Home›Property Tax›North Carolina›Chatham County
County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Chatham County, North Carolina

Chatham County has an effective property tax rate of 0.64%. On the median home value of $446,200, that's roughly $2,847 per year. Median household income is $94,317.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.64%
median tax $2,847 ÷ median home $446,200
Median Home Value1
$446,200
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$94,317
per-capita $59,363
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$2,847
at 0.64% effective rate

What you'll pay, at a glance

Property taxes are the largest local tax most homeowners pay. The effective rate measures the real tax bill as a share of home value — a more useful number than the nominal “mill rate,” because assessment practices vary county to county.

MetricChatham CountyNorth Carolina (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.64%0.64%
Median home value1$446,200—
State income tax3top rate 3.99%top rate 3.99%
State sales tax37.10% combined7.10% combined

How this is calculated

The effective property tax rate is the median real-estate tax bill divided by the median home value — both for owner-occupied homes, from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-year estimates)1. Median income is also from the ACS1. Federal and state income-tax figures use IRS2 and Tax Foundation3 data.

About Chatham County, NC

Someone weighing a move to Chatham County, North Carolina, will find property taxes running at an effective rate of 0.638%, which sits just under the statewide median of 0.644% and well below the national figure of 0.794%. That rate places the county 53rd among North Carolina's 100 counties. The median home here is valued at $446,200, generating an annual real-estate tax bill of about $2,847. With a median household income of $94,317 and per-capita income of $59,363, the tax load stays contained against what people earn. Chapel Hill anchors the county's largest community, alongside Apex and Bear Creek. Buyers should note that the below-average tax rate doesn't translate into cheap housing — the median value runs high — so the affordability picture depends more on purchase price than on what the county collects each year.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Chatham County, NC?
The effective rate is 0.64% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.64% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($446,200), the estimated annual bill is about $2,847.
Is Chatham County's rate high or low?
Compare it to the state median of 0.64% and the national average near 1.1%.
How does the effective rate differ from my mill rate?
A mill rate is the nominal levy per $1,000 of assessed value. The effective rate reflects what you actually pay after exemptions and assessments — it's the median tax bill as a share of median home value, so it better predicts your real cost.
Will a reassessment raise my tax bill?
Not necessarily. If your home's assessed value rises, your bill can go up, but only if the mill rate and exemptions stay flat. Contact the Chatham County assessor's office to review your current assessment.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. Most counties allow an appeal when you believe the assessed value exceeds the market value. File with the Chatham County assessor within the local deadline, typically with comparable sales as evidence.
Sources
[1] U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year (2023) — Median home value (B25077), median real-estate taxes (B25103), median household income (B19013), per-capita income (B19301).
[2] IRS — Statistics of Income — County income, AGI, and real-estate taxes paid.
[3] Tax Foundation — State income, sales, corporate, and estate/inheritance tax rates.