03/01/2026
Got Your New Property Tax Value In Onslow County?
Tax Value Increase Putting You In Shock? Read This First!
We recently received a property revaluation notice for Onslow County, which may have come to a surprise. Here’s what gets the most homeowners confused:
What’s Really Happening With North Carolina Revaluations:
Why:
State Law Requires Counties to Adjust Property Values to Reflect Real Market Sales Every 8 Years.
In Onslow County, revaluations occur every 4 years to better track the market.
How:
The county uses mass appraisal modeling, not interior inspections. This means:
Some homes may be over-assessed
Others may be under-assessed
What Can I Do?:
If you believe your value is incorrect, you have the right to appeal.
Appeals must be submitted within 30 Days of the Date of Notice.
Details on how to submit your appeal are located on the Notice of Real Estate Assessed Value document.
Before submitting your appeal, having recent strong comparable sales can make a big difference.
Appeals Cannot be based on:
percentage increase over last valuation
insurance value
actual construction or historic cost
financial ability to pay the taxes.
Important to Know:
Even if your value increased, your taxes may NOT rise as dramatically as you think.
The county updates PROPERTY VALUES first
The TAX RATE isn’t set until June
Taxes = Assessed Value × Tax Rate
CURRENT COUNTY RATE: .655
Examples:
$300,000 value x .655% = $1965 per year tax
The COUNTY tax RATE for the 2026 tax year is not yet determined.
The Rate will be enacted in June and will be retroactive to January 2026.
Rates can go UP, DOWN, or REMAIN THE SAME.
The rate calculation can happen every year, not just in revaluation years.
If you are subject to city taxes, your city may use this same value for the additional city tax calculation.
A lot of homeowners disregard the notice believing their mortgage escrow handles the payment. While this is true, if the overall tax increases, homeowners are surprised by a significant escrow SHORTAGE, creating shock when the new payment notice arrives.
Not sure where you stand? I'm happy to review your assessment and help you decide your next step.
Brian Kalnicki
Broker/Realtor
Carolina Real Estate Group
(910) 382-0720
