Taxpayer One-Pager · Combined property tax
Your bill stacks up to three governments at once. Here is the whole stack for the year now in effect.
Rates effective July 1, 2026 (FY2026-27) · on 2026 revalued home values · Prepared 2026-06-29
If you own a home inside the City of Asheville, you pay property tax to three governments on the same house: the city, Buncombe County, and the Asheville City Schools district. For FY2027 that stacks to 89.53 cents per $100 of your new assessed value.
Last year the combined in-city rate was 109.85¢ (FY26: county 54.66 + city 44.19 + schools 11.00); this year it is 89.53¢. That is not a tax cut. A 2026 county revaluation raised assessed values sharply and unevenly (the countywide tax base rose more than 40%; individual homes varied widely), so the same house carries a higher value at a lower rate. The honest yardstick is revenue-neutral — the rate that would raise the same money on the new values. All three governments set rates above it: combined revenue-neutral is about 80.25¢ (county 39.22 + city 32.89 + schools ~8.14), so the 89.53¢ stack is roughly 9.3 cents (about 11.6%) above revenue-neutral — a real increase. Use your new assessed value to see your actual bill.
| Assessed value (2026) | County (43.20¢) | City (37.69¢) | Schools (8.64¢) | Total / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $1,296 | $1,131 | $259 | $2,686 |
| $400,000 | $1,728 | $1,508 | $346 | $3,582 |
| $500,000 | $2,160 | $1,885 | $432 | $4,477 |
| $600,000 | $2,592 | $2,261 | $518 | $5,371 |
Property tax only, rounded to the nearest dollar (the $500K total is exactly $4,476.50). Use your home's 2026 reappraised value — many homes were revalued up, so don't read the lower rate as a lower bill.
In unincorporated Buncombe County you skip the city rate but pay the county plus the new Unified Fire District rate — which replaced the old patchwork of 20 fire districts this year.
| Who you are | Base rate / $100 | On a $500,000 home |
|---|---|---|
| Inside City of Asheville | 89.53¢ | $4,477 |
| Unincorporated county (county + 11.96¢ fire) | 55.16¢ | $2,758 |
| Unincorporated county (county only) | 43.20¢ | $2,160 |
New this year: the single Unified Fire District (11.96¢) replaced 20 separate fire districts, so most homeowners outside the cities now pay one common fire rate instead of their old district's rate. Residents of other towns pay the county plus that town's own rate.
A new state law, SB 889 (signed June 19, 2026), freezes the 2026 revaluation for one year (the 2026 values return for FY2028) and could force the city and county to reset these rates. A fix, SB 474, would exempt Buncombe — it passed the NC House 111-1, but the Senate refused to concur 12-33 on June 23, leaving it stalled and contested. If it ultimately passes, the rates above stand; if it fails, the governments may revert to old (2021) values and reset rates. Tax bills mail in August, so it should be settled by then.
An Asheville homeowner pays three governments a combined 89.53 cents per $100 in FY2027 — about $4,477 on a $500,000 home. Every rate fell on paper, but every government set its rate above revenue-neutral, so on your higher reappraised value the real bill went up about 11.6%. Outside the city the bill is far lower, because the county slice is the same but the city slice disappears.
Sources: Buncombe County FY2027 Adopted Budget in Brief & Annual Funds Ordinance (43.20¢ county, 11.96¢ unified fire, 8.64¢ Asheville City Schools; revenue-neutral 39.22¢); City of Asheville FY2027 adoption release (37.69¢, set 4.80¢ above revenue-neutral). The combined revenue-neutral (~80.25¢) is derived from those rates. The prior-year combined 109.85¢ is the sum of the FY2026 rates (county 54.66¢ + city 44.19¢ + schools 11.00¢). FY2027 is a revaluation year; examples use 2026 reappraised values only, before any exemptions or deferments (such as homestead or elderly relief), and exclude separate stormwater, solid-waste, and other municipal fees.