Rutherford County has some of the lowest tax rates in western North Carolina. For the properties we offer, the only tax due each year is county property tax. That is it. No city tax, no school tax, no impact fees. You're probably thinking "That's more like it", and we couldn't agree more. We enjoy a low cost of living, good schools, good roads, beautiful land with mountain views, rivers, creeks and streams, good healthcare, good climate, good restaurants, friendly, helpful people....and property pricing that can't be matched. Buying property here is a no brainer!

Property tax is based on assessed value using a fixed rate, plus adding a few more cents for the different fire departments districts. When the property is improved (i.e. when someone builds a house), the taxes go up because the assessed value rises. The base rate stays the same. The rate for Rutherford County is .62/100 (62¢ for every $100 of value), plus .07/100 for the fire department. In other words, if the county assessor says your property has a tax value of $100,000, then your taxes would be $690 per year. That's it.

Since we have been asked questions about Homestead Exemption many times, we’ll address them here. The only Homestead Exclusion currently offered by Rutherford County is for persons age 65 or older, a permanent resident of North Carolina, and having an income that does not exceed $26,500. Also, yes, there are state income taxes if you live here full time, which rise and fall with your income. The sales tax in Rutherford County is 6.75% on nonfood items, and 2% on food.

While we are on the topic of expenses, you'll find we also have low insurance rates. There are no natural disasters to insure against, like hurricanes, earthquakes, or flooding, so our rates stay quite reasonable.

We find the tax rates to be reasonable, and lower than many areas that we’ve heard about, especially from our buyers from both Florida and the northeast. Our general cost of living is very reasonable and less than many others pay, so come take a look at this beautiful area. It won’t cost you an arm and a leg.