Carteret County completes property reappraisal, sees 80-90% increase in tax base

Carteret County’s Tax Administration office has completed a state-mandated property reappraisal, and has mailed notices of the new assessed value to all Carteret County property owners. Based on state law, the County is required to reappraise real property at least every eight years. This process makes sure tax values align with current market conditions and establishes new property values as of January 1, for all residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial properties. Carteret County’s last reappraisal was completed in 2020, according to a release.

Our tax team has dedicated several years of diligent work to this reappraisal process, ensuring that each property’s assessed value aligns with its fair market value,” said Sheila Garner, interim Tax Assessor. “This process establishes fairness and transparency across the County’s tax base, using current real estate market data.

The County projects there will be a total tax base increase of approximately 80-90%, reflecting sales activity in the real estate market since the last reappraisal. However, this increase varies, with some properties seeing lower or higher adjustments, per a release.

The 80-90% increase in property value does not equate to an 80-90% increase in property taxes. Although the valuations are a factor in tax calculations, the actual tax bills are determined separately in June, when the Board of Commissioners and municipal elected officials establish jurisdictional tax rates, with the tax bills being mailed in August 2025, per a release.

All property owners will receive a notice in the mail with their updated value. You can also access your property values online. Those who agree with the new value do not need to take further action. However, property owners who wish to appeal their assessed value can file an appeal within 30 days. The deadline to appeal is Friday, May 2 by 5:00 p.m.

Carteret County offers several property tax relief options to eligible residents. These include the Elderly or Disabled Exclusion, Disabled Veteran Exclusion, and Circuit Breaker Tax Deferment Program. Applications for these programs are available online or can be requested by calling the Tax Administration office at (252) 728-8485. The deadline to apply is June 1.