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North Carolina · County property tax · ACS 2024

Union County Property Taxes

The median homeowner in Union County pays $2,396 a year, an effective rate of 0.57%, notably higher than the U.S. average.

$2,396
Median tax / yr
0.57%
Effective rate
+20%
vs U.S. average
#78 of 100
rank in NC

The verdict

Homeowners in Union County pay a median $2,396 a year in property tax, an effective rate of 0.57%, more affordable than 75% of U.S. counties.

$2,396
Median annual tax bill, 2024
0.57%
Effective rate on median home
#782 of 3135
U.S. counties by tax burden
+20%
vs the national average bill

Effective rate is the median property tax bill divided by the median home value ($417,300). U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024.

Census Bureau ACS property tax data for North Carolina. Owner-occupied homes: 68,778.

The median annual property tax in Union County is $2,396, which is 26% higher than the North Carolina state average and 20% above the national average. The effective tax rate is 0.57% on a median home value of $417,300. Property taxes represent 2.3% of the median household income in this county.

What This Data Tells Us About Union County

Homeowners in Union County pay a median annual property tax of $2,396, notably higher than the national median and well above the North Carolina state median. On a $417,300 median home, that works out to an effective rate of 0.57% once the local assessment base and millage are combined.

Property taxes in Union County run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 2.3% of the $102,900 median household income. Since 2023, the published ACS median estimate has ticked up 4.3%, from $2,298 to $2,396. This compares two release estimates; it does not identify a local policy, assessment, exemption, or household-bill cause.

This page is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Figures describe the median homeowner household in Union County as reported to the Census Bureau, your own bill can differ based on your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, special districts, and municipal overlays. Always consult your county assessor, tax collector, or a qualified professional before making decisions that depend on these numbers.

Median Annual Tax
$2,396
+26% vs State +20% vs US
Median Home Value
$417,300
+44% vs State +83% vs US
Effective Tax Rate
0.57%
-14% vs State -38% vs US

With vs Without Mortgage

With Mortgage
$2,500
$208/mo
Without Mortgage
$2,089
$174/mo

In Union County, mortgaged homeowners pay 20% more than those without a mortgage, a gap that typically tracks higher home values rather than a different tax rate.

How Union County compares

Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value), ACS 2024.

Union County 0.57%
North Carolina average 0.66%
U.S. average 0.92%

Union County's effective rate is higher than 22% of the 100 counties in North Carolina - ranking #78 of 100 for property tax burden.

Where Union County sits among every U.S. county

Effective property tax rate (median tax ÷ median home value)

0.57% Among the most affordable more affordable than 75% of 3,135 U.S. counties

0.00%–0.25%: 19 U.S. counties (1%). Below this entry. 0.25%–0.50%: 467 U.S. counties (15%). Below this entry. 0.50%–0.75%: 904 U.S. counties (29%). This entry sits in this band. 0.75%–1.00%: 614 U.S. counties (20%). Above this entry. 1.00%–1.25%: 452 U.S. counties (14%). Above this entry. 1.25%–1.50%: 331 U.S. counties (11%). Above this entry. 1.50%–1.75%: 181 U.S. counties (6%). Above this entry. 1.75%–2.00%: 79 U.S. counties (3%). Above this entry. 2.00%–2.25%: 48 U.S. counties (2%). Above this entry. 2.25%–2.50%: 28 U.S. counties (1%). Above this entry. 2.50%–2.75%: 8 U.S. counties (0%). Above this entry. 2.75%–3.00%: 3 U.S. counties (0%). Above this entry. 3.00%–3.25%: 0 U.S. counties (0%). Above this entry. 3.25%–3.50%: 0 U.S. counties (0%). Above this entry. 3.50%–3.75%: 1 U.S. counties (0%). Above this entry. 3.75%–4.00%: 0 U.S. counties (0%). Above this entry. This county 0.00% 4.00% every U.S. county, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more U.S. counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2024

Union County vs Benchmarks

Metric Union County North Carolina Avg U.S. Avg
Median Annual Tax $2,396 $1,896 $1,993
Effective Tax Rate 0.57% 0.66% 0.92%
Median Home Value $417,300 $288,900 $227,791

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates. Tax-burden differences across rows reflect millage decisions, assessment-ratio practices, and the residential-vs-commercial mix of each tax base.

Think your Union County property tax bill is too high?

A successful appeal can lower your assessed value by 10-25%, cutting your annual tax bill by hundreds or thousands of dollars. Use our free Appeal Savings Estimator to project savings on your specific home, then read our step-by-step appeal guide for the exact procedure in North Carolina.

Property Tax History

$1,800$2,000$2,200$2,400$2,600 20202021202220232024 $2,396
Median annual property tax in Union County, 2020–2024 (ACS). Up +26% over the period.
Year Median Tax Effective Rate
2024 $2,396 +4.3% 0.57%
2023 $2,298 +4.7% 0.61%
2022 $2,195 +12.0% 0.65%
2021 $1,960 +2.8% 0.70%
2020 $1,907 0.75%

Tax Burden

Tax-to-Income Ratio
2.3%
of median household income
Median Income
$102,900
per year
Monthly Tax
$200
per month

Tax Affordability Score

9.3
Very Affordable

An effective rate well below the national average of 0.92% puts Union County in the "Very Affordable" band for property tax burden.

Very Expensive Very Affordable

How this score is calculated: a 1-10 scale derived mechanically from the ratio of this county's effective rate to the national average effective rate (0.92%) - a ratio at or below 0.5× scores 10, a ratio at or above 2.0× scores 1, with a linear scale between. It is a factual comparison of Census figures only, not a recommendation, quality rating, or endorsement of Union County or any other county.

Other Counties in North Carolina

View all counties in North Carolina →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average property tax in Union County, North Carolina?
The median annual property tax in Union County is $2,396, an effective rate of 0.57% on a $417,300 median home (Census ACS, 2024).
How does Union County property tax compare to the national average?
Property taxes in Union County run notably higher than the national median of $1,993, an effective rate of 0.57% versus 0.92% nationally.
What percentage of income goes to property taxes in Union County?
Property taxes in Union County run within the commonly cited 2%-4% national benchmark, at about 2.3% of the $102,900 median household income.
Are property taxes increasing in Union County?
Since 2023, property taxes in Union County have ticked up 4.3%, from $2,298 to $2,396.

What this means in Union County

How to use Union County's property-tax numbers, for budgeting, comparison, or an appeal.

  • At Union County's 0.57% effective rate, a $417,300 home implies about $2,396/yr, plug in your own home's value to estimate your bill. Estimate your bill
  • Union County ranks #78 of 100 counties in North Carolina by effective rate, compare it against the rest of the state before you judge your bill. North Carolina overview
  • If your assessed value looks high relative to Union County's typical home, you may have grounds to appeal, most jurisdictions have a filing window each year. How to appeal

Effective rate is the county median tax divided by the county median home value ($417,300); your parcel's assessed value, exemptions, and local levies determine your actual bill. U.S. Census Bureau ACS · 2024.

Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.

Property tax data reflects median amounts paid by homeowners. Effective rates are calculated as median tax divided by median home value.

PlainPropertyTax is rendered directly from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on the Census ACS county-level record for Union County. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-06-09.