Lee County, North Carolina property tax
The median homeowner in Lee County, North Carolina pays $1,707 a year in property tax on a home worth $213,800, an effective rate of 0.80%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.80%, Lee County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. With a median home at $213,800, that produces a bill of $1,707. Somebody still funds the schools, so it is worth knowing what a low-tax county collects instead.
It ranks #26 of 98 North Carolina counties by effective rate, against a statewide 0.70%, and #1,470 nationally. The state runs from 1.21% in Northampton County down to 0.37% in Jackson County.
The median home costs 3.39 times the median household income of $63,060, close to the national 3.86. Incomes run below the national median, and house prices run below it too, which is what keeps the ratio ordinary. With 64,565 residents, the sample behind these medians is small, and the survey's own margins of error are correspondingly wider.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Lee County | North Carolina | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.80% | 0.70% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $1,707 | $1,815 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $213,800 | $259,400 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $962 | $1,162 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $63,060 | $69,904 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 3.39× | 3.71× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 18.31% | 19.95% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 65.95% | 66.37% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 64,565.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutherford County | 0.58% | $1,053 | $180,800 |
| Stanly County | 0.62% | $1,334 | $214,300 |
| Pender County | 0.70% | $1,858 | $267,100 |
| Wilkes County | 0.62% | $1,003 | $161,400 |
| Haywood County | 0.60% | $1,532 | $254,900 |
Lee County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Lee County, North Carolina?
The effective rate is 0.80% of home value, from a median tax bill of $1,707 against a median home value of $213,800. That is 0.18 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Lee County?
Roughly $3,200 a year at the county effective rate of 0.80%.
Is Lee County expensive compared with the rest of North Carolina?
It ranks #26 of 98 North Carolina counties by effective property tax rate, and #1470 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.1 points above the North Carolina average of 0.70%.
What does housing cost in Lee County?
The median home is worth $213,800 and median gross rent is $962 a month. Median household income is $63,060, which puts the home at 3.39 times annual income and rent at 18.31% of it.