Property Tax in Wake County, North Carolina
In Wake County, North Carolina, the typical homeowner pays $3,023 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $422,800. The figures on this page are the Census Bureau's published medians (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023), shown exactly as released.
What the Wake County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $3,023 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Wake County, and $422,800 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 Wake County is 0.71% (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 Wake County
| Measure | Wake County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $3,023 |
| Median home value | $422,800 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.71% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $252 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $715 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $2,860 |
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.
Wake County at a glance
- Median tax rank in North Carolina: #2 of 100 counties
- Median home value rank in North Carolina: #3 of 100
- Population rank in North Carolina: #1 of 100 (1,151,009 residents)
- Population density rank: #2 of 100 (1,379 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in North Carolina: #7 of 100 (834 sq mi, 1.7% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $252; per $1,000 of home value: $0.71
How Wake County compares
Of the 100 North Carolina counties with published data, 1 have a higher median property tax bill than Wake County's $3,023, putting the county at #2 in the state. Its bill is about 67% higher than the state median of $1,815 and about the same as 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 0.71%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #3 within North Carolina.
Some extra context for Wake County: the median bill works out to about $252 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $715 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 1,151,009 people — the #1 most populous county in North Carolina, spread over 834 square miles, a density of about 1,379 people per square mile. Its median home value, $422,800, ranks #3 among the state's 100 counties with data.
Nationally, Wake County's median bill of $3,023 ranks #437 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 14% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 10.9% of North Carolina's population, its median home value is about 63% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 7.15% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Wake County to the most expensive county, Orange County ($4,105), is $1,082 a year.
Counties nearest Wake County in the North Carolina ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County, NC | $4,105 | $428,500 | 0.96% |
| Durham County, NC | $2,951 | $351,700 | 0.84% |
| Mecklenburg County, NC | $2,780 | $371,200 | 0.75% |
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 0.71%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $715 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $2,860. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Checking your assessment in Wake 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 Wake 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 Wake County, North Carolina?
The median real estate tax paid in Wake County, North Carolina is $3,023 per year, on a median home value of $422,800 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Wake County, North Carolina?
The derived effective rate is 0.71% — the median bill ($3,023) expressed as a share of the median home value ($422,800). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Wake County compare with the rest of North Carolina?
By median taxes paid, Wake County stands at #2 among the 100 North Carolina counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $3,023 median bill is about 67% higher than the state median ($1,815), and 1 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Wake County, North Carolina?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Wake County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $3,023 on a median home value of $422,800.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Wake County, North Carolina?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the Wake 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.