Property Tax in Forsyth County, North Carolina
Homeowners in Forsyth County, North Carolina pay a median of $1,934 a year in real estate taxes, on a median home value of $227,800. 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 Forsyth County numbers mean
A median is the middle household: half of owner-occupied households in Forsyth County pay more than $1,934, and half pay less. Your own bill is set by your home's assessed value, the exemptions you qualify for, and the local taxing districts your property sits in — so individual bills vary widely around the median.
Dividing the median tax by the median home value gives a derived effective rate of 0.85% for Forsyth County. It is an estimate built from two survey medians, not the county's official rate, but it is a fair way to compare the local tax burden with other counties where home values are very different.
The key figures for Forsyth County
| Measure | Forsyth County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $1,934 |
| Median home value | $227,800 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.85% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $161 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $849 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $3,396 |
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.
Forsyth County at a glance
- Median tax rank in North Carolina: #12 of 100 counties
- Median home value rank in North Carolina: #35 of 100
- Population rank in North Carolina: #4 of 100 (386,740 residents)
- Population density rank: #5 of 100 (948 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in North Carolina: #60 of 100 (408 sq mi, 0.8% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $161; per $1,000 of home value: $0.85
How Forsyth County compares
Set against its state, Forsyth County's median bill of $1,934 is about 7% higher than the North Carolina median ($1,815). Against the country as a whole it is about 35% lower than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #12 of 100 North Carolina counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Forsyth County's median home, at $227,800, ranks #35 by value in North Carolina, while its derived rate of 0.85% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Forsyth County: the median bill works out to about $161 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $849 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 386,740 people — the #4 most populous county in North Carolina, spread over 408 square miles, a density of about 948 people per square mile. Its median home value, $227,800, ranks #35 among the state's 100 counties with data.
Nationally, Forsyth County's median bill of $1,934 ranks #1129 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 36% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 3.7% of North Carolina's population, its median home value is about 12% below the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 8.49% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Forsyth County to the most expensive county, Orange County ($4,105), is $2,171 a year.
Counties nearest Forsyth County in the North Carolina ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guilford County, NC | $2,075 | $234,900 | 0.88% |
| New Hanover County, NC | $2,075 | $353,700 | 0.59% |
| Gaston County, NC | $1,872 | $235,000 | 0.80% |
| Pender County, NC | $1,858 | $267,100 | 0.70% |
How the tax is worked out
Think of the final bill as three ingredients: the assessed value of the property, the exemptions subtracted from it, and the combined rate of every district the property sits in. Forsyth County's medians imply a derived rate of 0.85%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $3,396 a year, or around $283 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in Forsyth County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Forsyth County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Forsyth County, North Carolina?
The median real estate tax paid in Forsyth County, North Carolina is $1,934 per year, on a median home value of $227,800 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Forsyth County, North Carolina?
The derived effective rate is 0.85% — the median bill ($1,934) expressed as a share of the median home value ($227,800). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Forsyth County compare with the rest of North Carolina?
Forsyth County ranks #12 of 100 North Carolina counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $1,934 is about 7% higher than the North Carolina median of $1,815.
How are property taxes calculated in Forsyth 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 Forsyth County is $1,934 of tax on a $227,800 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Forsyth County, North Carolina?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Forsyth 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.