Catawba County News
New Value Notices to Mail in January
Published: January 18, 2023
The Catawba County Tax Office will begin mailing new valuation notices to property owners in late January. These notices inform property owners of the assessed value of their real property, which includes land, buildings, and improvements, effective January 1, 2023, as determined by the County’s four-year revaluation process.
Revaluation is the comprehensive, data-driven process of updating the value of all real property to reflect current market value through an analysis of real estate market transactions throughout the county.
Based on market analysis in Catawba County, overall property values have increased countywide by 69 percent since the previous revaluation in 2019. Residential value has increased 64 percent, and commercial value has increased 75 percent. The values for all properties throughout the county will change at different rates; some will experience changes in value greater than the countywide increase, and some will experience changes in value less than this increase depending on property type and market area.
Revaluation does not determine how much a citizen will pay in property taxes. Property tax is determined by both property value and tax rate, and the tax rate is set by the Catawba County Board of Commissioners through the annual budget process every June following a formal analysis of the county’s budgetary requirements.
In North Carolina, counties are required to conduct revaluation at least once every eight years. Because market-driven trends can become more pronounced over time, most counties in North Carolina follow shorter revaluation cycles. Catawba County moved to a four-year cycle in 1999 to provide stability and help avoid “sticker shock” by balancing the more significant fluctuations in market value that tend to accompany longer periods between revaluations.
An appeals process will be available for property owners who disagree with their assessment. The process begins with an informal appeal, which can be requested after notices are mailed either online at www.catawbacountync.gov, by calling the Catawba County Revaluation Appointment Line at (828) 282-2009, or by completing the form on the back of the valuation notice and mailing it to the Catawba County Tax Office.
Appeals not resolved during the informal appeal process may be appealed to the Catawba County Board of Equalization and Review, then to the North Carolina Property Tax Commission, and finally to the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
Tax relief programs are available to residents who qualify. To learn more, visit the Tax Relief page on the Catawba County website.
For additional questions or clarification on any aspect of the revaluation process, property owners are encouraged to call the Catawba County Revaluation Appointment Line at (828) 282-2009.
View the 2023 Catawba County Revaluation presentation and learn more about revaluation here.