North Carolina · FIPS 37183 · ACS 2020–2024
Wake County, North Carolina property tax rate
Homeowners in Wake County paid a median of $3,260 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $461,300 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.69% of home value, 4% above the North Carolina rate of 0.66% and 27% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.69%Effective tax rate±0.02% margin · North Carolina: 0.66%
- $3,260Median tax per yearNorth Carolina: $1,896 · U.S.: $3,119
- $461,300Median home valueNorth Carolina: $288,900
- 295,069Owner-occupied homes64% of households own
| Measure | Wake County | North Carolina | U.S. | Wake County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.69% | 0.66% | 0.94% | 0.71% | −0.02 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $3,260 | $1,896 | $3,119 | $3,023 | +$237 (+7.8%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $3,270 | $2,115 | $3,489 | $3,038 | +$232 (+7.6%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $3,232 | $1,524 | $2,576 | $2,983 | +$249 (+8.3%) |
| Median home value | $461,300 | $288,900 | $332,700 | $422,800 | +$38,500 (+9.1%) |
| Total taxes paid | $1,080,267,800 | $6,852,746,300 | $360,573,527,500 | $989,558,200 |
How Wake County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $6.89 a year, against $6.63 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in North Carolina: 62 of 90 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 42% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.69% of value; homes without one: 0.68%. Median bills: $3,270 and $3,232.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (−0.02 pts) and the median tax changed +$237 (+7.8%). The two 5-year surveys share four years of responses, so year-to-year moves are small and partly noise.
- Margin of error: the effective rate is 0.69% ± 0.02% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 295,069 owner-occupied homes.
North Carolina counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Randolph County | 0.67% | $1,324 | $197,100 |
| Rowan County | 0.67% | $1,554 | $238,400 |
| Duplin County | 0.68% | $950 | $137,400 |
| Person County | 0.68% | $1,328 | $213,900 |
| Harnett County | 0.68% | $1,689 | $246,200 |
| Jones County | 0.69% | $964 | $130,300 |
| Mecklenburg County | 0.69% | $2,890 | $406,800 |
| Franklin County | 0.70% | $1,834 | $284,300 |
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table-based summary file: B25090 (aggregate real estate taxes), B25082 (aggregate home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes), B25077 (median home value) and B25003 (tenure); files dated January 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, same tables (files dated October 31, 2024), for the comparison column.
- Geography names: Census Bureau Geos20245YR.txt (file dated January 22, 2026).
Effective rate = total real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied homes ÷ their total value, as reported by owners to the Census Bureau. It is not a millage rate. Your bill depends on your assessed value, exemptions (such as homestead) and local levies.