What Wake County property tax looks like
Among the 30 counties covered here, Wake County has the 24th highest effective rate and the 24th highest median bill. Every $100,000 of value carries about $715 of tax a year at this rate.
On a $400,000 purchase that comes to roughly $2,860 a year, or $238 a month. Priced at the North Carolina average rate instead, the same home would cost $5 a month less in tax.
Wake County revalued all property in 2024, after the survey years behind these figures, so the new values are not reflected here.
Parcel-level values and tax history are published by the Wake County Tax Administration.
Example monthly payment at the median home value
Borrowing $338,240 against a $422,800 Wake County home (20% down, 6.5% for 30 years, illustrative rather than quoted) works out as follows.
| Component | Per month |
|---|---|
| Principal and interest | $2,138 |
| Property tax | $252 |
| Homeowners insurance | $150 |
| Mortgage insurance (PMI) | $0 |
| Total | $2,540 |
Property tax is 9.9% of the $2,540 total, so a lender escrowing it would set aside about $252 each month toward the Wake County bill.
How reliable this figure is
For Wake County the Census Bureau reports a 90% margin of error of ±$41 on the $3,023 median tax and ±$4,330 on the $422,800 median value, so the 0.715% rate is a county-wide average rather than the rate on any one bill.
These medians describe today's owners, not today's buyers. How North Carolina values and caps a home, including what resets on sale, is set out on the North Carolina page.
Counties with a similar rate
Frequently asked questions
What is the property tax rate in Wake County, NC?
The effective rate is 0.715%, which is the median real estate tax paid ($3,023) divided by the median home value ($422,800) in the Census Bureau's 2019-2023 estimates.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Wake County?
At this county's effective rate the figure is about $2,860 a year, or $238 a month. That is $5 a month more than the North Carolina average rate of 0.70% would give on the same price.
How much of a Wake County monthly mortgage payment is property tax?
On a $422,800 home with 20% down at 6.5% over 30 years, property tax is about $252 of a $2,540 total monthly payment, or 9.9%.
Is property tax in Wake County high compared with the rest of North Carolina?
Wake County's 0.715% is 0.02 percentage points above the 0.70% North Carolina average, and its $3,023 median bill ranks 24th of the 30 counties covered here, with the rate ranking 24th.
Source and method
Census American Community Survey, ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates, released December 2024. For Wake County: B25103 median tax $3,023, B25077 median value $422,800, B25003 287,109 owner-occupied homes. Formulas are on the methodology page; every result is an estimate, not a quote or tax advice.