Property tax in Columbus County, North Carolina
The median property tax bill in Columbus County, North Carolina is $1,120 a year, which is about 0.77% of the county's median home value of $146,000. That effective rate is higher than the typical North Carolina county (0.65%) and lower than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Columbus County
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Columbus County's average effective rate of 0.77% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $1,124 / year
Property tax in Columbus County at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $1,120 |
| Median home value | $146,000 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.77% |
| Typical North Carolina county rate | 0.65% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Columbus County compare in North Carolina?
Among North Carolina's 100 counties, Columbus County has the 25th highest effective property-tax rate: 24 rank higher and 75 rank lower. That is on the higher side for North Carolina. Nationally, it ranks 1683rd of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every North Carolina county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Columbus County actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Columbus County's 14,252 owner-occupied homes, 5.9% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 17.5% pay at least $2,000, and 29.3% pay under $800. Another 4.4% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 4,173 | 29.3% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 4,995 | 35% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 1,975 | 13.9% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 1,649 | 11.6% |
| $3,000 or more | 835 | 5.9% |
| No property tax paid | 625 | 4.4% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $1,293 and owners without one pay $978. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.
How does the Columbus County property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $1,120 is about 2% of the median income of Columbus County homeowner households, $55,380 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 71.1% of Columbus County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Columbus County?
Yes. The median bill went from $970 in 2015-2019 to $1,120 in 2020-2024, a 15.5% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 64.2%, from $88,900 to $146,000. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Columbus County
Columbus County borders 6 counties, 2 of them across the state line.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bladen County, NC | 0.91% | $1,227 | $135,100 |
| Robeson County, NC | 0.87% | $820 | $94,500 |
| Columbus County, NC (this county) | 0.77% | $1,120 | $146,000 |
| Pender County, NC | 0.63% | $1,883 | $299,000 |
| Brunswick County, NC | 0.54% | $1,890 | $349,800 |
| Dillon County, SC | 0.53% | $452 | $85,400 |
| Horry County, SC | 0.33% | $944 | $287,700 |
How is a home assessed in Columbus County?
North Carolina assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Columbus County included. How North Carolina assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Columbus County?
No. North Carolina has no general homestead exemption; relief is targeted to older and disabled owners and to disabled veterans. That is the North Carolina rule, and it applies in Columbus County. North Carolina's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Columbus County?
A single annual bill, due September 1. You can pay without interest through January 5; anything paid on or after January 6 is delinquent and accrues interest.
That is the North Carolina rule. Columbus County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Columbus County property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the County Board of Equalization and Review, then the Property Tax Commission. The filing deadline is typically before the county board adjourns (varies by county). That is the North Carolina rule; Columbus County sets the exact dates and forms. The North Carolina appeal process step by step.
North Carolina rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the North Carolina page.
Work out your own numbers
-
How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Columbus County's tax rate to hand.
-
Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
-
North Carolina income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what North Carolina actually taxes.
-
Sales tax in Columbus County
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Columbus County, North Carolina: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.