Property taxes are one of the oldest forms of taxation in North Carolina and were used through the 1930s as a joint tax by state and local governments. Since the Great Depression, property taxes are levied only though local governments and are the single largest source of revenue for counties.
Last year $8.1 billion was collected in property taxes across North Carolina; that amounts to $830 per person (not per taxpayer). Property tax is assessed in the form of a valuation, a set amount per every $100 in value of a property. Total collections vary based on population, size of the county, and the value of property within each county. While the larger counties have the collect the most revenue, they do not have the highest property tax rates in the state. See the table below for the highest and lowest property tax rates and collections as of June 30, 2013.
| County | Effective
County Rate |
Amount
Collected |
County | Effective
County Rate |
Amount
Collected |
| Scotland | $1.12 | $21 million | Mecklenburg | $0.79 | $683 million |
| Columbus | $1.08 | $28 million | Wake | $0.59 | $655 million |
| Vance | $1.02 | $23 million | Guilford | $0.78 | $353 million |
| Northampton | $0.96 | $18 million | Forsyth | $0.72 | $240 million |
| Gaston | $0.92 | $125 million | Durham | $0.79 | $230 million |
