On every Moore County listing this winter, the property tax line comes from a value the county set on January 1, 2023. In February 2027, the county is expected to mail new values to every property owner. Each home's new bill will depend on how much its value rose compared with the rest of the county.
That idea drives everything below. A county-level revaluation is built to reset values without automatically raising revenue. So the average home tends to land near where it started, and the homes that pull ahead of the average carry more of the load.
The tax figure on a listing is dated January 1, 2023
Moore County's own tax FAQ puts it plainly: "Property values are not adjusted up or down based on market conditions that occur between revaluation years." When a home sells in 2026, the assessed value stays where the 2023 revaluation put it, whatever the price.
The state tracks how far assessments drift from sale prices. The latest sales assessment ratio study from the North Carolina Department of Revenue is dated January 1, 2025 and based on 2024 sales. It put Moore County's median ratio at 86.79%. That means the typical home sold in 2024 carried an assessment of about 87 cents for every dollar it sold for. The study is now almost two years old, and the gap has had another two years of sales to grow.
The county's current read on that growth comes from Tax Administrator Gary Briggs. He told The Pilot this fall that the department's tracking shows "an average selling increase of 15 to 20 percent across the county, which takes into account all types of property." He also said, "I don't have a crystal ball." That 15 to 20 percent reflects sale prices across every property type. It is not a final assessment figure, and the county has not released a breakdown by town or neighborhood.
What the 2023 reset did to the rate
The 2023 revaluation is the best preview we have. According to the same Pilot report, property values in Moore County rose about 50 percent on average that year. In 2019 they rose about 8 percent, and in 2015 they fell about 2 percent. Because of the 50 percent jump, the county and several towns lowered their tax rates.
North Carolina law requires a county to publish a "revenue-neutral" rate in any revaluation year. As the Sandhills Sentinel explained in April 2023, that is the rate needed to bring in the same revenue as the year before, with an allowance for growth from new construction. Counties and towns are not required to adopt it. Here is how the county's three rates moved, per $100 of value, as shown in the county's FY2027 budget presentation:
| Fund | FY23 rate | FY24 revenue-neutral | FY24 adopted | FY27 rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Fund | $0.4850 | $0.3512 | $0.3300 | $0.2900 |
| EMS / Advanced Life Support | $0.0400 | $0.0290 | $0.0375 | $0.0425 |
| Rural Fire Protection | $0.1050 | $0.0871 | $0.0875 | $0.0875 |
| Combined | $0.6300 | $0.4673 | $0.4550 | $0.4200 |
Values rose about half, and the combined rate fell by roughly a quarter. A home whose value tracked the county average saw a fairly modest change in its county bill. The rural fire rate only applies outside the towns. So a Pinehurst address and a home in the unincorporated county face different county totals before town taxes are even added.
Pinehurst shows why "average" is the word that matters
The village side of 2023 shows the mechanism more clearly. In a Pilot report on the Village Council's budget debate, the proposed rate was 23 cents per $100. That was eight cents below the existing rate, yet the paper reported it "would still represent a higher tax bill for most addresses in Pinehurst." Village Manager Jeff Sanborn said a 21.2-cent rate would have been fully revenue-neutral, and 23.5 cents after adjusting for a year of inflation. Those were figures from the proposal stage of that debate. The village's 2026 Strategic Operating Plan now lists a rate of $0.225 per $100.
Council member Jane Hogeman made the point that matters most for 2027. The revaluation raised Pinehurst's tax base by close to 50 percent, and she noted that "many of the affordable and more modest units went up at a higher rate than other residential properties." When one group of homes outpaces the average, a lower rate does not fully offset it for that group. The lower rate is set for the average, and the faster-rising homes take on a larger share of the bill.
The arithmetic, with round numbers
Here is a simplified example. The numbers are made up, and it ignores new construction and any choice a board makes to adopt a rate other than revenue-neutral. Say the county average rises 18 percent, inside Briggs's 15 to 20 percent tracking range. Start with the current combined county rate of $0.42 and a home assessed at $500,000, which pays about $2,100 in county tax today. A purely revenue-neutral rate would drop to roughly $0.356.
- The home rises 18 percent, matching the average. New value $590,000. County bill stays about $2,100.
- The home rises 30 percent. New value $650,000. County bill comes to about $2,314.
- The home rises 5 percent. New value $525,000. County bill drops to about $1,869.
All three homes started with the same tax bill on the listing sheet, and they end up about $445 apart before any town rate applies. This is why the tax line on a 2026 listing tells you less than it seems. It reflects the old value times today's rate. It says nothing about where that home will land compared with the 700 or so tax neighborhoods the county appraises.
The calendar between now and the first new bill
The process is already moving. This fall, after a public hearing, the Board of Commissioners set the schedule of values for 2027, according to The Pilot. That roughly 300-page document lays out the appraisal method. It does not list any property's value. From here:
- January 1, 2027. New values take effect, based on market value as of that date.
- Early February 2027. Briggs told The Pilot the revaluation is set to take place then, with notices mailed to every owner later that month.
- January 1 through adjournment of the Board of Equalization and Review. This is the window for appeals under the county's real property value appeal process. Late appeals are not processed. An informal appeal goes to an appraiser first, though it is not required before a formal hearing.
- Spring 2027. The county's FY2026–27 budget ordinance says the next revenue-neutral rates will be reported with the FY2027–28 budget. Until those rates are published, nobody can calculate a 2027 bill.
The 2023 round gives a sense of how many owners pushed back. Briggs told The Pilot there were 1,300 formal appeals, each heard by the board. He also said he is "a big advocate for appealing because no one knows the property better than the owner."
What this changes when you compare two homes this winter
If you're weighing two Moore County homes at similar prices, their current tax lines are roughly as comparable as their 2023 assessments, and that's all. What matters more is how far each home's 2023 value sits below what it would sell for today, compared with homes across the county. A home assessed well below its likely sale price is more likely to see a bigger jump in February than a home whose assessment already sits close to market.
The county's tax records show each home's current assessed value. Comparing that number with the price you're considering is a simple first step. It won't tell you the 2027 value. It will show you which homes have the most distance to close.
This post is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Please confirm how the revaluation affects your own property with the Moore County Tax Department or a qualified tax professional.
A few questions I'm hearing
Does buying a home in Moore County reset its assessed value? No. Per the county FAQ, values are not adjusted between revaluation years. The next change comes with the January 1, 2027 revaluation.
Will my town's rate change too? In 2023, several towns lowered their rates along with the county. Each town board sets its own rate during its own budget process, and none has published 2027 figures yet.
Is the 15 to 20 percent figure my new value? No. Briggs described it as average sale-price growth across all property types, and he said conditions could change before January 1.
If you're writing an offer this winter or deciding whether to list before the new values arrive, I'll pull the current assessed value on the homes you're considering and walk you through how far each one sits from today's market. When you want a clear picture of a specific property before February, Kelly Ward is here to help. Let's Connect.
