Well, it was another Chamber of Commerce day here in Wake county…blue skies and I believe we hit the mid 70′s for a high temp…the best part is that today is November 9th!

I spent an enjoyable afternoon at Hemlock Bluffs Nature Preserve with a friend. This unique place in the middle of  Cary, NC  is full of beautiful natural vistas, interesting plants (including a large stand of Eastern Hemlock trees) and abundant animal life. We just stopped by for a stroll and a chat but I was amazed by the large nature education center. It was staffed by at least 3 uniformed attendants…who were answering kids’ questions and taking folks on guided walks along the 3 miles of trails.

Seriously, this such an unexpected spot. Just another example of what The Town of Cary has done right when it comes to the quality of life it provides to the residents here!

What?  No Public Schools in Cary? Of course there are public schools in Cary, in fact some of the best public schools in North Carolina are in Cary.  So what gives?

Here’s the thing . . Cary is a town located in Wake County and all of the public schools are operated by Wake County.  There’s no such thing as a ‘Town of Cary’ school.  Instead they are wake county managed schools located in Cary.  The same applies across the county, meaning there are no ‘Raleigh’ schools etc.    Yes it’s a technicality but many people that relocate to Cary have heard how great the Cary schools are and mistakenly think ‘Cary Schools’.  Another very important detail for someone relocating to the Cary area is to realize that due to the growth of the area and the ongoing construction of new schools, the county reviews the student assignment plan every year.  The bottom line is no one can guarantee the school that a particular home is assigned to will stay the same year after year.   The Cary area is home to over 20 elementary schools,  6 middle schools and 4 High Schools.  Here’s  a complete list of Wake County Schools.

Cary has the nicest parks in the area, the highest average income and more advanced degrees than other municipalities in the county, so it only makes sense it would have the highest property tax rate in Wake county, Right?  Well it’s false,  Cary does not have the highest property tax rate in wake county, in fact,   The Town of Cary has the LOWEST tax rate in Wake County!

I’ve overheard people comment “I can’t afford the property taxes in Cary”.    I think people look at all the great amenities that Cary provides and assume the taxes would be proportionality higher.  While it is true that homes in Cary are more expensive on average than many other parts of Wake County, the reality is a $300,000 tax valued home in Cary will cost you LESS in property taxes than any other town or city in Wake County!

So what is the tax rate and how is it calculated?

If you live in the Town of Cary then your annual property tax bill has

2 parts – the tax from wake county (which is currently a rate of .534 cents per $100 of tax value)  and the Town of Cary tax rate of .33 cents per $100 of tax value.   A home in Cary with a tax value of $300,000 would have an annual property tax bill of $2,592.

$300,000 divided by 100 = 3,000.

3,000 x 0.864 (combined county rate of .534 and Cary’s rate of 0.33) = $2,592

The county establishes the property’s tax value and must re-evaluate every 8 years.  The last re-evaluation was January 2008.  The Wake County website has great additional information on property taxes.

Curious how Cary compares to the other areas of Wake County?

This information current for the 2009 tax year and is subject to change year to year.