County has 17th lowest tax rate out of 100 counties

POLK COUNTY—Polk County has one of the lowest property tax rates in North Carolina fiscal year 2019-2020 at 54.94 cents per $100 of property valuation. 

The North Carolina Association of County Commissioners recently released its annual Map Book for 2019 and rated all counties in numerous factors, including property tax rate. 

Carteret County has the lowest tax rate at 31 cents per $100 of valuation. 

Buncombe County was the only nearby county ranked lower than Polk at 52.9 cents, which was the 14th lowest tax rate in the state in 2019. 

Henderson County was ranked the 21st lowest in the state at 56.1 cents per $100 of valuation and Rutherford County was ranked 29th lowest in the state with a tax rate of 59.7 cents per $100 of valuation. 

The highest tax rate in the state is Scotland County, with a tax rate of $1, followed by Edgecombe County with a tax rate of 95 cents. 

The figures for the statistics are taken from the North Carolina Department of Revenue, Local Government Division. 

The NCACC states that 42 counties had a tax rate change in fiscal year 2019-2020, with 27 counties increasing and 15 counties decreasing their tax rates. The average property tax rate is 67.85 cents per $100 of valuation, compared to 67.34 cents last year, which is a 0.75 percent increase statewide. 

Polk County implemented a 2-cent tax increase this fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. 

Some fire departments also had a tax increase this year as well as Harmon Field.