North Carolina property tax by county
The median North Carolina homeowner pays $1,815 a year in property tax on a home worth $259,400, an effective rate of 0.70%. That ranks North Carolina #36 of 51 states, against a national 0.98%.
Effective rate 0.70% #36 of 51 states
Median bill $1,815 U.S. $2,969
Median home $259,400 #29 most expensive
Counties covered 98 over 5,000 people
Why the county matters more than the state
Northampton County charges an effective 1.21% and Jackson County 0.37%, a spread of 0.84 points inside one state. Property tax in the United States is set by counties, cities, school districts and special districts, not by states. A statewide figure is a weighted average of thousands of separate decisions, and it can be a poor guide to any particular address.
North Carolina sits 0.28 points below the national effective rate. A low rate is not the same as a low bill: on an expensive home it can still produce a large one. House prices in the state moved +0.4% over the year to 2026 Q2, which changes the denominator of this rate over time.
Every county ranked
| # | County | Rate | Median bill | Home value | Rent | Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northampton County | 1.21% | $1,232 | $102,200 | $749 | $47,935 |
| 2 | Halifax County | 1.13% | $1,163 | $102,500 | $776 | $45,071 |
| 3 | Washington County | 1.12% | $1,202 | $107,000 | $829 | $41,750 |
| 4 | Edgecombe County | 1.10% | $1,282 | $116,800 | $818 | $48,480 |
| 5 | Martin County | 1.07% | $1,176 | $109,900 | $729 | $46,793 |
| 6 | Cumberland County | 0.99% | $1,823 | $183,700 | $1,156 | $58,780 |
| 7 | Hertford County | 0.97% | $1,083 | $111,100 | $806 | $47,472 |
| 8 | Orange County | 0.96% | $4,105 | $428,500 | $1,387 | $88,553 |
| 9 | Richmond County | 0.93% | $1,122 | $120,800 | $744 | $43,626 |
| 10 | Anson County | 0.93% | $1,113 | $119,300 | $849 | $44,245 |
| 11 | Scotland County | 0.91% | $999 | $109,900 | $766 | $43,500 |
| 12 | Robeson County | 0.90% | $799 | $88,600 | $784 | $40,318 |
| 13 | Bladen County | 0.90% | $1,137 | $125,800 | $752 | $44,528 |
| 14 | Guilford County | 0.88% | $2,075 | $234,900 | $1,108 | $66,027 |
| 15 | Lenoir County | 0.88% | $985 | $111,400 | $814 | $44,795 |
| 16 | Columbus County | 0.87% | $1,120 | $128,300 | $775 | $48,184 |
| 17 | Greene County | 0.87% | $990 | $114,000 | $845 | $50,904 |
| 18 | Forsyth County | 0.85% | $1,934 | $227,800 | $1,046 | $65,541 |
| 19 | Pitt County | 0.85% | $1,649 | $194,300 | $971 | $58,851 |
| 20 | Warren County | 0.85% | $1,059 | $124,700 | $771 | $45,279 |
| 21 | Durham County | 0.84% | $2,951 | $351,700 | $1,415 | $79,501 |
| 22 | Wilson County | 0.83% | $1,428 | $171,800 | $915 | $51,381 |
| 23 | Sampson County | 0.82% | $1,051 | $128,400 | $811 | $53,159 |
| 24 | Vance County | 0.81% | $1,179 | $146,300 | $860 | $46,943 |
| 25 | Gaston County | 0.80% | $1,872 | $235,000 | $1,085 | $65,472 |
| 26 | Lee County | 0.80% | $1,707 | $213,800 | $962 | $63,060 |
| 27 | Bertie County | 0.80% | $764 | $95,800 | $824 | $45,931 |
| 28 | Rockingham County | 0.79% | $1,230 | $156,000 | $789 | $55,796 |
| 29 | Gates County | 0.78% | $1,273 | $163,900 | $940 | $61,612 |
| 30 | Nash County | 0.77% | $1,320 | $171,100 | $924 | $60,704 |
| 31 | Cabarrus County | 0.76% | $2,429 | $318,600 | $1,303 | $86,084 |
| 32 | Jones County | 0.76% | $926 | $122,600 | $725 | $55,659 |
| 33 | Mecklenburg County | 0.75% | $2,780 | $371,200 | $1,521 | $83,765 |
| 34 | Harnett County | 0.74% | $1,642 | $220,700 | $1,080 | $69,012 |
| 35 | Wayne County | 0.74% | $1,210 | $162,700 | $932 | $58,082 |
| 36 | Duplin County | 0.74% | $912 | $123,200 | $815 | $51,880 |
| 37 | Randolph County | 0.72% | $1,236 | $171,600 | $857 | $59,047 |
| 38 | Franklin County | 0.72% | $1,732 | $240,900 | $988 | $71,386 |
| 39 | Granville County | 0.72% | $1,694 | $235,700 | $1,008 | $70,975 |
| 40 | Wake County | 0.71% | $3,023 | $422,800 | $1,508 | $101,763 |
| 41 | Burke County | 0.70% | $1,191 | $170,500 | $805 | $55,684 |
| 42 | Pender County | 0.70% | $1,858 | $267,100 | $1,072 | $76,838 |
| 43 | Beaufort County | 0.70% | $1,277 | $181,200 | $859 | $57,997 |
| 44 | Montgomery County | 0.70% | $1,057 | $150,300 | $753 | $55,849 |
| 45 | Johnston County | 0.69% | $1,840 | $267,600 | $1,007 | $79,838 |
| 46 | Cleveland County | 0.69% | $1,240 | $180,200 | $835 | $55,769 |
| 47 | Hoke County | 0.69% | $1,357 | $196,000 | $1,047 | $60,095 |
| 48 | Pasquotank County | 0.69% | $1,547 | $223,300 | $1,146 | $63,912 |
| 49 | Yadkin County | 0.69% | $1,210 | $176,400 | $734 | $60,321 |
| 50 | Chowan County | 0.69% | $1,403 | $204,400 | $766 | $56,982 |
| 51 | Caswell County | 0.68% | $1,023 | $151,200 | $699 | $59,407 |
| 52 | Craven County | 0.67% | $1,372 | $206,200 | $1,100 | $64,635 |
| 53 | Chatham County | 0.67% | $2,671 | $397,800 | $1,066 | $88,534 |
| 54 | Davie County | 0.67% | $1,570 | $235,300 | $889 | $73,234 |
| 55 | Person County | 0.67% | $1,288 | $192,800 | $796 | $64,927 |
| 56 | Onslow County | 0.65% | $1,431 | $219,500 | $1,198 | $64,568 |
| 57 | Alamance County | 0.65% | $1,440 | $221,200 | $1,007 | $64,445 |
| 58 | Rowan County | 0.65% | $1,411 | $216,100 | $990 | $63,196 |
| 59 | Caldwell County | 0.64% | $1,112 | $174,000 | $735 | $55,401 |
| 60 | Iredell County | 0.63% | $1,843 | $292,300 | $1,183 | $78,678 |
| 61 | Davidson County | 0.63% | $1,262 | $200,100 | $863 | $62,426 |
| 62 | Alexander County | 0.63% | $1,199 | $190,000 | $745 | $65,268 |
| 63 | Surry County | 0.62% | $1,033 | $166,400 | $741 | $56,095 |
| 64 | Wilkes County | 0.62% | $1,003 | $161,400 | $715 | $50,438 |
| 65 | Stanly County | 0.62% | $1,334 | $214,300 | $830 | $61,631 |
| 66 | Stokes County | 0.62% | $1,158 | $186,800 | $766 | $60,039 |
| 67 | Perquimans County | 0.62% | $1,316 | $211,600 | $1,061 | $61,224 |
| 68 | Camden County | 0.62% | $1,784 | $289,800 | $1,220 | $87,781 |
| 69 | Union County | 0.61% | $2,298 | $374,400 | $1,390 | $99,243 |
| 70 | Buncombe County | 0.60% | $2,163 | $360,000 | $1,281 | $70,578 |
| 71 | Catawba County | 0.60% | $1,319 | $218,100 | $891 | $64,544 |
| 72 | Haywood County | 0.60% | $1,532 | $254,900 | $1,052 | $61,001 |
| 73 | Pamlico County | 0.60% | $1,257 | $209,800 | $909 | $61,624 |
| 74 | Alleghany County | 0.60% | $1,202 | $199,000 | $755 | $44,272 |
| 75 | New Hanover County | 0.59% | $2,075 | $353,700 | $1,343 | $72,892 |
| 76 | Lincoln County | 0.59% | $1,660 | $279,500 | $977 | $78,490 |
| 77 | Rutherford County | 0.58% | $1,053 | $180,800 | $748 | $49,771 |
| 78 | Polk County | 0.58% | $1,627 | $281,100 | $1,089 | $61,005 |
| 79 | Brunswick County | 0.57% | $1,789 | $314,700 | $1,267 | $74,034 |
| 80 | Moore County | 0.57% | $1,784 | $315,300 | $1,181 | $82,837 |
| 81 | Graham County | 0.54% | $842 | $155,800 | $581 | $49,038 |
| 82 | Dare County | 0.53% | $2,245 | $425,400 | $1,307 | $81,214 |
| 83 | Henderson County | 0.52% | $1,667 | $317,800 | $1,120 | $67,623 |
| 84 | McDowell County | 0.52% | $871 | $168,300 | $741 | $55,527 |
| 85 | Ashe County | 0.51% | $1,136 | $221,900 | $774 | $50,827 |
| 86 | Cherokee County | 0.50% | $1,045 | $208,700 | $800 | $51,496 |
| 87 | Madison County | 0.50% | $1,307 | $263,500 | $764 | $58,628 |
| 88 | Mitchell County | 0.50% | $1,014 | $202,100 | $744 | $58,089 |
| 89 | Yancey County | 0.48% | $1,058 | $222,300 | $807 | $54,961 |
| 90 | Transylvania County | 0.46% | $1,539 | $336,100 | $909 | $64,523 |
| 91 | Currituck County | 0.46% | $1,600 | $351,200 | $1,126 | $91,548 |
| 92 | Carteret County | 0.45% | $1,369 | $304,200 | $1,062 | $70,235 |
| 93 | Clay County | 0.45% | $1,188 | $263,300 | $791 | $53,645 |
| 94 | Macon County | 0.43% | $979 | $229,000 | $791 | $53,298 |
| 95 | Watauga County | 0.41% | $1,334 | $321,500 | $1,066 | $51,367 |
| 96 | Avery County | 0.41% | $966 | $233,200 | $791 | $57,657 |
| 97 | Swain County | 0.40% | $844 | $209,800 | $715 | $55,429 |
| 98 | Jackson County | 0.37% | $938 | $253,900 | $855 | $53,479 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. The effective property tax rate is median taxes paid divided by median home value. The two medians come from different distributions, so it approximates the typical rate rather than describing any one household.