NC · #9 by population

Buying a home in North Carolina

In North Carolina, the median owner-occupied home is valued at $342,800 (Census ACS 2025); the state tax on the sale comes to $686, and owners pay a median $1,896 a year in property tax (0.66% effective rate).

In short

North Carolina taxes property sales through its excise stamp tax on conveyances, requires an attorney to close and requires a seller disclosure form. It allows both court and out-of-court foreclosure and is not a community property state.

Key figures for North Carolina

  • Median home value: $342,800, owner-occupied homes, Census ACS 2025; $436,400 in the city of Charlotte. Compare
  • Price trend: The FHFA House Price Index shows North Carolina prices up 0.4% and Charlotte-area prices down 0.04% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026.
  • State transfer tax: $1 for each $500, or fractional part, of consideration or value (0.2%); $686 on $342,800. Compare
  • Median property tax paid: $1,896 a year, 0.66% of the median value (U.S.: 0.94%), Census ACS 2020-2024. By county
  • Cities covered by Payotte: 13 in North Carolina.

Calculate for North Carolina

If you buy

North Carolina state transfer tax

Excise stamp tax on conveyances (G.S. 105 Article 8E): $1 for each $500, or fractional part, of consideration or value (0.2%). Change the price: the amount is recalculated instantly.

Price$342,800
State transfer tax$686
Share of the price0.2% of the price
Who paysThe seller

Default price: the North Carolina median value of owner-occupied homes, $342,800 (Census ACS 2025). Rule: Divide the consideration or value by $500, round up to the next whole unit, multiply by $1. Who pays: By law the transferor (seller) pays the Register of Deeds before the deed is recorded. Buyers and sellers can bargain over costs in the contract. Not included: county and city transfer taxes, recording fees, title insurance and lender charges. North Carolina transfer tax guide · all 50 states.

If you sell

Capital gain and the federal tax on it

Same federal rule in every state: Section 121 of the Internal Revenue Code excludes up to $250,000 of gain on a main home ($500,000 for a married couple filing jointly).

Capital gain$350,000
Section 121 exclusion$250,000 (limit $250,000)
Taxable gain$100,000
Type of gainLong-term (owned over 1 year), 15% chosen
Federal tax on the gain$15,000

Section 121 excludes $250,000; the rest is taxable.

Gain = sale price minus your adjusted basis (purchase price, buying costs and improvements); selling expenses reduce it (IRS Publication 523). Long-term rates for sales in 2026, by taxable income including the gain (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 4.03): 0% up to $49,450 single or $98,900 married filing jointly, 15% up to $545,500 single or $613,700 jointly, 20% above. Not included: North Carolina state income tax on the gain (not computed), the net investment income tax, depreciation recapture on a rental or home office, and the reduced exclusion for an early sale. Agent commissions are negotiated and never set by law. Capital gains on a home sale.

Cities in North Carolina

  • Charlotte main city of North Carolina on Payotte, 21st largest U.S. metro area
  • Raleigh 41st largest U.S. metro area
  • Greensboro 78th largest U.S. metro area
  • Winston-Salem 86th largest U.S. metro area
  • Durham 93rd largest U.S. metro area
  • Fayetteville 209,496 residents, Fayetteville, NC metro area (143rd largest)
  • Cary 182,659 residents, Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area (41st largest)
  • Wilmington 125,284 residents, Wilmington, NC metro area (114th largest)
  • High Point 118,601 residents, Greensboro-High Point, NC metro area (78th largest)
  • Concord 112,395 residents, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (21st largest)
  • Greenville 95,138 residents, Greenville, NC metro area (251st largest)
  • Asheville 94,992 residents, Asheville, NC metro area (132nd largest)
  • Gastonia 85,535 residents, Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (21st largest)

Sectors of Charlotte

How Charlotte is divided: 10 most populous of 15 community area planning geographies.

Buying in North Carolina: frequently asked questions

What is the median home value in North Carolina?

The median value of owner-occupied homes in North Carolina is $342,800 (Census ACS 2025), and $436,400 in the city of Charlotte. These are owner estimates, not sale prices. The FHFA House Price Index shows North Carolina prices up 0.4% and Charlotte-area prices down 0.04% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026.

Median home value in all 50 states

Is there a real estate transfer tax in North Carolina?

North Carolina charges a state excise tax on deeds of $1 for each $500, or fraction of $500, of the price or value conveyed, which is $864 on a $431,900 home. The seller owes it and pays the county Register of Deeds before the deed is recorded.

Full North Carolina guide · Compare all 50 states

How much is the state transfer tax on a $342,800 home in North Carolina?

On $342,800, the median value of owner-occupied homes in North Carolina (Census ACS 2025), the state excise stamp tax on conveyances comes to $686 ($1 for each $500, or fractional part, of consideration or value (0.2%)). County and city taxes are not included.

Full North Carolina guide · Compare all 50 states

What closing costs does North Carolina law set?

North Carolina has no official typical closing-cost total. The seller owes the state excise tax of $1 per $500 ($864 on $431,900), recording a deed costs $26 and a deed of trust $64 in the county schedules read, and a North Carolina attorney handles the closing.

Full North Carolina guide · Compare all 50 states

How is property tax calculated in North Carolina?

North Carolina property tax is set locally: in Charlotte the 2025-26 combined rate is 76.68 cents per $100 of value (49.27 Mecklenburg County plus 27.41 City of Charlotte).

Full North Carolina guide · Compare all 50 states

How much property tax do homeowners pay in North Carolina?

Owner-occupants in North Carolina pay a median $1,896 a year in property tax on a median home value of $288,900, an effective rate of 0.66% (U.S.: $3,119, 0.94%), per Census ACS 2020-2024 estimates.

Property tax by county in North Carolina

What is the deadline to appeal a property tax assessment in North Carolina?

In North Carolina, appeal your value to the county Board of Equalization and Review, which begins deliberating around the first week of April, and if you disagree, appeal to the Property Tax Commission within 30 days after the local board mails its decision (G.S. 105-290(e)).

Full North Carolina guide · Compare all 50 states

Do you need a real estate attorney to close in North Carolina?

In North Carolina the State Bar says a nonlawyer may not handle a residential real estate closing (Authorized Practice Advisory Opinion 2002-1), and the Real Estate Commission says the closing will probably be handled by an attorney chosen by the buyer.

Full North Carolina guide · Compare all 50 states

What must a home seller disclose in North Carolina?

North Carolina law (G.S. 47E) requires owners of most residential property to complete a disclosure statement and give it to the buyer before any offer to purchase. Sellers may answer No Representation to most questions.

Full North Carolina guide · Compare all 50 states

How does foreclosure work in North Carolina?

Most North Carolina foreclosures use a power of sale in the deed of trust, overseen by the clerk of superior court rather than a judge, and for an owner-occupied home loan the servicer must mail a notice at least 45 days before filing the notice of hearing.

Full North Carolina guide · Compare all 50 states

What first-time home buyer programs does North Carolina offer?

In North Carolina, the NC Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) offers down payment help of up to 3% of the loan amount with its NC Home Advantage Mortgage, or $15,000 for first-time buyers and veterans.

Full North Carolina guide · Compare all 50 states

Which natural hazards affect home insurance in North Carolina?

A standard North Carolina homeowners policy usually does not cover flood, earthquake, mudslide or landslide, and may exclude wind and hail in coastal areas. Federal flood insurance covers a building up to $250,000 and contents up to $100,000.

Full North Carolina guide

How much tax when you sell a home in North Carolina?

The federal rule is the same in North Carolina as in every state: if you owned and lived in the home as your main home for at least 2 of the last 5 years, the first $250,000 of gain is excluded, $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly (Section 121, IRS Publication 523). Bought $400,000, sold $750,000: a single owner has $100,000 of taxable gain, $15,000 of federal tax at the 15% long-term rate; a couple filing jointly owes nothing. North Carolina income tax on the gain is not computed here.

Capital gains on a home sale

North Carolina guides

Professionals in North Carolina

Sources

Data as of . Figures are computed from these sources.

All states · Federal guides