Property tax by ZIP code in North Carolina
Enter a North Carolina ZIP and see the median property tax paid, median home value, and effective tax rate from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey — plus how it compares to the North Carolina state median.
Look up a North Carolina ZIP code
Enter a 5-digit North Carolina ZIP code above to see its property tax data.
ZIP doesn't have ACS data — typically because it's a PO-box-only ZIP, a single-business ZIP, or a small area where the Census suppresses small-sample estimates. Try a nearby ZIP.
ZIP isn't a North Carolina ZIP code. This page covers North Carolina only. Other states are launching state by state — check back, or use our state-by-state median page in the meantime.
North Carolina property tax is assessed and collected entirely at the local level. Each county assessor appraises all real property at 100% of its true (market) value as of January 1, the county and any city or town set their own rates, and the county tax office sends the bill. There is no statewide property tax — the NC Department of Revenue supervises the system but does not bill or collect — which is a big reason the state's effective rate runs low, around 0.66%.
Enter a 5-digit North Carolina ZIP to see its median property tax, median home value, and effective rate from the US Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 vintage, plus how the ZIP compares to the North Carolina state and US national medians. The explainer below covers the eight-year reappraisal cycle, the homestead and veteran exclusions, the Circuit Breaker deferment, and the methodology behind the comparison rates.
How North Carolina property tax works
North Carolina assesses property locally. Each county assessor appraises all real property at 100% of its true (market) value as of January 1, and the county and any municipality apply their own rates. Counties are not required to reappraise every year: state law sets an octennial reappraisal cycle (at least every eighth year) under G.S. 105-286, though larger counties of 75,000 or more must advance their schedule if their sales-assessment ratio falls below .85 or above 1.15. Between reappraisals, your assessed value generally holds steady even as the market moves, so a "revaluation year" can bring a noticeable change.
The main relief programs are the Elderly or Disabled Homestead Exclusion under G.S. 105-277.1, which excludes the greater of $25,000 or 50% of the appraised value of a permanent residence for income-qualified owners who are 65 or older or totally and permanently disabled (the income limit is $38,800 for the 2025/2026 tax year), and the Disabled Veteran Exclusion under G.S. 105-277.1C, which excludes the first $45,000 of appraised value for a qualifying veteran with a permanent total service-connected disability — with no income limit.
A third option, the Circuit Breaker Tax Deferment under G.S. 105-277.1B, caps tax at 4% of income for owners at or below the $38,800 limit and 5% for those above it but at or below 150% of the limit. The difference is deferred rather than forgiven, becoming a lien that comes due on certain disqualifying events, and it must be re-applied for each year.
Why your actual bill differs
The numbers above describe a typical homeowner in this ZIP — not your specific bill. A few things move bills away from the median:
- County and municipal rates stack. Two homes of equal market value in different counties — or inside versus outside a city's limits — can carry very different combined rates, because each taxing unit sets its own.
- Where you are in the reappraisal cycle. Because counties reappraise on an eight-year minimum cycle, assessed values can lag the market until a revaluation year resets them to 100% of true value.
- Exclusions and deferments. The Elderly or Disabled Homestead Exclusion, the Disabled Veteran Exclusion, and the Circuit Breaker deferment can each cut or cap a qualifying owner's bill well below the ZIP median.
North Carolina has no single statewide bill lookup — it's handled county by county. As a working example, Wake County lets you search and pay through its property tax billing portal; for other counties, start with your county tax office.
Methodology
Data on this page comes from the US Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 vintage (released January 29, 2026), at the ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) level. After filtering ZCTAs the Census suppresses for privacy or small-sample reasons, this page covers 754 North Carolina ZIPs.
Topcoding in North Carolina. The Census caps median property tax at $10,000 — median tax appears as $10,001 for any ZIP where the true median is at or above the cap. Because North Carolina's effective rates are low, topcoding is rare here; only an isolated high-value ZIP reaches the cap. Where it does, the effective-rate calculation for that ZIP is a floor estimate, not an exact value.
See the full methodology page for source details (Census table IDs, the comparison-median rule, calculator formulas), how we handle topcoding across every state, and the refresh cadence.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the median tax in my ZIP different from what I pay?
Median is the middle of the distribution, not your bill. North Carolina appraises at 100% of market value, but combined county and municipal rates vary widely, and the year in a county's eight-year reappraisal cycle changes the value your rate is applied to. The homestead, veteran, and Circuit Breaker programs shift your bill away from the ZIP median in either direction.
Why does my ZIP show $10,001 as the median tax?
That's the Census topcode. The ACS reports property-tax responses above $10,000 as $10,001 to protect privacy, so the true median is at least $10,000. Topcoding is rare in North Carolina — with the state's low effective rates, only an isolated high-value ZIP reaches the cap.
Where do I find my actual North Carolina property tax bill?
Through your county tax office. North Carolina has no statewide pay-your-bill portal — property tax is locally assessed and collected, and the NC Department of Revenue supervises but does not bill. Wake County's billing search is a working example; for other counties, start with your county tax office.
When does North Carolina data update on this page?
Annually, when the Census Bureau releases a new ACS 5-year vintage. The 2020–2024 vintage released January 29, 2026. The next vintage (2021–2025) typically follows the next year, though the Census has not yet posted its release date.
Why don't you cover other states yet?
State-by-state rollout. Each state needs its own context section (assessment method, exemptions, local taxing structure) to be genuinely useful. High-search-volume states are going live first.