Taxpayer One-Pager · Combined property tax
What an Asheville-area homeowner actually pays in FY2027
Your bill stacks up across three governments at once. Here is the whole stack for the year now beginning.
Bills revert to 2021 values after the state reappraisal freeze · county & schools rates amended July 14, 2026; city rate amended to 50.78¢ July 15 (now final) · Prepared 2026-06-29, updated 2026-07-16
Update — bills revert to 2021 values; all three rates are now re-set
A new state law forced Buncombe off its 2026 revaluation and back to 2021 property values for this year's bills. On July 14 the county amended its rate to 61.54¢ and Asheville City Schools to 11.75¢ on that older base. On July 15 the City of Asheville re-set its own rate on 2021 values too, amending it to 50.78¢, so the full in-city stack below is now settled at 124.07¢ per $100. Bills are delayed and will post at tax.buncombenc.gov.
If you own a home inside the City of Asheville, you pay property tax to three governments on the same house: the city, Buncombe County, and the Asheville City Schools district. All three FY2027 rates are now set on 2021 values — city 50.78¢ plus county 61.54¢ plus schools 11.75¢, or 124.07 cents per $100.
The stack — inside the City of Asheville
Bar shows all three FY2027 rates on 2021 values (124.07¢ combined), including the City of Asheville rate council amended to 50.78¢ on July 15.
The nominal rates went UP, but on the OLD (lower) 2021 values — here's why
A 2026 revaluation would have raised assessed values sharply and set lower rates on top. The state froze that revaluation, so bills stay on 2021 values — the same base as last year — and each government raised its rate on that base to fund its adopted budget. The honest yardstick is last year's bill on the same 2021 value: the county share went from 54.66¢ to 61.54¢ (about 12.6% up) and Asheville City Schools from 11.00¢ to 11.75¢. The city's FY26 rate on this base was 44.19¢; on July 15 it re-set its FY27 rate to 50.78¢, up about 14.9% on the same 2021 value. Use your 2021 assessed value to see your actual bill.
What that costs by home value (in-city)
| Assessed value (2021) | County (61.54¢) | Schools (11.75¢) | City (50.78¢) | Total / year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $1,846 | $353 | $1,523 | $3,722 |
| $400,000 | $2,462 | $470 | $2,031 | $4,963 |
| $500,000 | $3,077 | $588 | $2,539 | $6,204 |
| $600,000 | $3,692 | $705 | $3,047 | $7,444 |
Property tax only, rounded to the nearest dollar. All three are the amended 2021-value rates — county and Asheville City Schools adopted July 14, the city (50.78¢) adopted July 15 — a combined 124.07¢ per $100. Use your home's 2021 assessed value (bills revert to the 2021 schedule).
If you live OUTSIDE the city limits
In unincorporated Buncombe County you skip the city rate but pay the county plus the new Unified Fire District rate — which replaced the old patchwork of 20 fire districts this year. These are the final 2021-value rates; no city vote is pending for them.
| Who you are | Base rate / $100 | On a $500,000 home (2021 value) |
|---|---|---|
| Inside City of Asheville | 124.07¢ | $6,204 |
| Unincorporated county (county + 17.38¢ fire) | 78.92¢ | $3,946 |
| Unincorporated county (county only) | 61.54¢ | $3,077 |
New this year: the single Unified Fire District (17.38¢) replaced 20 separate fire districts, so most homeowners outside the cities now pay one common fire rate instead of their old district's rate. Residents of other towns pay the county plus that town's own rate. The in-city line adds county + Asheville City Schools plus the city's amended 50.78¢, a combined 124.07¢; on a $500K 2021 value that in-city total is $6,204.
How the rates got here — the state reappraisal freeze
A state law, SB 889 (signed June 19, 2026), froze the 2026 revaluation for a year for a short list of counties, forcing Buncombe back to old (2021) values. A follow-up, SB 474 (Session Law 2026-47, signed July 7, 2026), would have let Buncombe keep the 2026 values only at a revenue-neutral rate of about 40¢ — a roughly $24.8 million cut sweeping in the city and the county's towns. On July 14, 2026 the commissioners chose the moratorium instead: bill on 2021 values and reset the nominal rates higher on the old base (county 61.54¢, Asheville City Schools 11.75¢, Unified Fire 17.38¢). The City of Asheville took the same vote for its own rate at a July 15 special meeting, amending it to 50.78¢ on 2021 values, so the in-city total is now final at 124.07¢. Bills are delayed; appeals of the 2026 values are held for the next reappraisal.
The bottom line
Outside the city, an unincorporated-county homeowner pays a combined 78.92 cents per $100 in FY2027 — about $3,946 on a $500,000 home (county 61.54¢ + fire 17.38¢). Inside the city, city + county + Asheville City Schools come to 124.07¢ ($6,204 on $500K), now that the city amended its rate to 50.78¢ on July 15. The state freeze put everyone back on 2021 values, so the increase shows up plainly in the rate rather than the assessment: the county share alone rose from 54.66¢ to 61.54¢, and the city from 44.19¢ to 50.78¢.
Sources: Buncombe County News Flash No. 1049 (July 14, 2026), amending the FY2027 rates on 2021 values after the SB 889 reappraisal freeze — county 61.54¢, Unified Fire District 17.38¢, Asheville City Schools 11.75¢; Mountain Xpress and Public Radio East (July 15, 2026). SB 474 (Session Law 2026-47) would have allowed 2026 values only at a revenue-neutral ~40¢ county rate (a ~$24.8M cut); commissioners chose the 2021-value path instead. The City of Asheville amended its FY2027 rate to 50.78¢ on 2021 values at a July 15 special meeting (City of Asheville and WLOS, July 15, 2026), superseding the June figures (city 37.69¢ on 2026 values). FY26 rates on the same 2021 base were county 54.66¢, city 44.19¢, schools 11.00¢. Examples use 2021 assessed values, before any exemptions or deferments (such as homestead or elderly relief), and exclude separate stormwater, solid-waste, and other municipal fees.