Lee County NC Property Taxes - How to Find out How Much You'll Pay

Whether you're considering relocating from one side of the Triangle to the other, are relocating to Fort Bragg, or are coming to the Raleigh area from Florida, New Jersey, New York, or elsewhere, you've probably wondered what the yearly property taxes might be for your new home.

Sanford, NC is in the center of Lee County, and Hwy 1 runs roughly north/south through the center of Lee County, up towards Cary and Raleigh.   The northern tip of Lee County is about 30 miles from downtown Raleigh, and Sanford itself is about 25 miles from Fort Bragg and 25 miles from Jordan Lake, one of the prime water recreation areas in the Raleigh area and Chatham County.

Here are the 2007 rates, by town.  To get the total property tax rate for a town, simply add the county tax to the town tax.  For example, Sanford has a town rate of .55, and the Lee County rate is .75.  Add the two together - the total property tax rate for Sanford, NC is 1.3.

It's not as confusing as it looks.  The tax rates are based on the assessed value of the home, not the asking price. 

• Divide the assessed value by 100.
• Multiply the result by the combined rate on the right side of the table.
• The result will be your yearly property tax bill, as of 2007. 

This table gives sample property tax bills for all the towns and fire districts in Lee County: Sanford, Cape Fear, Cameron, Carolina Trace, Deep River, Lemon Springs, Northview, Tramway, West Pocket, and West Sanford.

Your tax bill can be lower if your home or property is not actually within a municipality, or town.  If this is the case, you'll pay just the County rate, plus most likely a fire district tax. 

For 2007, the fire district tax rates vary from .064 to .099, compared to the .55 rate for the City of Sanford.  There is no guarantee that tax rates will remain the same - check the Lee County Property Tax page for most recent information.

When looking at properties, don't take the "city" address for granted - you could be in a different county, with different tax rates, depending on where exactly the property is located.

If there's a particular home that you're considering, you can go directly to the Lee County Tax Records site, type in the address, and see the assessed value of the property.  If there is a discrepancy between the assessed value and the asking price of the home or lot, don't be afraid to ask your real estate agent to pull comps for you.  Assessed values are not always aligned well with market values, as assessments are often made several years apart. 

Raleigh and the Triangle Area

Whether you're looking at relocating to Raleigh to start your career, to find a friendly place to raise a family, or retiring in a terrific climate, Raleigh and the Research Park Triangle has something to offer you. Great schools, lots of lakes and golf courses, top-rated cultural centers, universities, and hospitals - and all only two hours to the ocean and three hours to the mountains - it's no wonder that Raleigh is a "Best Place to Live"!

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Copyright 2008 by Stanton Homes.  All information current as of posting date.  Check with Lee County for any available updates to tax rates.