Think your Durham County property taxes are too high? So do 10,000 others.
Thousands of Durham County homeowners appealed their property values this year, and the county’s tax office said it could be months before everyone gets a decision.
If you’re a homeowner, you should have received your tax bill over the past week, and likely saw the amount you owe skyrocket due to the county’s revaluation, which happens every four years.
This year, Durham County saw a 70% increase in the average tax value compared to 2019, when the last revaluation took effect. The increase is the biggest the county has ever seen.
Homeowners had from March to mid-June to appeal their new values if they thought there were flaws in the revaluation. While some have gotten their appeal decision, it could be until the end of the year for thousands more to get theirs, according to Keyar Doyle, the county’s tax administrator. The adjusted property tax bill will show up on the homeowner’s property record within 60 days of the decision.
Durham County saw 10,200 appeals this year, or about 2,200 more than in 2019, Doyle said. There are about 20 appraisers evaluating all the appeals in the county’s tax office.
“That’s definitely more than we’ve ever had, but that’s because this is the biggest increase we’ve ever had. On top of that, we also have more parcels,” Doyle said.
There were an additional 10,000 new parcels, mostly homes, included in the revaluation this year. Durham County’s population growth also grew from over 320,000 residents to over 340,000 over the last five years, with over 126,000 parcels of land.
Property tax bills are due on Sept. 1 but all homeowners have until Jan. 5 to pay them without penalty.
You must pay your bill even if you are appealing, or if you are applying, or have applied for tax relief programs. On Jan. 6, any unpaid bills are considered delinquent by state law.
“If the value is already high, you don’t want to add interest on top of it,” Doyle said.
What to know about the tax rate
On July 1, the 2025-26 fiscal year budget began in Durham County with a new county tax rate of 55.42 cents per $100 in assessed property value.
If you live within city limits, your tax bill is calculated by adding the county and city rates. Here’s a breakdown.
- Durham County’s tax rate: 55.42 cents per $100 in property value
- City of Durham’s tax rate: 42.71 cents per $100 in property value
- Combined county and city tax rate: 99.13 cents per $100 in property value
As an example, here’s what this would look like for a homeowner of a home valued at $415,000. The formula to find the amount is tax value/100 x tax rate = tax bill.
- The home’s value, $415,000, is divided by 100, equaling 4,150.
- Then, 4,150 is multiplied by the tax rate. If the homeowner lives in the city, that rate is 0.9913. So, 4,150 x 0.9913.
- That number, $4,113, is the new property bill a Durham homeowner within city limits will pay this year.
What to know about appeals and decisions
The deadline for appeals for this year has passed, but you can still apply to appeal your value next year.
If you got an adjusted amount through an appeal, but still see a higher bill, you should contact the tax office to confirm which amount they need to pay, Doyle said. Additionally, if you are still waiting for an appeal and don’t get one before the Jan. 5 deadline, you can be refunded for the amount you overpaid.
“If you are appealing your property, you’re still responsible for paying your tax bill,” Doyle said. “When Jan. 6 comes, interest on the bills start. I can’t waive it, I can’t excuse it, I don’t have the authority.”
There are three state relief programs through the N.C. Department of Tax Administration that you can apply for. Some people can quality for more than one program but only get benefits from one:
- Elderly/Disabled Relief Program: For people 65 or older on Jan. 1 or totally and permanently disabled, with incomes less than $37,900, The property must be your permanent residence.
- Disabled Veterans Relief Program: For veterans with an honorable discharge and who have total or permanent disability, or for the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran
- Circuit Breaker Program: This defers part of your tax payment until a later date. You must be 65 or totally and permanently disabled, with an income under $56,850. A disqualifying event, like a death, will result in back taxes on the property.
The state programs are tougher to qualify for due to stricter income limits, but Doyle said homeowners should apply for the Durham Low-Income Homeowner Relief Program, or LIHR. Qualifications include homeowners with an income of 80% or less than the area median income. In the Durham-Chapel Hill area, that’s about $64,750 for a family of one, and $92,000 for a family of four.
The LIHR program is a joint program between the county and city that launched in 2022 with $1.25 million to help people pay their tax bills. Doyle there are still hundreds of thousands of dollars available in the program to assist people.
To apply, contact the Durham County Department of Social Services and the tax office for any questions.
To find out more about the county’s tax office, property-tax bills and tax-relief programs go to dconc.gov.
This story was originally published August 26, 2025 at 7:00 AM.