2025 Tax Reappraisal

**Public Notice: Postponement of 2024 General Reappraisal**

Due to essential system upgrades and software transitions, the 2024 General Reappraisal has been postponed until January 1, 2025. We are committed to ensuring a fair and accurate reappraisal. We apologize for any inconvenience this delay may cause and appreciate your understanding. For more information, please contact the Carteret County Tax Administration office at 252-728-8485.

Carteret County Tax Administration is currently conducting a general reappraisal, which occurs every four years in Carteret County. Values determined by the current reappraisal will be effective on January 1, 2025, and will be mailed to property owners in early 2025.

General Reappraisal 101

In North Carolina, real estate reappraisals are required to be conducted at least once every eight years. Carteret County performs reappraisals on a four-year cycle. The most recent reappraisal in Carteret County was effective as of January 1, 2020. 

Reappraisals cover all residential and commercial land and structures, which includes homes, apartments, condominiums, office buildings, stores and warehouses.

Reappraisals do not include what is classified as individual personal property, such as vehicles, boats, airplanes, and business equipment. These property types are valued annually. 

By law, real estate is appraised at “fair market value,” which is the most probable price a property would bring in a competitive and open market. Property values for a reappraisal are determined by comparing what similar properties are selling for, what it would cost to replace your property, the potential income or highest and best use of your property, as well as many other factors that may affect value.

Reappraisals are important because they help ensure that all properties are valued and taxed equitably.

The process also provides a basis for determining an owner’s share of services funded by property taxes including: education, law enforcement and emergency medical services, health and human services, environmental services and community services.

The amount of taxes you pay depends on both your property’s value and the tax rate set each year by elected county and city/town officials.

How is an appraisal done?

Our appraisal team divides the county into approximately 800 neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are groupings of properties that have many of the same characteristics and react to the market in similar ways. The most typical example would be a subdivision with homes of similar age, style and quality of construction, which have lots selling for comparable prices.
 
We then analyze all sales in the county to establish what the land value should be in each neighborhood. The land values are then subtracted from recent package sales (house and lot) to determine the value of the buildings. That helps us establish the Schedule of Values (SOV).

The SOV contains the rates to be applied to land and buildings to estimate the market value of all properties in the county. The Carteret County Board of Commissioners must approve the Schedule of Values created by the Tax Administration before it becomes effective.

Important Dates

  • January 1, 2025: Countywide Reappraisal Effective Date
  • February 2025: Notice of January 2024 Real Estate Assessed Value Mailed
  • August 2025: Tax Bill Mailing