Wake County 2027 Revaluation: Will Your Tax Bill Go Up?

Caul Group Residential, brokered by eXp Realty

No one can say yet whether your Wake County tax bill will go up in 2027, because that depends on two things: how much your new value changed compared with the average change, and the tax rates elected officials adopt in June 2027. Wake County says the effect of revaluation on any one bill cannot be known until those rates are set.

New Wake County property values take effect Jan. 1, 2027, and notices are scheduled to arrive by Jan. 22, 2027. Here is what a revaluation is, how the revenue-neutral rate works and what actually sets your bill.

What is a revaluation?

A revaluation, also called a reappraisal, resets the assessed value of every property in the county to its market value on one date. Wake County's current values have been in effect since Jan. 1, 2024. The next values take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

North Carolina law (NCGS 105-286) requires every county to revalue at least once every eight years and lets a county choose to do it sooner. In March 2025, the Wake County Board of Commissioners voted to move to a two-year cycle. After 2027, the first revaluation on that cycle takes effect Jan. 1, 2029. Wake says revaluing more often helps prevent large jumps in value from building up between revaluations.

Wake County describes four steps:

• Neighborhooding. Grouping about 460,000 parcels into about 5,400 neighborhoods of similar properties.
• Pricing. Setting land and building values from market data.
• Review. Checking values in the field and in the office.
• Notices and appeals. Mailing new values and hearing appeals.

The rules appraisers use are in the 2027 Schedule of Values, which the Board of Commissioners adopted on Oct. 19, 2026. You can read it at wake.gov/sov.

Wake County 2027 revaluation timeline

• Oct. 19, 2026: 2027 Schedule of Values adopted.
• Jan. 1, 2027: New values take effect.
• Jan. 19, 2027: Results presented to the Board of Commissioners.
• By Jan. 22, 2027: Value notices arrive.
• February 2027: Board of Equalization and Review appointed.
• April 30, 2027: Planned deadline to appeal to the Board of Equalization and Review.
• May 2027: County and town budgets recommend tax rates.
• June 2027: Elected officials adopt budgets and set the 2027 tax rates.
• July 2027: 2027 tax bills available.
• Sept. 1, 2027: 2027 taxes due (delinquent after Jan. 5, 2028).
• Through fall 2027: Appeals heard.

Dates are Wake County's published schedule and can change. Check wake.gov/revaluation for updates.

What sets your actual tax bill?

Your bill is your assessed value times the tax rate, which is written as a rate per $100 of value. Wake County's own example: a home assessed at $450,000 with a county rate of 53.71 cents per $100 would owe $2,416.95 in county tax ($450,000 x .005371).

Most homes also pay a town rate, and some pay a fire or other special district rate. Each one is set by its own elected board.

• Your 2026 bill, due Sept. 1, 2026, uses your Jan. 1, 2024 value and the rates adopted in June 2026.
• Your 2027 bill, due Sept. 1, 2027, uses your new Jan. 1, 2027 value and the rates adopted in June 2027.

A higher value does not set your bill by itself. The revaluation updates values only. The rates come later.

How the revenue-neutral tax rate works

In a revaluation year, North Carolina law (NCGS 159-11(e)) requires each county and town budget to include a revenue-neutral tax rate "for comparison purposes." That is the rate estimated to bring in the same revenue the current rate would have brought in if no revaluation had happened. The law has the budget officer start with the rate that would match this year's revenue, raise it by a growth factor for new construction and improvements since the last revaluation, and then adjust for any annexation or similar change.

Two points matter most:

• Officials do not have to adopt it. Wake County says local officials are not required to adopt the revenue-neutral rate. They must publish it so you can compare.
• It is not about your home alone. It is based on the total value of all property. Your bill can still change.

Wake County lists three possibilities if a revenue-neutral rate is adopted:

• If your value went up less than the average change, your taxes will likely go down.
• If your value went up about the same as the average, your taxes will likely stay about the same.
• If your value went up more than the average, your taxes will likely go up.

The average change for Wake County, and for each town and district, comes out with the new values. In January 2027, Wake County plans to post a revenue-neutral calculator that compares your 2026 bill with an estimated 2027 bill at the revenue-neutral rate.

What happened last time: after the 2024 revaluation, Wake County's adopted county rate went from 65.70 cents per $100 in 2023 to 51.35 cents per $100 in 2024. The county rate adopted in June 2026 is 53.71 cents. Past rates do not predict what officials will adopt in 2027.

What to do when your notice arrives

• Check the facts. Look at the square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms and other details on your record. Wake County says to report wrong data at wake.gov/rehelp.
• Compare sales. Wake County's Residential Sales Search shows recent sales, and Wake plans to add a comparable sales tool in January 2027. Our guide shows how to look up a home's sale price in Wake County.
• No action is needed if you agree. Wake County says owners who agree with their new value do not need to do anything.
• Appeal if you disagree. You can appeal your value to the Wake County Board of Equalization and Review. The planned deadline is April 30, 2027, per Wake County. An appeal is about your property's market value on Jan. 1, 2027, not about the tax rate or the size of the bill. Our step-by-step guide covers how to appeal your Wake County property value.

Wake County is also holding community meetings where owners can share information about their property with appraisers before notices go out:

• Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026, 10 a.m. to noon: Southern Regional Center, Fuquay-Varina
• Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, 10 a.m. to noon: Aversboro Road Baptist Church, Garner
• Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, 4 to 6 p.m.: Ralph Campbell Community Center, Raleigh

Check Wake County's meeting page before you go.

Tax relief programs

North Carolina has property tax relief programs for some homeowners, including owners 65 or older or totally and permanently disabled who meet income limits, and certain disabled veterans. For 2027, the NC Department of Revenue lists an income limit of $39,900 for the elderly or disabled exclusion and $59,850 for the circuit breaker deferment. Applications go to Wake County by June 1. See wake.gov/taxrelief and our guide to NC property tax relief for homeowners.

Buying or selling during the revaluation

• Listings and tax records show current values until January. Before new values post, the assessed value you see on a Wake County home is still the Jan. 1, 2024 value.
• Assessed value is not a sale price. A tax value is set for the whole county on one date. A home's price depends on the market at the time of sale. For a current market estimate, request a home valuation.
• Taxes are split at closing. The standard NC purchase contract (Form 2-T) prorates real property taxes on a calendar-year basis. If you close in 2027 before the bill comes out, ask your closing attorney how the proration will be figured.

Wake County also says two 2026 state laws that changed revaluation dates in some other counties do not affect Wake's 2027 revaluation.

Frequently asked questions

When do new Wake County property values take effect?

Jan. 1, 2027. Wake County plans to mail value notices by Jan. 22, 2027.

Will my Wake County property taxes go up in 2027?

It depends on how your value changed compared with the average change and on the tax rates adopted in June 2027. Wake County says the effect on any one bill cannot be known until rates are set.

What is the revenue-neutral tax rate?

It is the rate estimated to bring in the same property tax revenue as if no revaluation had happened, adjusted for growth from new construction. NC law (NCGS 159-11(e)) requires it to be published in a revaluation year for comparison, but officials do not have to adopt it.

How often does Wake County revalue property?

Wake County is moving to a two-year cycle. After the Jan. 1, 2027 revaluation, the next takes effect Jan. 1, 2029. State law requires at least once every eight years.

When will 2027 tax rates be set?

Rates are recommended in May 2027 and adopted in June 2027. Bills are expected in July 2027 and are due Sept. 1, 2027.

What is the deadline to appeal my 2027 Wake County value?

Wake County's planned deadline to appeal to the Board of Equalization and Review is April 30, 2027. Watch wake.gov/revaluation for the final date.

Do I have to do anything if I agree with my new value?

No. Wake County says no action is needed if you agree with your new value.

Questions about your home's value?

Our founder, Tina Caul, has been in real estate since 2001. If you are thinking about buying or selling in Wake County, we can show you what homes like yours are selling for now. For tax questions, contact Wake County Tax Administration.

• Request a home valuation
• Selling your home
• Contact us or call (919) 263-7653

We are the #1 Resale Team in the Triangle.