Effective property tax rates for all 100 North Carolina counties — median real estate taxes paid ÷ median home value, from U.S. Census ACS data — ranked highest to lowest. Northampton County has the highest rate at 1.21%; Jackson County has the lowest at 0.37%.
Data as of July 2026.
| Rank | County | Effective rate | Median annual bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northampton County | 1.21% | $1,232 | $102,200 |
| 2 | Halifax County | 1.13% | $1,163 | $102,500 |
| 3 | Washington County | 1.12% | $1,202 | $107,000 |
| 4 | Edgecombe County | 1.10% | $1,282 | $116,800 |
| 5 | Martin County | 1.07% | $1,176 | $109,900 |
| 6 | Cumberland County | 0.99% | $1,823 | $183,700 |
| 7 | Hertford County | 0.97% | $1,083 | $111,100 |
| 8 | Orange County | 0.96% | $4,105 | $428,500 |
| 9 | Anson County | 0.93% | $1,113 | $119,300 |
| 10 | Richmond County | 0.93% | $1,122 | $120,800 |
| 11 | Scotland County | 0.91% | $999 | $109,900 |
| 12 | Bladen County | 0.90% | $1,137 | $125,800 |
| 13 | Robeson County | 0.90% | $799 | $88,600 |
| 14 | Tyrrell County | 0.89% | $1,233 | $138,400 |
| 15 | Lenoir County | 0.88% | $985 | $111,400 |
| 16 | Guilford County | 0.88% | $2,075 | $234,900 |
| 17 | Columbus County | 0.87% | $1,120 | $128,300 |
| 18 | Greene County | 0.87% | $990 | $114,000 |
| 19 | Warren County | 0.85% | $1,059 | $124,700 |
| 20 | Forsyth County | 0.85% | $1,934 | $227,800 |
| 21 | Pitt County | 0.85% | $1,649 | $194,300 |
| 22 | Durham County | 0.84% | $2,951 | $351,700 |
| 23 | Wilson County | 0.83% | $1,428 | $171,800 |
| 24 | Sampson County | 0.82% | $1,051 | $128,400 |
| 25 | Vance County | 0.81% | $1,179 | $146,300 |
| 26 | Lee County | 0.80% | $1,707 | $213,800 |
| 27 | Bertie County | 0.80% | $764 | $95,800 |
| 28 | Gaston County | 0.80% | $1,872 | $235,000 |
| 29 | Rockingham County | 0.79% | $1,230 | $156,000 |
| 30 | Gates County | 0.78% | $1,273 | $163,900 |
| 31 | Nash County | 0.77% | $1,320 | $171,100 |
| 32 | Cabarrus County | 0.76% | $2,429 | $318,600 |
| 33 | Jones County | 0.76% | $926 | $122,600 |
| 34 | Mecklenburg County | 0.75% | $2,780 | $371,200 |
| 35 | Harnett County | 0.74% | $1,642 | $220,700 |
| 36 | Wayne County | 0.74% | $1,210 | $162,700 |
| 37 | Duplin County | 0.74% | $912 | $123,200 |
| 38 | Randolph County | 0.72% | $1,236 | $171,600 |
| 39 | Franklin County | 0.72% | $1,732 | $240,900 |
| 40 | Granville County | 0.72% | $1,694 | $235,700 |
| 41 | Wake County | 0.71% | $3,023 | $422,800 |
| 42 | Beaufort County | 0.70% | $1,277 | $181,200 |
| 43 | Montgomery County | 0.70% | $1,057 | $150,300 |
| 44 | Burke County | 0.70% | $1,191 | $170,500 |
| 45 | Pender County | 0.70% | $1,858 | $267,100 |
| 46 | Pasquotank County | 0.69% | $1,547 | $223,300 |
| 47 | Hoke County | 0.69% | $1,357 | $196,000 |
| 48 | Cleveland County | 0.69% | $1,240 | $180,200 |
| 49 | Johnston County | 0.69% | $1,840 | $267,600 |
| 50 | Chowan County | 0.69% | $1,403 | $204,400 |
| 51 | Yadkin County | 0.69% | $1,210 | $176,400 |
| 52 | Caswell County | 0.68% | $1,023 | $151,200 |
| 53 | Chatham County | 0.67% | $2,671 | $397,800 |
| 54 | Person County | 0.67% | $1,288 | $192,800 |
| 55 | Davie County | 0.67% | $1,570 | $235,300 |
| 56 | Craven County | 0.67% | $1,372 | $206,200 |
| 57 | Rowan County | 0.65% | $1,411 | $216,100 |
| 58 | Onslow County | 0.65% | $1,431 | $219,500 |
| 59 | Alamance County | 0.65% | $1,440 | $221,200 |
| 60 | Caldwell County | 0.64% | $1,112 | $174,000 |
| 61 | Alexander County | 0.63% | $1,199 | $190,000 |
| 62 | Davidson County | 0.63% | $1,262 | $200,100 |
| 63 | Iredell County | 0.63% | $1,843 | $292,300 |
| 64 | Hyde County | 0.63% | $753 | $119,600 |
| 65 | Stanly County | 0.62% | $1,334 | $214,300 |
| 66 | Perquimans County | 0.62% | $1,316 | $211,600 |
| 67 | Wilkes County | 0.62% | $1,003 | $161,400 |
| 68 | Surry County | 0.62% | $1,033 | $166,400 |
| 69 | Stokes County | 0.62% | $1,158 | $186,800 |
| 70 | Camden County | 0.62% | $1,784 | $289,800 |
| 71 | Union County | 0.61% | $2,298 | $374,400 |
| 72 | Catawba County | 0.60% | $1,319 | $218,100 |
| 73 | Alleghany County | 0.60% | $1,202 | $199,000 |
| 74 | Haywood County | 0.60% | $1,532 | $254,900 |
| 75 | Buncombe County | 0.60% | $2,163 | $360,000 |
| 76 | Pamlico County | 0.60% | $1,257 | $209,800 |
| 77 | Lincoln County | 0.59% | $1,660 | $279,500 |
| 78 | New Hanover County | 0.59% | $2,075 | $353,700 |
| 79 | Rutherford County | 0.58% | $1,053 | $180,800 |
| 80 | Polk County | 0.58% | $1,627 | $281,100 |
| 81 | Brunswick County | 0.57% | $1,789 | $314,700 |
| 82 | Moore County | 0.57% | $1,784 | $315,300 |
| 83 | Graham County | 0.54% | $842 | $155,800 |
| 84 | Dare County | 0.53% | $2,245 | $425,400 |
| 85 | Henderson County | 0.52% | $1,667 | $317,800 |
| 86 | McDowell County | 0.52% | $871 | $168,300 |
| 87 | Ashe County | 0.51% | $1,136 | $221,900 |
| 88 | Mitchell County | 0.50% | $1,014 | $202,100 |
| 89 | Cherokee County | 0.50% | $1,045 | $208,700 |
| 90 | Madison County | 0.50% | $1,307 | $263,500 |
| 91 | Yancey County | 0.48% | $1,058 | $222,300 |
| 92 | Transylvania County | 0.46% | $1,539 | $336,100 |
| 93 | Currituck County | 0.46% | $1,600 | $351,200 |
| 94 | Clay County | 0.45% | $1,188 | $263,300 |
| 95 | Carteret County | 0.45% | $1,369 | $304,200 |
| 96 | Macon County | 0.43% | $979 | $229,000 |
| 97 | Watauga County | 0.41% | $1,334 | $321,500 |
| 98 | Avery County | 0.41% | $966 | $233,200 |
| 99 | Swain County | 0.40% | $844 | $209,800 |
| 100 | Jackson County | 0.37% | $938 | $253,900 |
Rates are estimates derived from Census ACS 5-year data, not your actual bill — see the methodology for how they're calculated. A “≥” rate means the county sits at the ACS top-code ceiling, so the real rate may be higher.
Informational only — not legal or tax advice. Exemption rules and amounts are summarized from official statutes and state tax-agency sources as of each program's verified date and can change by legislative session. Dollar figures are estimates derived from Census ACS county tax data, not actual bills. Confirm your eligibility and current amounts with your county assessor before relying on anything here.