North Carolina property taxes for retirees
The typical North Carolina homeowner pays $1,815 a year, 39% below the U.S. median. Here’s how homes are taxed, what changes when you buy, and what relief is available at 65.
Rules checked against the sources below on September 15, 2026. County figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, Tables B25103 and B25077.
North Carolina has no general homestead exemption and no annual cap. Values are set at each county's periodic reappraisal and don't change in between, so the jump comes all at once in reappraisal years. The state's two senior programs are income-tested and worth checking carefully, because the circuit breaker's income limit is higher than most people expect.1,2
How homes are valued
Counties must reappraise all real property at least every eight years, and many do it more often. Between reappraisals, your value generally stays the same unless the property changes. Taxes are that value times the county rate plus any city rate.1
Caps, and what happens when a home sells
There's no cap on how much a value can rise at reappraisal. A sale doesn't trigger a new value either, so a buyer pays on the same appraised value the seller did until the next countywide reappraisal.1
Is there a homestead exemption?
North Carolina has no homestead exemption for homeowners in general. Its relief programs are limited to people who are 65 or older, totally and permanently disabled, or disabled veterans.3
Relief for homeowners 65 and older
The elderly or disabled homestead exclusion removes the greater of $25,000 or 50% of your home's appraised value from taxation. You must be 65 or older or totally and permanently disabled, a North Carolina resident, and have prior-year income of no more than $38,800 for the 2026 tax year. Income includes Social Security and retirement payments, and a married couple's combined income counts against the same limit.4,2,5
The homestead circuit breaker is for owners 65 or older or disabled who have owned and lived in the home for at least five years, with income up to $58,200 for 2026. It limits the tax you pay to a percentage of your income, and the rest is deferred rather than forgiven: the deferred taxes from the last three years become due, with interest, if the home is sold or you stop qualifying.2,5,6
You can't combine the exclusion with other property tax relief. Honorably discharged veterans with a total and permanent service-connected disability, or their unmarried surviving spouses, can exclude $45,000 of value regardless of income. Applications go to the county assessor by June 1.4,3
Second homes and snowbirds
The senior programs apply only to a permanent residence owned and occupied by a North Carolina resident. A mountain or coastal second home is taxed on its full appraised value, the same way it would be for any owner.4
Median property tax by county
Orange County has the highest median bill at $4,105; Hyde County has the lowest at $753. Effective rate is the median bill divided by the median home value, a benchmark for comparing places rather than a legal tax rate. Select a county to see it against the state and U.S., or estimate a bill for a specific home value.
| County | Median bill | Effective rate | Median home value | Lookup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County | $4,105 | 0.96% | $428,500 | Details |
| Wake County | $3,023 | 0.71% | $422,800 | Details |
| Durham County | $2,951 | 0.84% | $351,700 | Details |
| Mecklenburg County | $2,780 | 0.75% | $371,200 | Details |
| Chatham County | $2,671 | 0.67% | $397,800 | Details |
| Cabarrus County | $2,429 | 0.76% | $318,600 | Details |
| Union County | $2,298 | 0.61% | $374,400 | Details |
| Dare County | $2,245 | 0.53% | $425,400 | Details |
| Buncombe County | $2,163 | 0.60% | $360,000 | Details |
| Guilford County | $2,075 | 0.88% | $234,900 | Details |
| New Hanover County | $2,075 | 0.59% | $353,700 | Details |
| Forsyth County | $1,934 | 0.85% | $227,800 | Details |
| Gaston County | $1,872 | 0.80% | $235,000 | Details |
| Pender County | $1,858 | 0.70% | $267,100 | Details |
| Iredell County | $1,843 | 0.63% | $292,300 | Details |
| Johnston County | $1,840 | 0.69% | $267,600 | Details |
| Cumberland County | $1,823 | 0.99% | $183,700 | Details |
| Brunswick County | $1,789 | 0.57% | $314,700 | Details |
| Camden County | $1,784 | 0.62% | $289,800 | Details |
| Moore County | $1,784 | 0.57% | $315,300 | Details |
| Franklin County | $1,732 | 0.72% | $240,900 | Details |
| Lee County | $1,707 | 0.80% | $213,800 | Details |
| Granville County | $1,694 | 0.72% | $235,700 | Details |
| Henderson County | $1,667 | 0.52% | $317,800 | Details |
| Lincoln County | $1,660 | 0.59% | $279,500 | Details |
| Pitt County | $1,649 | 0.85% | $194,300 | Details |
| Harnett County | $1,642 | 0.74% | $220,700 | Details |
| Polk County | $1,627 | 0.58% | $281,100 | Details |
| Currituck County | $1,600 | 0.46% | $351,200 | Details |
| Davie County | $1,570 | 0.67% | $235,300 | Details |
| Pasquotank County | $1,547 | 0.69% | $223,300 | Details |
| Transylvania County | $1,539 | 0.46% | $336,100 | Details |
| Haywood County | $1,532 | 0.60% | $254,900 | Details |
| Alamance County | $1,440 | 0.65% | $221,200 | Details |
| Onslow County | $1,431 | 0.65% | $219,500 | Details |
| Wilson County | $1,428 | 0.83% | $171,800 | Details |
| Rowan County | $1,411 | 0.65% | $216,100 | Details |
| Chowan County | $1,403 | 0.69% | $204,400 | Details |
| Craven County | $1,372 | 0.67% | $206,200 | Details |
| Carteret County | $1,369 | 0.45% | $304,200 | Details |
| Hoke County | $1,357 | 0.69% | $196,000 | Details |
| Stanly County | $1,334 | 0.62% | $214,300 | Details |
| Watauga County | $1,334 | 0.41% | $321,500 | Details |
| Nash County | $1,320 | 0.77% | $171,100 | Details |
| Catawba County | $1,319 | 0.60% | $218,100 | Details |
| Perquimans County | $1,316 | 0.62% | $211,600 | Details |
| Madison County | $1,307 | 0.50% | $263,500 | Details |
| Person County | $1,288 | 0.67% | $192,800 | Details |
| Edgecombe County | $1,282 | 1.10% | $116,800 | Details |
| Beaufort County | $1,277 | 0.70% | $181,200 | Details |
| Gates County | $1,273 | 0.78% | $163,900 | Details |
| Davidson County | $1,262 | 0.63% | $200,100 | Details |
| Pamlico County | $1,257 | 0.60% | $209,800 | Details |
| Cleveland County | $1,240 | 0.69% | $180,200 | Details |
| Randolph County | $1,236 | 0.72% | $171,600 | Details |
| Tyrrell County | $1,233 | 0.89% | $138,400 | Details |
| Northampton County | $1,232 | 1.21% | $102,200 | Details |
| Rockingham County | $1,230 | 0.79% | $156,000 | Details |
| Wayne County | $1,210 | 0.74% | $162,700 | Details |
| Yadkin County | $1,210 | 0.69% | $176,400 | Details |
| Alleghany County | $1,202 | 0.60% | $199,000 | Details |
| Washington County | $1,202 | 1.12% | $107,000 | Details |
| Alexander County | $1,199 | 0.63% | $190,000 | Details |
| Burke County | $1,191 | 0.70% | $170,500 | Details |
| Clay County | $1,188 | 0.45% | $263,300 | Details |
| Vance County | $1,179 | 0.81% | $146,300 | Details |
| Martin County | $1,176 | 1.07% | $109,900 | Details |
| Halifax County | $1,163 | 1.13% | $102,500 | Details |
| Stokes County | $1,158 | 0.62% | $186,800 | Details |
| Bladen County | $1,137 | 0.90% | $125,800 | Details |
| Ashe County | $1,136 | 0.51% | $221,900 | Details |
| Richmond County | $1,122 | 0.93% | $120,800 | Details |
| Columbus County | $1,120 | 0.87% | $128,300 | Details |
| Anson County | $1,113 | 0.93% | $119,300 | Details |
| Caldwell County | $1,112 | 0.64% | $174,000 | Details |
| Hertford County | $1,083 | 0.97% | $111,100 | Details |
| Warren County | $1,059 | 0.85% | $124,700 | Details |
| Yancey County | $1,058 | 0.48% | $222,300 | Details |
| Montgomery County | $1,057 | 0.70% | $150,300 | Details |
| Rutherford County | $1,053 | 0.58% | $180,800 | Details |
| Sampson County | $1,051 | 0.82% | $128,400 | Details |
| Cherokee County | $1,045 | 0.50% | $208,700 | Details |
| Surry County | $1,033 | 0.62% | $166,400 | Details |
| Caswell County | $1,023 | 0.68% | $151,200 | Details |
| Mitchell County | $1,014 | 0.50% | $202,100 | Details |
| Wilkes County | $1,003 | 0.62% | $161,400 | Details |
| Scotland County | $999 | 0.91% | $109,900 | Details |
| Greene County | $990 | 0.87% | $114,000 | Details |
| Lenoir County | $985 | 0.88% | $111,400 | Details |
| Macon County | $979 | 0.43% | $229,000 | Details |
| Avery County | $966 | 0.41% | $233,200 | Details |
| Jackson County | $938 | 0.37% | $253,900 | Details |
| Jones County | $926 | 0.76% | $122,600 | Details |
| Duplin County | $912 | 0.74% | $123,200 | Details |
| McDowell County | $871 | 0.52% | $168,300 | Details |
| Swain County | $844 | 0.40% | $209,800 | Details |
| Graham County | $842 | 0.54% | $155,800 | Details |
| Robeson County | $799 | 0.90% | $88,600 | Details |
| Bertie County | $764 | 0.80% | $95,800 | Details |
| Hyde County | $753 | 0.63% | $119,600 | Details |
| North Carolina | $1,815 | 0.70% | $259,400 |
Sources
- North Carolina General Assembly, G.S. 105-286, Time for general reappraisal of real property
- North Carolina Department of Revenue (via Yadkin County), Income Eligibility Limit: 2026 Property Tax Relief Programs
- Forsyth County Tax Administration, Exemptions: Elderly/Disabled Exclusion, Disabled Veterans, Circuit Breaker
- North Carolina General Assembly, G.S. 105-277.1, Elderly or disabled property tax homestead exclusion
- North Carolina General Assembly, Legislative Analysis Division, Senate Bill 349 bill analysis: current law on the exclusion and circuit breaker
- Union County, Property Tax Homestead Exclusion for Elderly or Disabled and Circuit Breaker Deferment
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, Tables B25103 and B25077
This page explains how North Carolina’s property tax rules generally work. It isn’t tax or legal advice, and local exemptions, deadlines, and income limits change. Confirm what applies to a specific home with the county assessor, appraiser, auditor, or trustee.