Property Tax in Cabarrus County, North Carolina
Homeowners in Cabarrus County, North Carolina pay a median of $2,429 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $318,600. Those are the Census Bureau's published medians for the county (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023) — the typical bill and the typical home value for owner-occupied households.
What the Cabarrus County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $2,429 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Cabarrus County, and $318,600 is the middle home value. Neither figure describes a specific property — together they describe the typical homeowner's situation in the county.
The derived effective rate for Cabarrus County is 0.76% (median tax ÷ median value). Treat it as an estimate for comparison only: it comes from survey medians of different households, not from the county's rate schedule.
The key figures for Cabarrus County
| Measure | Cabarrus County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $2,429 |
| Median home value | $318,600 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.76% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $202 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $762 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $3,048 |
For context, the North Carolina medians are $1,815 of tax on $259,400 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Cabarrus County at a glance
- Median tax rank in North Carolina: #6 of 100 counties
- Median home value rank in North Carolina: #13 of 100
- Population rank in North Carolina: #10 of 100 (231,262 residents)
- Population density rank: #8 of 100 (640 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in North Carolina: #72 of 100 (361 sq mi, 0.7% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $202; per $1,000 of home value: $0.76
How Cabarrus County compares
Of the 100 North Carolina counties with published data, 5 have a higher median property tax bill than Cabarrus County's $2,429, putting the county at #6 in the state. Its bill is about 34% higher than the state median of $1,815 and about 18% lower than the national median of $2,969.
Rates and values pull in opposite directions: an expensive housing market can produce big bills at ordinary rates. Here the derived rate is 0.76%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #13 within North Carolina.
Some extra context for Cabarrus County: the median bill works out to about $202 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $762 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 231,262 people — the #10 most populous county in North Carolina, spread over 361 square miles, a density of about 640 people per square mile. Its median home value, $318,600, ranks #13 among the state's 100 counties with data.
Nationally, Cabarrus County's median bill of $2,429 ranks #747 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 24% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 2.2% of North Carolina's population, its median home value is about 23% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 7.62% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Cabarrus County to the most expensive county, Orange County ($4,105), is $1,676 a year.
Counties nearest Cabarrus County in the North Carolina ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County, NC | $2,780 | $371,200 | 0.75% |
| Chatham County, NC | $2,671 | $397,800 | 0.67% |
| Union County, NC | $2,298 | $374,400 | 0.61% |
| Dare County, NC | $2,245 | $425,400 | 0.53% |
Cabarrus County and its population peers
Counties of a similar size can tax very differently. The table below shows the counties closest to Cabarrus County in population across the United States, with their median bills and home values. Within the group of 9, Cabarrus County ($2,429) ranks #5 of 9 by median tax paid.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuscaloosa County, AL | 234,036 | $754 | $233,700 | 0.32% |
| Caddo Parish, LA | 232,973 | $1,081 | $175,900 | 0.61% |
| Lake County, OH | 232,101 | $3,405 | $199,900 | 1.70% |
| Gaston County, NC | 231,485 | $1,872 | $235,000 | 0.80% |
| New Hanover County, NC | 231,214 | $2,075 | $353,700 | 0.59% |
| Barnstable County, MA | 230,073 | $4,090 | $575,900 | 0.71% |
| Oneida County, NY | 229,645 | $3,646 | $171,100 | 2.13% |
| Linn County, IA | 229,463 | $3,396 | $204,400 | 1.66% |
The closest population match is New Hanover County, North Carolina (231,214 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $2,075 on a median home value of $353,700 — $354 more than Cabarrus County pays.
Inside North Carolina itself, the counties closest to Cabarrus County in population are Union County (244,975 residents, median tax $2,298 on a median value of $374,400); Gaston County (231,485 residents, median tax $1,872 on a median value of $235,000); New Hanover County (231,214 residents, median tax $2,075 on a median value of $353,700); Johnston County (226,623 residents, median tax $1,840 on a median value of $267,600). Same state, same broad tax framework — yet the median bills still differ, because assessed values and the mix of county, municipal and school-district rates are set locally.
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 0.76%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $762 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $3,048. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Illustrative bills in Cabarrus County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.76% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Cabarrus County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 0.70% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $1,143 | $95 |
| $250,000 | $1,905 | $159 |
| $350,000 | $2,667 | $222 |
| $500,000 | $3,810 | $318 |
| $750,000 | $5,715 | $476 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in Cabarrus County
Believe your assessment is too high? The practical order of attack is: obtain your record card and audit it line by line; collect comparable recent sales in Cabarrus County; ask the assessor's office to correct anything plainly wrong; and, if the value still seems off, lodge a formal appeal ahead of the deadline printed on your assessment notice. Windows are short — often 30 to 90 days — and late appeals are usually rejected outright, however strong the case.
More North Carolina counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Cabarrus County, North Carolina?
The median real estate tax paid in Cabarrus County, North Carolina is $2,429 per year, on a median home value of $318,600 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Cabarrus County, North Carolina?
Dividing Cabarrus County's median tax bill ($2,429) by its median home value ($318,600) gives a derived effective rate of 0.76%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Cabarrus County compare with the rest of North Carolina?
By median taxes paid, Cabarrus County stands at #6 among the 100 North Carolina counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $2,429 median bill is about 34% higher than the state median ($1,815), and 5 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Cabarrus County, North Carolina?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in Cabarrus County is $2,429 of tax on a $318,600 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Cabarrus County, North Carolina?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Cabarrus County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.