North Carolina does not have a single statewide property tax rate. Instead, each county sets its own rate, and if you live within city or town limits, you pay an additional municipal rate on top of the county tax. For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, county rates range from $0.225 per $100 of assessed value in Carteret County to $0.99 per $100 in Scotland County, according to the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Your total bill depends on where you live and what your property is worth.
How Property Tax Rates Work
North Carolina expresses property tax rates as a dollar amount per $100 of assessed value. If your county’s rate is $0.60 per $100 and your home is assessed at $250,000, your county tax would be $1,500 per year. Most homeowners also owe a separate municipal tax if they live inside a city or town, which adds its own rate on top. Combined county and city rates in many areas land somewhere between $0.80 and $1.50 per $100, though this varies widely.
Property in North Carolina must be assessed at 100% of its appraised market value. There is no assessment ratio that discounts the taxable value below market value, so the number the county assigns to your property during a revaluation is the full figure your tax bill is based on.
Revaluations and Assessed Value
Counties are required to revalue all real property at least once every eight years, though many do so more frequently. A revaluation updates your property’s assessed value to reflect current market conditions. If home prices in your area have risen significantly since the last revaluation, your assessed value could jump substantially in a single year.
Revaluations take effect on January 1 of the revaluation year. When a county completes a revaluation, it often adjusts its tax rate downward so that the overall revenue collected stays roughly the same (called a “revenue-neutral” rate). But that adjustment is not guaranteed, and individual homeowners whose property appreciated faster than average will likely see a higher bill even if the rate drops. You can appeal your new assessed value with the county tax assessor if you believe it does not reflect your property’s actual market value.
When Property Taxes Are Due
North Carolina’s property tax year runs on a fiscal cycle. Tax bills are typically mailed in late summer, and some counties offer a small discount for early payment, with the early-payment deadline falling on or around August 31. Taxes that remain unpaid after the statutory due date begin accruing interest. If a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, it extends to the next business day.
Exact dates and discount availability vary by county, so check with your county tax office for the specific schedule. Most counties post their deadlines online alongside the annual tax bill.
Vehicle Property Tax
North Carolina also taxes motor vehicles as personal property. Counties assess the value of every vehicle registered through the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles, and you pay the tax when you renew your registration through the Tag & Tax Together program. Instead of getting a separate tax bill for your car, the property tax is bundled with your registration renewal fee in a single payment.
If you miss the payment deadline, interest starts accruing at 5% for the remainder of the month after your registration sticker expires. Starting the second month past due, interest drops to 0.75% per month but continues accumulating until the balance is paid. A late fee also applies to the registration renewal portion. Questions about the assessed value of your vehicle go to your county tax assessor, not the DMV.
Tax Relief for Seniors and Disabled Homeowners
North Carolina offers two programs that reduce property taxes for residents who are at least 65 years old or totally and permanently disabled.
- Elderly or Disabled Exclusion: If your prior-year income was $38,800 or less (for the 2026 tax year), this program excludes the greater of the first $25,000 or 50% of your home’s appraised value from taxation. On a $200,000 home, that means $100,000 would be excluded, cutting your tax bill roughly in half.
- Circuit Breaker Tax Deferment: This program caps your property tax at a percentage of your income rather than eliminating a portion of assessed value. If your income is $38,800 or less, your tax is capped at 4% of your income. If your income falls between $38,800 and $58,200, the cap is 5%. You must have owned and occupied the property for at least five full years to qualify. The taxes above the cap are deferred, not forgiven. They become a lien on the property and come due if you sell or transfer it.
Both programs require you to apply through your county tax office. Eligibility is based on the previous year’s income, and you generally need to reapply or certify your eligibility each year.
Disabled Veteran Exclusion
Veterans with a total and permanent service-connected disability can exclude up to the first $45,000 of their home’s appraised value from property tax. This program has no age or income limit. Unmarried surviving spouses of qualifying disabled veterans, veterans who died from a service-connected condition, or servicemembers who died in the line of duty from a service-connected condition are also eligible, provided they have not remarried. The veteran’s discharge must have been honorable or under honorable conditions.
How to Find Your Exact Rate
Because your total property tax rate is the sum of your county rate, any applicable municipal rate, and potentially special district levies (fire districts, for example), the easiest way to find your combined rate is to look up your specific property on your county tax office website. Most counties let you search by address or parcel number and will show the full breakdown of every taxing authority that applies to your property, along with the assessed value and total tax owed.