Raleigh, NC · Updated Oct 2026

What a Raleigh house pays

Property tax, water, trash and energy from public rates. Look up your address to make it yours, and see how to pay less.

Sent only to free public map services to find who serves it. Not stored unless you save your house.

Example · a Raleigh house

$9,310a year · $776 a month

Starts at $391,495 of value before exemptions. Typical use.

A typical Raleigh house pays about $9,300 a year: $3,580 property tax and charges, $790 water and sewer, $340 trash, $2,980 electricity and gas, $1,620 home insurance. Estimated from public rates, not anyone's actual bill.

Rates checked Oct 20, 2026. Insurance: what you enter, or a typical premium until you do. Sources are listed at the bottom.

Ways to pay less

Nothing here applies to every house automatically. These are worth checking:

Seniors 65+ or 100% disabled, low income: homestead exclusion$25,000 or 50% off home value
Owners 65 or older or totally and permanently disabled, whose 2025 gross income (with spouse) is $38,800 or less, can exclude the first $25,000 or up to 50% of their home value, whichever is greater. It does not need to be paid back.
How: Apply once with Wake County Tax Administration by June 1: online, by email to taxhelp@wake.gov or by mail. Questions: 919-856-5400.
Low income: Raleigh water bill help (UCAP)Up to $275 a year
Qualified customers are eligible for up to $275 per fiscal year, applied directly to their utility account, until the funds are exhausted. Wake County Human Services screens eligibility.
How: Apply online, or mail or drop off the application at Wake County Social Services, 220 Swinburne St., Raleigh. Questions: customercare@raleighnc.gov or 919-996-3245.
Leak adjustment on a high water billUp to two months adjusted
After a leak is repaired, Raleigh Water may adjust your bill for no more than a two-month consecutive period, once a year per customer per premise. Administrative fees are not adjusted.
How: Contact Customer Care and Billing with a plumber's receipt or other proof of repair.
Enbridge Gas rebates for efficient gas equipmentUp to $400 bill credit
Enbridge Gas North Carolina gives a bill credit of up to $400 for qualifying natural gas equipment: $400 for a 0.97+ AFUE furnace, up to $300 for a tankless water heater, $50 for an ENERGY STAR smart thermostat.
How: Submit the appliance rebate form within 90 days of installation with an itemized receipt.
ENERGY STAR home: lower gas rateRate 102
Residential customers whose home meets ENERGY STAR for Homes standards can be moved to rate schedule 102, which charges less per therm than the standard rate.
How: Send your ENERGY STAR certificate to Enbridge Gas (BuilderserviceNC@enbridge.com, fax 843-746-0442, or mail).

Money dates

Dec 31, 2026in 69 daysLate 2026 relief applications may be accepted for good cause, such as illness, a death in the family or military deployment, through December 31, 2026.
Jan 5, 2027in 74 daysPay 2026 property tax bills in full by January 5, 2027 to avoid interest; partial payments of any amount are allowed before then.
Jun 1Deadline to apply for the senior and disabled exclusion, the circuit breaker deferment and the disabled veteran exclusion.
Jan to mid-AprAppeal your real estate value to the Board of Equalization and Review from January until the board adjourns, typically in early to mid-April.

Who serves this house

Water: Raleigh Water; Raleigh Water residential rates inside city limits, effective July 1, 2026; billed monthly
Property tax: 0.91% of value; 2026 tax year (FY 2027), Wake County
Garbage: City of Raleigh Solid Waste Services; Garbage, recycling and yard waste collected at the curb; weekly yard waste pickup began September 8, 2026
Sewer: Raleigh Water; Base charge by meter size plus a charge per CCF of water
Electricity: Duke Energy Progress; Residential Service Schedule RES: $14.00 basic customer charge a month
Gas: Enbridge Gas North Carolina (Public Service Company of N.C.); Rate Schedule 101 residential service: $12.00 facilities charge a month

Pay or manage your bills

Your water

Source: Falls Lake in northern Wake County and Lake Benson in Garner.
Hardness: Total hardness (as CaCO3) was 25.2 ppm in 2025, with a range of 21.9 to 35.3 ppm.
Lead: Lead was not detected at the 90th percentile in 2025 tap sampling; 0 of 85 sites were above the 15 ppb action level.

Other NC cities

What a Asheville house pays What a Hendersonville house pays What a Monroe house pays What a Havelock house pays

How these numbers are made

Raleigh bills water, sewer, stormwater and garbage together on one monthly City of Raleigh utility bill, so we calculate yours from the city's July 1, 2026 rates and the water use you enter.
Water (5/8-inch meter, inside city limits): $8.14 base charge plus $1.50 infrastructure replacement charge a month, then $3.11, $5.41 and $6.97 per CCF in tiers of 0-4, 5-20 and 21+ CCF; we add the $0.1122 per CCF watershed protection fee to each tier. Sewer: $8.83 base plus $4.50 infrastructure replacement charge a month and $5.31 per CCF of water used.
Stormwater uses Tier 2 ($8.47 a month, 1,001 to 3,870 sq ft of impervious surface), the tier that includes Raleigh's 2,260 sq ft single-family equivalent unit; your tier depends on your property. Garbage is $28.50 a month: $16.00 garbage, $5.55 recycling and $6.95 yard waste.
Property tax: the 2026 Wake County rate (53.71 cents per $100) plus the City of Raleigh rate (37.20 cents per $100) on the value you enter, starting at Wake County's $391,495 median single-family value in Raleigh from the 2024 revaluation, plus the county's $20 residential waste reduction fee. North Carolina has no general homestead exemption. Homes downtown also pay the Raleigh Municipal Service District rate (6.8 cents), and the few Raleigh homes in Durham County are billed by Durham County; neither is included.
Electricity: Duke Energy Progress Schedule RES as of September 1, 2026, with base energy charges plus the 3.144¢ rider total and both storm securitization charges per kWh, and the $1.81 CEPS charge in the monthly fixed charge. Above 800 kWh the rate is a year-round weighted average of five summer months (May-September) and seven winter months. Starting use is Duke Energy Progress's 2024 North Carolina residential average from EIA (about 1,006 kWh a month). North Carolina sales tax is not included.
Gas: Enbridge Gas North Carolina Rate 101 from October 1, 2026, at the average of the winter and summer per-therm energy charges, plus the $12.00 facilities charge; starting use is the 2024 North Carolina residential average from EIA (about 41 therms a month). Insurance is the 2022 North Carolina average HO-3 premium (NAIC).
Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.

Sources

How Raleigh compares

A typical Raleigh house against the 320 cities we cover nationwide, using the same default numbers as the total above.

Per year	Raleigh	Median	Where it falls
Property tax rate	0.91%	1.23%	lower than 280 of the other 314 cities we cover nationwide
Water	$270	$654	lower than 306 of the other 319 cities we cover nationwide
Sewer and utility-bill fees	$516	$735	lower than 224 of the other 284 cities we cover nationwide
Trash	$342	$379	lower than 153 of the other 249 cities we cover nationwide
Electricity and gas	$2,981	$2,743	higher than 194 of the other 319 cities we cover nationwide
Home insurance	$1,621	$1,492	higher than 195 of the other 314 cities we cover nationwide
Total	$9,310	$11,671	lower than 243 of the other 319 cities we cover nationwide

Cities bill differently (some put trash on the tax bill, some cover more services), so a higher number isn't necessarily worse. The property tax rate is compared instead of dollars because house values differ.

Questions to ask your candidates

Each one starts from a number above. Any candidate can answer them.

1. Property tax rate

The fact: Raleigh's property tax rate is 0.91%, lower than 280 of the other 314 cities we cover nationwide. The rate adds up every agency on the bill, not only the city.

Ask: "Property tax in Raleigh is 0.91%, lower than 280 of the other 314 cities we cover nationwide. What should that money pay for first, and would you change anything about how it is set?"

2. Water

The fact: Water here costs about $270 a year at typical use, lower than 306 of the other 319 cities we cover nationwide.

Ask: "Water here costs about $270 a year at typical use, lower than 306 of the other 319 cities we cover nationwide. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

3. Sewer and utility-bill fees

The fact: Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here come to about $516 a year, lower than 224 of the other 284 cities we cover nationwide. Some cities bill sewer on the property tax bill instead, which is not counted here.

Ask: "Sewer and flat utility-bill charges here cost about $516 a year, lower than 224 of the other 284 cities we cover nationwide. What drives that cost, and would you change anything?"

See who is running in your city →

Common questions about Raleigh house costs

What is the property tax rate in Raleigh?

About 0.91% of the value before exemptions a year (2026 tax year (FY 2027), Wake County), plus flat charges on the same bill (Wake County residential waste reduction fee $20).

How much is property tax on a $500,000 house in Raleigh?

About $4,566 a year on $500,000 of the value before exemptions, including $20 of flat charges.

How much is the water bill in Raleigh?

About $66 a month for water and sewer at typical use (4 units, or 2,992 gallons a month) on Raleigh Water.

How much does trash pickup cost in Raleigh?

$29 a month for a house.

Can seniors lower their property tax or bills in Raleigh?

Yes. Seniors 65+ or 100% disabled, low income: homestead exclusion: Owners 65 or older or totally and permanently disabled, whose 2025 gross income (with spouse) is $38,800 or less, can exclude the first $25,000 or up to 50% of their home value, whichever is greater. It does not need to be paid back.

How much does a house in Raleigh cost to run each year?

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