Market Update · Southwest Wake County
Property Taxes on an $800K Home Across Apex, Cary, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh
On $800,000 of assessed value under Wake County’s FY 2026-27 rates, in-town annual property tax (before the $20 residential waste reduction fee) runs about $7,045 in Holly Springs to about $7,321 in Fuquay-Varina. Sale price and assessed value are not the same thing.
Buyers often ask what “property taxes on an $800K home” mean in Southwest Wake. The honest answer starts with a labeling fix: Wake County bills tax against assessed value, not against the price you just paid. Current assessed values reflect market value as of the Jan. 1, 2024 revaluation. A home that sells for $800,000 today may be assessed lower or higher than that number. The table below shows the published FY 2026-27 county and municipal rates applied to $800,000 of assessed value so you can compare towns on an apples-to-apples basis.
The FY 2026-27 Math on $800,000 of Assessed Value
Wake County’s 2026 rate is $0.5371 per $100 of assessed value. Each town adds its own municipal rate. Multiply the combined rate by 8,000 ($800,000 ÷ 100) to get the annual tax before the county’s residential waste reduction fee.
| Town (in municipal limits) | County rate /$100 | Town rate /$100 | Combined | Tax on $800K assessed | + $20 waste fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apex | 0.5371 | 0.3735 | 0.9106 | $7,284.80 | $7,304.80 |
| Cary (Wake) | 0.5371 | 0.3675 | 0.9046 | $7,236.80 | $7,256.80 |
| Holly Springs | 0.5371 | 0.3435 | 0.8806 | $7,044.80 | $7,064.80 |
| Fuquay-Varina | 0.5371 | 0.3780 | 0.9151 | $7,320.80 | $7,340.80 |
| Raleigh | 0.5371 | 0.3720 | 0.9091 | $7,272.80 | $7,292.80 |
Source: Wake County Tax Administration, Tax Rates PDF “Current to 2017” (posted June 2026; 2026 column = tax year 2026 / FY 2026-27, effective July 1, 2026) and the Tax Rates & Fees page. Figures checked against the live PDF on Nov 6, 2026 (identical to the Oct 31, 2026 saved file). Math is on $800,000 of assessed value, before homestead or other exclusions. Town utility fees are not included. Cary figures are for the Wake County portion only.
Holly Springs currently posts the lowest combined in-town rate among these five at 0.8806. Fuquay-Varina posts the highest at 0.9151. The dollar gap on $800K of assessed value is a few hundred dollars a year before fees—not thousands—so taxes alone rarely decide a town, but they belong in the monthly budget.
Worked example: take Apex’s combined rate of 0.9106. Divide $800,000 by 100 to get 8,000, then multiply 8,000 × 0.9106 = $7,284.80. Add Wake County’s $20 residential waste reduction fee per living unit and the illustrated in-town total is $7,304.80 for the year, before any homestead or other exclusion and before town utility charges billed outside the Wake tax bill.
Assessed Value vs. Sale Price (and Why the Label Matters)
If a seller lists at $800,000, that is a marketing number. Your tax bill uses the assessed value on the Wake County tax record. After a purchase, the assessed value does not automatically jump to your sale price; it stays on the revaluation cycle unless other rules apply. For the next countywide reset, see my earlier post on what Wake County’s 2027 revaluation means for your property tax bill. That post covers process and timing; this one covers today’s rate math.
- County rate rose for 2026. Wake County’s rate moved from 0.5171 in 2025 to 0.5371 in 2026.
- Most town rates also rose. Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh each increased their municipal rates versus 2025; Holly Springs held at 0.3435.
- Waste fee is separate. Wake County’s residential waste reduction fee is $20 per living unit and appears on the tax bill.
Fire Districts, Special Districts and What This Table Leaves Out
In-town property in Apex, Cary, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh does not pay Wake’s fire district tax under the PDF footnotes used here. Unincorporated property with one of those mailing addresses can still pay the county rate plus the fire district rate (0.1225 in 2026) and no town rate—about $5,276.80 on $800K of assessed value before the waste fee.
Raleigh carries a footnote that property may also be subject to a special district tax. The Raleigh Downtown Municipal District (RMD) adds 0.068 (about $7,816.80 on $800K assessed before the waste fee). The Hillsborough Street Municipal District (HMD) adds 0.13 (about $8,312.80). Apex, Cary, Holly Springs and Fuquay-Varina have no special district listed in that PDF.
Town utility charges such as stormwater or solid waste that some municipalities bill outside the Wake tax bill are not verified here, so they are omitted. Cary’s Chatham County portion is also not verified—these rates are Wake County only. Vehicle fees ($25–$30 per vehicle in these towns) are separate from real-property tax.
Budget the tax line on assessed value, then confirm the parcel’s actual district flags on the Wake bill—not on the listing price.
What We Know About 2027 Timing (Without Guessing Your Bill)
Wake County’s next revaluation takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. Results are scheduled for the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 19, 2027, with notices of assessed value expected to start reaching owners by about Jan. 22, 2027. The planned appeal deadline is Apr. 30, 2027. Future revaluations are planned every two years starting Jan. 1, 2029.
FY 2027-28 rates will be set after that revaluation. Towns often adjust rates when values change; in the 2024 revaluation year, Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs and Raleigh all reduced their municipal rates. None of that tells you what your 2027 bill will be. Tag every figure in this post as FY 2026-27 rates, before the 2027 revaluation.
This is general information from published Wake County sources, not tax advice. For your parcel, confirm the assessed value, districts and any exclusions with Wake County Tax Administration or a qualified NC tax advisor. An NC real estate attorney can help on title and closing questions.
Where Town Context Fits for Buyers
If you are comparing carrying costs while you also compare places to live, pair this rate table with the town pages for Apex, Holly Springs and Cary. Taxes are one input next to commute, layout and the home itself—not a shortcut for choosing a town.
When you write an offer budget, put principal and interest, insurance, HOA obligations if any (confirm those on the specific property’s disclosures—not from a blog), and this tax line on the same worksheet. North Carolina closings are attorney-led, so your purchase contract, due diligence period and title questions belong with your NC real estate attorney; tax-bill questions belong with Wake County Tax Administration or a tax advisor.
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Start your home search with meFrequently Asked Questions
How much are property taxes on an $800K home in Apex, Cary or Holly Springs?
Using FY 2026-27 combined county and town rates on $800,000 of assessed value, the annual tax before the $20 waste fee is about $7,284.80 in Apex, $7,236.80 in Cary (Wake), and $7,044.80 in Holly Springs. Your bill uses assessed value, which may differ from sale price.
Is the $800K figure sale price or assessed value?
Assessed value. Wake County applies tax rates to assessed value. Current assessments reflect the Jan. 1, 2024 revaluation market value, so a home that sells for $800K today may be assessed lower or higher.
Do in-town homes pay the Wake fire district tax?
Under the FY 2026-27 Tax Rates PDF footnotes used for this post, in-town property in these five towns does not pay the Wake fire district tax. Unincorporated property may pay county plus fire district rates with no town rate.
What changes with the 2027 revaluation?
New assessed values take effect Jan. 1, 2027, with notices expected around late January 2027 and a planned appeal deadline of Apr. 30, 2027. FY 2027-28 rates will be set afterward. This post does not predict individual bill changes.
Does this include Cary in Chatham County?
No. Chatham County rates were not verified. The Cary line is Wake County only.