Property Tax in Wilson County, North Carolina
In Wilson County, North Carolina, the typical homeowner pays $1,428 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $171,800. 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 Wilson County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $1,428 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Wilson County, and $171,800 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 Wilson County is 0.83% (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 Wilson County
| Measure | Wilson County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $1,428 |
| Median home value | $171,800 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.83% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $119 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $831 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $3,324 |
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.
Wilson County at a glance
- Median tax rank in North Carolina: #36 of 100 counties
- Median home value rank in North Carolina: #66 of 100
- Population rank in North Carolina: #35 of 100 (78,648 residents)
- Population density rank: #26 of 100 (214 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in North Carolina: #71 of 100 (367 sq mi, 0.8% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $119; per $1,000 of home value: $0.83
How Wilson County compares
Set against its state, Wilson County's median bill of $1,428 is about 21% lower than the North Carolina median ($1,815). Against the country as a whole it is about 52% lower than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #36 of 100 North Carolina counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Wilson County's median home, at $171,800, ranks #66 by value in North Carolina, while its derived rate of 0.83% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Wilson County: the median bill works out to about $119 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $831 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 78,648 people — the #35 most populous county in North Carolina, spread over 367 square miles, a density of about 214 people per square mile. Its median home value, $171,800, ranks #66 among the state's 100 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 1750 record a higher median tax bill than Wilson County — it sits in the top 56% nationally. The county holds roughly 0.7% of North Carolina's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $171,800 versus $259,400), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.83% adds up to about 8.31% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Hyde County, medians $753 — $675 less than Wilson County per year.
Counties nearest Wilson County in the North Carolina ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County, NC | $1,440 | $221,200 | 0.65% |
| Onslow County, NC | $1,431 | $219,500 | 0.65% |
| Rowan County, NC | $1,411 | $216,100 | 0.65% |
| Chowan County, NC | $1,403 | $204,400 | 0.69% |
Wilson County and its population peers
Counties of a similar size can tax very differently. The table below shows the counties closest to Wilson County in population across the United States, with their median bills and home values. Within the group of 9, Wilson County ($1,428) ranks #7 of 9 by median tax paid.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynchburg city, VA | 79,255 | $1,778 | $211,800 | 0.84% |
| Sullivan County, NY | 79,147 | $5,082 | $234,800 | 2.16% |
| Clinton County, NY | 78,961 | $3,461 | $175,100 | 1.98% |
| Clearfield County, PA | 78,902 | $1,488 | $125,000 | 1.19% |
| Chatham County, NC | 78,319 | $2,671 | $397,800 | 0.67% |
| Walker County, TX | 78,292 | $2,312 | $207,900 | 1.11% |
| Anderson County, TN | 78,175 | $1,333 | $215,800 | 0.62% |
| Forrest County, MS | 78,027 | $1,284 | $152,900 | 0.84% |
The closest population match is Clearfield County, Pennsylvania (78,902 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $1,488 on a median home value of $125,000 — $60 less than Wilson County pays.
Inside North Carolina itself, the counties closest to Wilson County in population are Burke County (87,863 residents, median tax $1,191 on a median value of $170,500); Caldwell County (80,618 residents, median tax $1,112 on a median value of $174,000); Chatham County (78,319 residents, median tax $2,671 on a median value of $397,800); Franklin County (71,962 residents, median tax $1,732 on a median value of $240,900). 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 0.83%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $831 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $3,324. 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 Wilson County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.83% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Wilson 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 | $1,246 | $104 |
| $250,000 | $2,078 | $173 |
| $350,000 | $2,908 | $242 |
| $500,000 | $4,155 | $346 |
| $750,000 | $6,232 | $519 |
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 Wilson County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Wilson 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.
More North Carolina counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Wilson County, North Carolina?
The median real estate tax paid in Wilson County, North Carolina is $1,428 per year, on a median home value of $171,800 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Wilson County, North Carolina?
On a derived basis, 0.83%: the county's median tax bill of $1,428 divided by its median home value of $171,800. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Wilson County compare with the rest of North Carolina?
Wilson County ranks #36 of 100 North Carolina counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $1,428 is about 21% lower than the North Carolina median of $1,815.
How are property taxes calculated in Wilson 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 Wilson County is $1,428 of tax on a $171,800 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Wilson County, North Carolina?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Wilson County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.