Wilmington's Fast-Growing Counties Held Property Taxes Flat for 2026-27
June 19, 2026
By Wesley Fricks · June 19, 2026
The three counties that make up the Wilmington metro set their property tax rates for the coming year, and all three held them flat. Brunswick, Pender, and New Hanover are among the fastest-growing counties in the state, where rising population usually drives up the cost of services and the pressure to raise rates along with it.
The rates
- New Hanover County held at 30.6 cents per $100 of value, adopted in May as part of a roughly $570 million budget.
- Brunswick County held at 34.2 cents, adopted June 15.
- Pender County held at 73.75 cents, adopted June 15.
The City of Wilmington was the exception, raising its city rate by 4.9 cents. That is a municipal rate, separate from the county rate, and for property inside the city it stacks on top of the New Hanover County rate.
The growth behind the numbers
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Brunswick County grew nearly 28 percent between 2020 and 2025, adding about 38,000 people to reach roughly 175,000. Its 4.7 percent gain last year alone was the largest of any county in North Carolina and one of the largest in the country. Pender County grew to roughly 72,000 over the same period and ranked among the fastest-growing counties in the state last year. New Hanover, the metro's anchor at Wilmington, has grown more steadily, up around 9 percent since 2020.
Brunswick's own budget message ties its spending to that growth, citing demand for public safety, EMS, water and sewer, and staffing.
Why Pender held its rate
Pender reappraised property this year, which reset values across the county. A county normally lowers its rate after a reappraisal so the higher values do not translate into a large tax increase. Pender instead kept its 73.75-cent rate, in anticipation of Senate Bill 889, the state's property tax reappraisal moratorium. If that bill becomes law, counties that reappraised in 2026 have to use their old values for the coming year, which is what Pender's flat rate is built around. Pender's number is steady for now, but tied to how SB 889 finally lands.
We track every county's rate and reappraisal timing across the Carolinas because it flows straight into how a deal pencils. To see where your county stands, check our tracker at www.ncpropertytaxes.com. And if you want to talk through what any of this means for a property you own or are looking at, email wfricks@greysteel.com.