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County tax profile · 2026 · Census ACS + IRS data

Property Tax & Income in Wake County, North Carolina

Wake County has an effective property tax rate of 0.71%. On the median home value of $461,300, that's roughly $3,260 per year. Median household income is $105,768.

Effective Property Tax Rate1
0.71%
median tax $3,260 ÷ median home $461,300
Median Home Value1
$461,300
owner-occupied
Median Household Income1
$105,768
per-capita $55,448
Est. Annual Tax on Median Home1
$3,260
at 0.71% 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.

MetricWake CountyNorth Carolina (state context)
Effective property tax rate10.71%0.64%
Median home value1$461,300—
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 Wake County, NC

Wake County’s effective property tax rate of 0.707% sits above North Carolina’s statewide median of 0.644%, placing it 37th among the state’s 100 counties. Against the national median of 0.794%, however, the county’s rate comes in below average. That split signals a jurisdiction that taxes more heavily than much of its own state but less than the country as a whole. The practical effect shows up in the median annual bill of $3,260, levied on a median home value of $461,300. With median household income at $105,768 and per-capita income at $55,448, the county’s tax base rests on relatively strong earnings. Raleigh anchors the county, alongside Cary and Apex, and that concentration of population and employment helps sustain the revenue side of the equation even as rates run ahead of state norms.

Frequently asked questions

What is the property tax rate in Wake County, NC?
The effective rate is 0.71% — meaning the median tax bill equals about 0.71% of the median home value.
How much are property taxes on a median home?
On the median home ($461,300), the estimated annual bill is about $3,260.
Is Wake 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 Wake 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 Wake 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.