and school district sets its own tax rate.
- Median North Carolina effective property tax rate: 0.81%
- Median North Carolina home value: $221,500
- Median North Carolina property tax bill: $1,813
- Highest median bill: Orange County $3,938
- Lowest median bill: Haywood County $258
Last Updated October 26, 2026
How Property Taxes Work in North Carolina
In North Carolina, your county assessor estimates your home's value, and property is taxed at 100% of market value as of the last reappraisal. Your bill is that assessed value, minus any exemptions, multiplied by the combined tax rate of every local government that covers your property, usually your county, city, school district, and any special districts.
The North Carolina Department of Revenue oversees property tax administration in North Carolina and publishes guidance on assessments, exemptions, and appeals.
Our median effective property tax rate (tax bill ÷ assessor's market value) accounts for exemptions and deductions, making it more accurate than the general median tax rate, which is the midpoint of statutory rates before adjustments.
Median North Carolina Effective Property Tax Rate
0.81%
Median North Carolina Home Value
$221,500
Median North Carolina Tax Bill
$1,813
Every property tax bill comes from three inputs:
Assessed Value
A local assessor or appraisal district estimates your home's market value. Many states then apply an assessment ratio. For example, Georgia taxes homes at 40% of market value, while Texas uses 100%. Some states, like California, cap how fast assessed values can rise for homestead properties.
Exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, and disability exemptions reduce the taxable value of qualifying homes, usually for a primary residence only.
Tax Rates
Each taxing authority that covers your property, typically a county, city, school district, and sometimes special districts, sets its own rate. Rates are usually expressed as millage (dollars per $1,000 of taxable value) or as a rate per $100 of value.
Your bill is your taxable value (assessed value minus exemptions) multiplied by the combined tax rate.
What is the Median Effective Property Tax Rate?
Our median effective property tax rate (tax bill ÷ assessor's market value) accounts for exemptions and deductions, making it more accurate than the general median tax rate, which is the midpoint of statutory rates before adjustments. Because states and counties assess property differently, the effective rate is the clearest way to compare bills across North Carolina.
Counties With the Highest and Lowest Property Taxes
Five Highest Median Property Tax Bills
| Rank | County | Median Tax Bill |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Orange County | $3,938 |
| 2. | Wake County | $3,792 |
| 3. | Cabarrus County | $3,148 |
| 4. | Durham County | $2,915 |
| 5. | Mecklenburg County | $2,842 |
Five Lowest Median Property Tax Bills
| Rank | County | Median Tax Bill |
|---|---|---|
| 89. | Tyrrell County | $563 |
| 90. | Bertie County | $550 |
| 91. | Montgomery County | $519 |
| 92. | Avery County | $517 |
| 93. | Haywood County | $258 |
8 of 100 North Carolina counties have a median effective rate above the national 1.27%. Gaston County has the highest median effective rate at 1.64%, and Macon County has the lowest at 0.39%.
Property Tax Rates and Bills by County
| Rank | County | Median Effective Tax Rate | Median Home Value | Median Tax Bill | 25th % Bill | 75th % Bill | 90th % Bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orange County | 1.28% | $297,800 | $3,938 | $2,312 | $6,533 | $9,630 |
| 2 | Wake County | 0.87% | $454,641 | $3,792 | $2,822 | $5,205 | $6,865 |
| 3 | Cabarrus County | 1.00% | $339,450 | $3,148 | $2,138 | $4,315 | $5,755 |
| 4 | Durham County | 1.39% | $223,296 | $2,915 | $2,045 | $4,105 | $5,489 |
| 5 | Mecklenburg County | 0.79% | $362,800 | $2,842 | $2,199 | $3,862 | $5,682 |
| 6 | Chatham County | 0.89% | $312,558 | $2,788 | $1,477 | $4,206 | $5,588 |
| 7 | Dare County | 0.66% | $354,000 | $2,341 | $1,641 | $3,365 | $4,961 |
| 8 | Lincoln County | 0.64% | $317,838 | $2,297 | $1,528 | $3,290 | $4,691 |
| 9 | Currituck County | 0.74% | $313,200 | $2,279 | $1,395 | $3,492 | $5,713 |
| 10 | Union County | 0.72% | $277,400 | $2,239 | $1,509 | $3,094 | $4,465 |
| 11 | Gaston County | 1.64% | $129,535 | $2,180 | $1,301 | $3,423 | $4,625 |
| 12 | Camden County | 0.77% | $285,990 | $2,171 | $1,281 | $2,863 | $3,492 |
| 13 | Iredell County | 0.66% | $275,750 | $2,103 | $987 | $4,015 | $5,459 |
| 14 | Buncombe County | 0.68% | $271,900 | $2,072 | $1,334 | $3,098 | $4,711 |
| 15 | Guilford County | 1.38% | $165,900 | $2,034 | $1,188 | $3,226 | $4,530 |
| 16 | Granville County | 0.76% | $239,053 | $1,974 | $1,089 | $3,096 | $4,218 |
| 17 | Pender County | 0.99% | $192,718 | $1,897 | $1,017 | $2,871 | $3,952 |
| 18 | Pitt County | 0.98% | $210,056 | $1,844 | $1,214 | $2,676 | $3,713 |
| 19 | Wilkes County | 1.54% | $108,980 | $1,837 | $1,117 | $3,069 | $5,060 |
| 20 | Franklin County | 0.62% | $285,020 | $1,804 | $1,120 | $2,542 | $3,477 |
| 21 | Forsyth County | 1.34% | $158,100 | $1,791 | $1,074 | $2,652 | $3,897 |
| 22 | Cumberland County | 1.55% | $116,108 | $1,757 | $1,217 | $2,397 | $3,220 |
| 23 | Lee County | 0.90% | $174,300 | $1,751 | $947 | $2,902 | $3,971 |
| 24 | Johnston County | 0.81% | $193,460 | $1,731 | $1,166 | $2,327 | $3,035 |
| 25 | New Hanover County | 0.57% | $268,900 | $1,711 | $1,194 | $2,646 | $4,107 |
| 26 | Brunswick County | 0.47% | $334,580 | $1,707 | $955 | $2,586 | $3,650 |
| 27 | Henderson County | 0.55% | $312,200 | $1,692 | $1,024 | $2,524 | $3,618 |
| 28 | Moore County | 0.57% | $309,220 | $1,688 | $764 | $2,690 | $3,760 |
| 29 | Rowan County | 0.68% | $188,788 | $1,644 | $1,043 | $2,458 | $3,581 |
| 30 | Harnett County | 0.75% | $203,443 | $1,606 | $1,030 | $2,154 | $2,769 |
| 31 | Polk County | 0.65% | $229,992 | $1,576 | $1,006 | $2,496 | $3,808 |
| 32 | Watauga County | 0.41% | $327,700 | $1,552 | $932 | $2,658 | $4,321 |
| 33 | Wilson County | 1.00% | $180,636 | $1,539 | $950 | $2,486 | $3,483 |
| 34 | Davie County | 0.77% | $180,030 | $1,477 | $918 | $2,273 | $3,225 |
| 35 | Pasquotank County | 0.74% | $167,200 | $1,460 | $974 | $1,950 | $2,836 |
| 36 | Hoke County | 0.87% | $167,065 | $1,421 | $713 | $1,961 | $2,454 |
| 37 | Transylvania County | 0.66% | $220,620 | $1,401 | $847 | $2,179 | $3,259 |
| 38 | Onslow County | 0.66% | $188,238 | $1,395 | $921 | $2,040 | $3,100 |
| 39 | Madison County | 0.49% | $306,765 | $1,391 | $835 | $2,103 | $2,979 |
| 40 | Vance County | 0.90% | $143,410 | $1,380 | $932 | $2,115 | $3,140 |
| 41 | Catawba County | 0.51% | $222,900 | $1,362 | $895 | $2,107 | $3,335 |
| 42 | Hyde County | 0.92% | $136,630 | $1,361 | $627 | $3,245 | $5,014 |
| 43 | Craven County | 0.66% | $193,035 | $1,338 | $786 | $1,957 | $2,823 |
| 44 | Alamance County | 0.53% | $249,260 | $1,324 | $855 | $1,997 | $2,913 |
| 45 | Randolph County | 0.68% | $168,370 | $1,311 | $838 | $1,999 | $2,829 |
| 46 | Alexander County | 0.72% | $173,642 | $1,252 | $737 | $1,850 | $2,756 |
| 47 | Gates County | 1.04% | $119,547 | $1,220 | $785 | $1,634 | $2,190 |
| 48 | Chowan County | 0.77% | $148,708 | $1,161 | $725 | $2,032 | $3,217 |
| 49 | Davidson County | 0.64% | $150,615 | $1,131 | $734 | $1,674 | $2,376 |
| 50 | Stanly County | 0.76% | $136,702 | $1,122 | $621 | $1,913 | $2,810 |
| 51 | Ashe County | 0.48% | $229,900 | $1,119 | $614 | $1,787 | $2,565 |
| 52 | Pamlico County | 0.71% | $147,817 | $1,091 | $565 | $1,886 | $2,857 |
| 53 | Yadkin County | 0.74% | $133,150 | $1,083 | $676 | $1,597 | $2,234 |
| 54 | Nash County | 1.07% | $102,045 | $1,080 | $676 | $1,796 | $2,643 |
| 55 | Person County | 0.78% | $125,621 | $1,057 | $657 | $1,816 | $2,935 |
| 56 | Alleghany County | 0.70% | $158,600 | $1,056 | $685 | $1,632 | $2,475 |
| 57 | Stokes County | 0.81% | $131,250 | $1,047 | $679 | $1,652 | $2,418 |
| 58 | Wayne County | 0.62% | $158,440 | $1,045 | $567 | $1,637 | $2,371 |
| 59 | Burke County | 0.71% | $148,063 | $1,038 | $642 | $1,603 | $2,410 |
| 60 | Rockingham County | 0.66% | $136,150 | $1,030 | $405 | $1,751 | $2,723 |
| 61 | Sampson County | 0.71% | $143,478 | $1,026 | $534 | $1,726 | $2,496 |
| 62 | Beaufort County | 0.94% | $100,726 | $967 | $606 | $1,774 | $2,671 |
| 63 | Macon County | 0.39% | $264,680 | $966 | $646 | $1,539 | $2,762 |
| 64 | Edgecombe County | 0.89% | $100,634 | $965 | $614 | $1,434 | $2,087 |
| 65 | Clay County | 0.46% | $213,500 | $948 | $593 | $1,867 | $3,005 |
| 66 | Warren County | 0.99% | $92,664 | $940 | $547 | $2,244 | $4,219 |
| 67 | Cleveland County | 0.90% | $101,056 | $929 | $542 | $1,580 | $2,532 |
| 68 | Caswell County | 0.70% | $136,803 | $917 | $635 | $1,370 | $2,071 |
| 69 | Cherokee County | 0.72% | $129,235 | $914 | $500 | $1,386 | $1,973 |
| 70 | Robeson County | 0.97% | $92,600 | $869 | $589 | $1,330 | $1,974 |
| 71 | Mitchell County | 0.63% | $139,500 | $858 | $409 | $1,486 | $2,259 |
| 72 | Greene County | 1.00% | $88,355 | $849 | $586 | $1,203 | $1,749 |
| 73 | Rutherford County | 0.68% | $123,300 | $843 | $539 | $1,167 | $1,885 |
| 74 | Northampton County | 1.06% | $68,298 | $842 | $407 | $1,459 | $3,344 |
| 75 | Richmond County | 0.91% | $89,022 | $813 | $444 | $1,287 | $1,973 |
| 76 | Hertford County | 1.29% | $64,355 | $801 | $475 | $1,253 | $1,995 |
| 77 | Martin County | 1.14% | $68,420 | $800 | $540 | $1,235 | $1,746 |
| 78 | Washington County | 1.07% | $66,200 | $796 | $465 | $1,168 | $1,673 |
| 79 | Surry County | 0.69% | $116,885 | $778 | $530 | $1,182 | $1,778 |
| 80 | Graham County | 0.59% | $124,445 | $771 | $407 | $1,375 | $2,361 |
| 81 | Caldwell County | 0.45% | $185,000 | $756 | $407 | $1,244 | $1,940 |
| 81 | McDowell County | 0.68% | $116,840 | $756 | $425 | $1,461 | $2,738 |
| 83 | Lenoir County | 1.07% | $66,464 | $749 | $398 | $1,248 | $1,895 |
| 84 | Swain County | 0.49% | $146,700 | $738 | $473 | $1,142 | $1,708 |
| 85 | Jones County | 0.77% | $92,830 | $698 | $364 | $1,278 | $1,949 |
| 86 | Duplin County | 0.92% | $70,300 | $688 | $443 | $1,113 | $1,806 |
| 87 | Bladen County | 0.86% | $73,816 | $615 | $213 | $1,114 | $1,803 |
| 88 | Scotland County | 1.10% | $54,805 | $597 | $301 | $1,060 | $1,731 |
| 89 | Tyrrell County | 0.95% | $59,197 | $563 | $243 | $1,033 | $1,917 |
| 90 | Bertie County | 0.97% | $57,211 | $550 | $320 | $899 | $1,514 |
| 91 | Montgomery County | 0.64% | $76,372 | $519 | $256 | $1,129 | $2,421 |
| 92 | Avery County | 0.40% | $127,900 | $517 | $140 | $1,104 | $2,478 |
| 93 | Haywood County | 0.63% | $198,400 | $258 | $146 | $462 | $727 |
| — | Anson County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| — | Carteret County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| — | Columbus County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| — | Halifax County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| — | Jackson County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| — | Perquimans County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| — | Yancey County | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: Ownwell
How Ownwell Can Help in North Carolina
The below services are dependent on where you live in the United States. Not all products or services are available to every property owner or homeowner.
Appeal packet
Ownwell's appeal packet gives you the evidence and filing guidance you need to appeal your assessment yourself.
Exemption filing
Ownwell checks whether you're missing any property tax exemptions and helps you apply for the ones you qualify for.
Bill reduction
Ownwell can also help lower your other recurring household bills.
Save on Your Property Taxes and More With Ownwell
Frequently Asked Property Tax Questions in North Carolina
What is the average property tax rate in North Carolina?
How are property taxes calculated in North Carolina?
Which North Carolina county has the highest property taxes?
Why did my property taxes go up?
Can I appeal my property taxes in North Carolina?
What property tax exemptions are available in North Carolina?
How can Ownwell help me save in North Carolina?
Find Your County
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y