If you’re a property owner in Guilford County, you’ve probably seen the news about property reappraisals. Homeowners should have already received their updated value in the mail. If you haven’t, you can check your property value through the county’s Property Search website.

If your value increased significantly, you’re not alone.

Many homeowners across the county are seeing increases of 30–50%, and in some cases even higher. While that can be surprising, there are some important things to understand about why this happened and what it may mean for your taxes.

Why Did We Get Reassessed?

North Carolina state law requires counties to reassess property values at least every 8 years.

Guilford County typically reassesses every 5 years, and the last reassessment was in 2022, which meant the next one was expected in 2027.

So why did it happen a year early?

State law also requires counties to reassess earlier if market values move too far away from assessed values.

Specifically:

• If homes are selling for less than 85% of their assessed value

• Or more than 115% of their assessed value

The county must reassess properties.

Because of the significant home appreciation over the past several years, Guilford County's market values moved outside that threshold. As a result, the county was required to conduct the reassessment earlier than planned.

Will My Property Taxes Increase as Much as My Value Did?

Not necessarily — and hopefully not.

Your property tax bill is not based solely on your home’s value.

It is calculated using this formula:

Property Value × Tax (Millage) Rate = Property Tax

The millage rate is set by local government officials, primarily:

• County commissioners

• City officials (if you live within city limits)

We won’t know the new tax rate until municipal budgets are approved in June or July.

Who Pays What?

If you live in the city:

• You pay city taxes

• You pay county taxes

If you live in the county only:

• You typically pay county taxes

• Sometimes a small fire district or township tax

The purpose of reassessments is not to raise taxes, but to make sure the tax burden is distributed fairly among property owners based on current market values.

Local governments can also choose to adjust the millage rate downward to keep tax bills closer to previous levels.

What Should Homeowners Do Now?

If you believe your assessed value is incorrect, you can appeal the reassessment — but you must act soon.

You cannot wait until your tax bill arrives. Appeals must happen shortly after reassessment notices are issued.

Steps to Take

1. Review comparable home sales
Look at homes that sold within the last year that are similar to yours.

2. Check your property details
Make sure the county has accurate information, including:

• Square footage

• Bedrooms and bathrooms

• Lot size or acreage

• Improvements or features

3. Track the appeal deadline
Appeals must be submitted before the county’s deadline.

Concerned About Higher Taxes?

If you're worried about taxes increasing, you can contact your local elected officials and ask them to support a tax-neutral rate.

A tax-neutral rate adjusts the millage rate so that overall tax revenue remains similar despite increased property values.

In some years, local governments have reduced the tax rate specifically to prevent large increases in homeowner tax bills.

At the same time, residents can also advocate for funding priorities such as:

• Schools

• Police and public safety

• Infrastructure

• Community services

Those decisions ultimately influence the final tax rate.

Where to Learn More

You can find additional details here:

Guilford County Reappraisal FAQ

Need Help Understanding Your Home’s Value?

A county tax assessment doesn’t always reflect what a home would actually sell for in today’s market.

If you’re wondering:

• What your home might realistically sell for

• Whether an appeal might make sense

• Or how these changes affect your long-term equity

I’m happy to help review the numbers and walk through it with you.

Understanding your home’s value is one of the most important parts of smart homeownership.