North Carolina · county seat: Raleigh
Wake County, NC
About Wake County
Wake County is home to the state capital and some of North Carolina's most recognized places to live. Raleigh is the county seat, and eleven towns (Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, Rolesville, Wake Forest, Wendell and Zebulon) are mostly in the county, along with small parts of Durham, Angier and Clayton.
The county's outdoor life is built around water and woods. Falls Lake stretches across the north, Jordan Lake lies just to the west, and William B. Umstead State Park, more than 5,000 acres of forest between Raleigh and Cary, sits at its center. County parks such as Lake Crabtree, Harris Lake and Historic Yates Mill, with its restored working gristmill, add more, and the American Tobacco Trail crosses the county's western side.
NC State University, RDU International Airport and part of Research Triangle Park are here. Wake County funds the Wake County Public School System and Wake Technical Community College, and handles zoning and permits for unincorporated areas such as Willow Spring.
Towns in Wake County
Property tax rates, 2026 tax year
The county rate is $0.5371 per $100 of tax value: about $2,148 a year on a $400,000 tax value. Every address pays it, plus its town's rate, or a fire district's rate outside the towns.
| Town | Town rate | With county rate | On a $400,000 home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh | $0.3720 | $0.9091 | $3,636 |
| Cary | $0.3675 | $0.9046 | $3,618 |
| Apex | $0.3735 | $0.9106 | $3,642 |
| Fuquay-Varina | $0.3780 | $0.9151 | $3,660 |
| Wake Forest | $0.4200 | $0.9571 | $3,828 |
| Garner | $0.5350 | $1.0721 | $4,288 |
| Holly Springs | $0.3435 | $0.8806 | $3,522 |
| Wendell | $0.4200 | $0.9571 | $3,828 |
| Knightdale | $0.4400 | $0.9771 | $3,908 |
| Morrisville | $0.3500 | $0.8871 | $3,548 |
| Rolesville | $0.4000 | $0.9371 | $3,748 |
| Zebulon | $0.5770 | $1.1141 | $4,456 |
| Angier | $0.4900 | $1.0271 | $4,108 |
| Durham (Wake portion) | $0.4371 | $0.9742 | $3,897 |
| Clayton | $0.4900 | $1.0271 | $4,108 |
Fire and special districts (6)
| District | District rate | With county rate |
|---|---|---|
| Wake County Fire Tax District | $0.1225 | $0.6596 |
| Blackriver Fire District (Angier) | $0.0850 | $0.6221 |
| Hillsborough Street Municipal District | $0.1300 | $0.6671 |
| Morrisville Special District | $0.1000 | $0.6371 |
| Research Triangle Park | $0.1030 | $0.6401 |
| Wake Forest Downtown Service District | $0.1300 | $0.6671 |
Source: Wake County Tax Administration, "Tax Rates" table (2026 column), checked 2026-10-13. The combined rate is the county rate plus the town or district rate, except where noted. Your bill is your county tax value times the combined rate, divided by 100.
Wake County's budget, FY2027
FY2027 (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027). Adopted by the Board of Commissioners on June 1, 2026.
- Fire Tax District rate (unincorporated areas): 12.25¢ per $100 p. 94
Where the General Fund goes p. 102
County tax bill at different home values p. 94
| Tax value (January 2026) | FY2026 bill | FY2027 bill | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| $367,800 | $1,902 | $1,975 | +$74 |
| $398,450 | $2,060 | $2,140 | +$80 |
| $429,100 | $2,219 | $2,305 | +$86 |
| $459,750 | $2,377 | $2,469 | +$92 |
| $490,400 | $2,536 | $2,634 | +$98 |
Sources: Wake County FY2027 Adopted Budget; Wake County budget page (all FY2027 documents). Figures copied from the documents; each page link opens the page it came from.
Raleigh's budget in plain English (the county seat's own budget).