North Carolina property tax by county
Across North Carolina's 100 counties, the typical (median) effective property-tax rate is 0.69% of a home's value. Rates vary widely by county, from 0.37% in Jackson County to 1.21% in Northampton County. The full ranking is below; each county links to its own page. Figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Property tax rate by county in North Carolina
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northampton County | 1.21% | $1,232 | $102,200 |
| Halifax County | 1.13% | $1,163 | $102,500 |
| Washington County | 1.12% | $1,202 | $107,000 |
| Edgecombe County | 1.1% | $1,282 | $116,800 |
| Martin County | 1.07% | $1,176 | $109,900 |
| Cumberland County | 0.99% | $1,823 | $183,700 |
| Hertford County | 0.97% | $1,083 | $111,100 |
| Orange County | 0.96% | $4,105 | $428,500 |
| Anson County | 0.93% | $1,113 | $119,300 |
| Richmond County | 0.93% | $1,122 | $120,800 |
| Scotland County | 0.91% | $999 | $109,900 |
| Bladen County | 0.9% | $1,137 | $125,800 |
| Robeson County | 0.9% | $799 | $88,600 |
| Tyrrell County | 0.89% | $1,233 | $138,400 |
| Guilford County | 0.88% | $2,075 | $234,900 |
| Lenoir County | 0.88% | $985 | $111,400 |
| Columbus County | 0.87% | $1,120 | $128,300 |
| Greene County | 0.87% | $990 | $114,000 |
| Forsyth County | 0.85% | $1,934 | $227,800 |
| Pitt County | 0.85% | $1,649 | $194,300 |
| Warren County | 0.85% | $1,059 | $124,700 |
| Durham County | 0.84% | $2,951 | $351,700 |
| Wilson County | 0.83% | $1,428 | $171,800 |
| Sampson County | 0.82% | $1,051 | $128,400 |
| Vance County | 0.81% | $1,179 | $146,300 |
| Bertie County | 0.8% | $764 | $95,800 |
| Gaston County | 0.8% | $1,872 | $235,000 |
| Lee County | 0.8% | $1,707 | $213,800 |
| Rockingham County | 0.79% | $1,230 | $156,000 |
| Gates County | 0.78% | $1,273 | $163,900 |
| Nash County | 0.77% | $1,320 | $171,100 |
| Cabarrus County | 0.76% | $2,429 | $318,600 |
| Jones County | 0.76% | $926 | $122,600 |
| Mecklenburg County | 0.75% | $2,780 | $371,200 |
| Duplin County | 0.74% | $912 | $123,200 |
| Harnett County | 0.74% | $1,642 | $220,700 |
| Wayne County | 0.74% | $1,210 | $162,700 |
| Franklin County | 0.72% | $1,732 | $240,900 |
| Granville County | 0.72% | $1,694 | $235,700 |
| Randolph County | 0.72% | $1,236 | $171,600 |
| Wake County | 0.71% | $3,023 | $422,800 |
| Beaufort County | 0.7% | $1,277 | $181,200 |
| Burke County | 0.7% | $1,191 | $170,500 |
| Montgomery County | 0.7% | $1,057 | $150,300 |
| Pender County | 0.7% | $1,858 | $267,100 |
| Chowan County | 0.69% | $1,403 | $204,400 |
| Cleveland County | 0.69% | $1,240 | $180,200 |
| Hoke County | 0.69% | $1,357 | $196,000 |
| Johnston County | 0.69% | $1,840 | $267,600 |
| Pasquotank County | 0.69% | $1,547 | $223,300 |
| Yadkin County | 0.69% | $1,210 | $176,400 |
| Caswell County | 0.68% | $1,023 | $151,200 |
| Chatham County | 0.67% | $2,671 | $397,800 |
| Craven County | 0.67% | $1,372 | $206,200 |
| Davie County | 0.67% | $1,570 | $235,300 |
| Person County | 0.67% | $1,288 | $192,800 |
| Alamance County | 0.65% | $1,440 | $221,200 |
| Onslow County | 0.65% | $1,431 | $219,500 |
| Rowan County | 0.65% | $1,411 | $216,100 |
| Caldwell County | 0.64% | $1,112 | $174,000 |
| Alexander County | 0.63% | $1,199 | $190,000 |
| Davidson County | 0.63% | $1,262 | $200,100 |
| Hyde County | 0.63% | $753 | $119,600 |
| Iredell County | 0.63% | $1,843 | $292,300 |
| Camden County | 0.62% | $1,784 | $289,800 |
| Perquimans County | 0.62% | $1,316 | $211,600 |
| Stanly County | 0.62% | $1,334 | $214,300 |
| Stokes County | 0.62% | $1,158 | $186,800 |
| Surry County | 0.62% | $1,033 | $166,400 |
| Wilkes County | 0.62% | $1,003 | $161,400 |
| Union County | 0.61% | $2,298 | $374,400 |
| Alleghany County | 0.6% | $1,202 | $199,000 |
| Buncombe County | 0.6% | $2,163 | $360,000 |
| Catawba County | 0.6% | $1,319 | $218,100 |
| Haywood County | 0.6% | $1,532 | $254,900 |
| Pamlico County | 0.6% | $1,257 | $209,800 |
| Lincoln County | 0.59% | $1,660 | $279,500 |
| New Hanover County | 0.59% | $2,075 | $353,700 |
| Polk County | 0.58% | $1,627 | $281,100 |
| Rutherford County | 0.58% | $1,053 | $180,800 |
| Brunswick County | 0.57% | $1,789 | $314,700 |
| Moore County | 0.57% | $1,784 | $315,300 |
| Graham County | 0.54% | $842 | $155,800 |
| Dare County | 0.53% | $2,245 | $425,400 |
| Henderson County | 0.52% | $1,667 | $317,800 |
| McDowell County | 0.52% | $871 | $168,300 |
| Ashe County | 0.51% | $1,136 | $221,900 |
| Cherokee County | 0.5% | $1,045 | $208,700 |
| Madison County | 0.5% | $1,307 | $263,500 |
| Mitchell County | 0.5% | $1,014 | $202,100 |
| Yancey County | 0.48% | $1,058 | $222,300 |
| Currituck County | 0.46% | $1,600 | $351,200 |
| Transylvania County | 0.46% | $1,539 | $336,100 |
| Carteret County | 0.45% | $1,369 | $304,200 |
| Clay County | 0.45% | $1,188 | $263,300 |
| Macon County | 0.43% | $979 | $229,000 |
| Avery County | 0.41% | $966 | $233,200 |
| Watauga County | 0.41% | $1,334 | $321,500 |
| Swain County | 0.4% | $844 | $209,800 |
| Jackson County | 0.37% | $938 | $253,900 |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2023), tables B25103 and B25077.
Why county rates vary so much
Property tax is set locally, not by the state, so the rate depends on the county, city, school district, and special districts where a home sits, and on how those local budgets compare to local home values. A county with low home values can still have a high effective rate if its local budgets are large, and a wealthy county can have a low effective rate. The effective rate shown here is the median tax bill divided by the median home value, which is the standard way to compare places; your own bill depends on your assessment and any exemptions.
For North Carolina's income and retirement taxes, see North Carolina income tax and North Carolina retirement taxes.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value, all North Carolina counties: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2023), tables B25103 and B25077.