Durham property reappraisals are in the mail. What homeowners need to know.
Homeowners and other property owners in Durham start receiving new property values this week, and the county tax administrator wants to prepare them for dramatic increases.
The 2025 reappraisal notices will reflect the spike in real estate prices over the past five years in Durham County, which is now home to over 330,000 residents with over 126,000 parcels of land.
Growth has driven up demand for housing. Tax Administrator Keyar Doyle said the property value increases are unlike anything Durham County has seen.
On average, Durham County property owners will see a 71% increase in their tax values since the last revaluation in 2019, Doyle said. Those in Durham’s city limits will see an average increase of 75%.
“The values are scary,” he said. “There’s really no real way to specify who’s getting what. It’s a big increase across the board.”
Doyle said his own home in Durham, which he bought for $200,000 six years ago, is now valued at $400,000.
The median home sales price has soared from $238,500 in 2019 to $400,000 as of January 2025, a nearly 68% increase in Durham.
The increase is similar to Wake County, where property owners saw a 53% increase in median tax value last year from 2020, and Orange County, which saw a 43% rise this year over four years ago, bringing the median home sales price to $660,000 in Chapel Hill.
Higher home values could lead to higher tax bills for many residents, Doyle said. However, the actual tax rate for the new fiscal year won’t be decided until the budget process begins in May. The current combined city and county rate is roughly $1.39 per $100 of assessed value.
Regardless of the new property tax rates set by the Durham County commissioners and the Durham City Council later this year, Doyle advises residents to “prepare for the worst.”
“Save your money,” he said. “Whatever it is that you can do to save a little more money this year as we approach September, because by September (when property taxes are due), you’ll know what your actual amount is.”
At a Durham City Council meeting on Monday night, Mayor Leonardo Williams advised residents to contact the county tax office if they have questions.
He said he had already returned calls from several senior residents who were worried when they received their new values.
“A resident told me, ‘I want to die in my home, I don’t want to have to move,’” Williams said. “I said we have resources to help you out, you don’t have your tax rate yet. We’re not in the business of kicking folks out and moving people away. [We] want to make sure that you are growing with this community.”
When to expect your notice & how to appeal
If you think your appraised property value is substantially higher or lower than the price for which it could have reasonably sold on Jan. 1, 2025, you have a right to appeal.
Residents can appeal their values online by using the 2025 Real Property Appeal form.
The new notices began being mailed out on Feb. 28. Property owners can visit the Tax Administration’s website to review the values, compare them with sales trends in their markets, and confirm that the property listing is correct.
Homeowners can appeal their new values from March 3 through June 16. Appeals are filed through the Board of Equalization and Review along with a scheduled hearing.
Once the board receives an appeal and holds a hearing, the property owner will receive a letter with their property values in the mail.
Durham County offers three property tax relief programs through the state to help homeowners, builders, and low-income residents who meet the required qualifications.
The county also offers the Low-income Homeowners Relief Program for residents with an income up to 80% of the area median income, which is $59,000 for an individual and $84,700 for a family of four in Durham.
Informational meetings
The county will hold 13 reappraisal information meetings where residents can meet with tax appraisers individually to learn more about the appeals process.
The first meeting is from noon to 4:30 p.m. at North Regional Library at 221 Milton Road in Durham, followed by
- March 18: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at East Regional Library, 211 Lick Creek Lane
- March 19: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Main Library, 300 N. Roxboro St.
- March 20: 12-4:30 p.m. at Southwest Regional Library, 3605 Shannon Road
- March 21, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at South Regional Library, 4505 S. Alston Ave.
- March 24, 12-4:30 p.m. at North Regional Library, 221 Milton Road
- March 25, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at East Regional Library, 211 Lick Creek Lane
- March 26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Admin Building II, 201 E. Main St.
- March 27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Admin Building II, 201 E. Main St.
- March 28, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at South Regional Library, 4505 S. Alston Ave.
- March 31, 12-4:30 p.m. at Southwest Regional Library, 3605 Shannon Road
- April 5, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Admin Building II, 201 E. Main St.
- April 12, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Admin Building II, 201 E. Main St.
Appointments for the meetings can be made through the Tax Administration at 919-560-0300 or by visiting dconc.gov/tax.
This story was originally published March 4, 2025 at 7:00 AM.