A Wilmington home pays 63.35 cents per $100 in 2026 property taxes, Leland 59.20 cents and Carolina Beach 47.32 cents. Schools, values, services.
Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Sources: New Hanover County’s Historic Tax Rates, Brunswick County’s Tax Rates, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 school test data, New Hanover County Schools’ School Locator, the Zillow Home Value Index (Zillow Research), the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates and the towns’ own service pages, linked below.
Leland, about nine miles west across the Cape Fear River, and Carolina Beach, about 12 miles south, are the two incorporated towns among Wilmington’s nearest neighbors. Leland is in Brunswick County; Carolina Beach is in New Hanover County, like Wilmington. That one line decides a household’s county tax rate, school district and many services. Every figure below comes from an official source for the same year in all three places. The other nearby places on our neighbors page, Myrtle Grove and Murraysville, are unincorporated communities governed by New Hanover County, with no town tax or town services to compare.
What this means for you
- Property tax, 2026: 63.35 cents per $100 of assessed value in Wilmington, 59.20 cents in Leland and 47.32 cents in Carolina Beach, county and town rates combined.
- Schools: Wilmington and Carolina Beach are in New Hanover County Schools; Leland is in Brunswick County Schools.
- Home values: Zillow’s typical value in August 2026 was $384,364 in Leland, $419,038 in Wilmington and $603,767 in Carolina Beach.
Property tax rates
North Carolina rates are set per $100 of assessed value, and one county bill carries both the county and the town rate. Rates for 2026, from New Hanover County’s Historic Tax Rates table and Brunswick County’s Tax Rates table:
| Rate per $100 | Wilmington | Leland | Carolina Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| County | 30.20 cents (New Hanover) | 34.20 cents (Brunswick) | 30.20 cents (New Hanover) |
| City or town | 33.15 cents | 25.00 cents | 17.12 cents |
| Combined | 63.35 cents | 59.20 cents | 47.32 cents |
| On a home assessed at $300,000 | $1,900.50 | $1,776.00 | $1,419.60 |
| Town rate in 2025 | 28.25 cents | 27.00 cents | 14.17 cents |
Parts of downtown Wilmington also pay a 5-cent Municipal Service District rate. Each county sets assessed values in its own revaluation, so the same house can carry a different assessed value on each side of the river. North Carolina’s property tax relief programs for older, disabled and veteran homeowners are state programs, applied for through the county: see New Hanover County’s Tax Department and Brunswick County’s Property Tax Relief Programs. More in our property taxes guide.
City and town tax rates chart
Schools
Results are the share of state end-of-course tests at grade level in 2025-26, from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s school test data. Statewide, 59.6% were at grade level. School names link to their NC School Report Cards.
| Place | District | High school | Tests at grade level, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wilmington | New Hanover County Schools | John T. Hoggard High, 33% of city addresses | 69.8% |
| Wilmington | New Hanover County Schools | Eugene Ashley High, 9% of city addresses | 62.2% |
| Wilmington | New Hanover County Schools | Emsley A. Laney High, 4% of city addresses | 57.1% |
| Wilmington | New Hanover County Schools | New Hanover High, 55% of city addresses | 43.6% |
| Leland | Brunswick County Schools | North Brunswick High, in Leland | 60.3% |
| Carolina Beach | New Hanover County Schools | Eugene Ashley High, all town addresses | 62.2% |
The Wilmington and Carolina Beach shares come from every residential address in New Hanover County’s address points checked against the zone map behind the district’s School Locator on Oct. 11. For a Leland address, use Brunswick County Schools’ attendance areas lookup. Both districts also run early college high schools that admit students by application. More in our schools guide.
Home values
From the Zillow Home Value Index, city series, a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes, not a sale price:
| Wilmington | Leland | Carolina Beach | |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | $419,038 | $384,364 | $603,767 |
| August 2025 | $419,345 | $384,687 | $594,740 |
| Change | down 0.1% | down 0.1% | up 1.5% |
More in our home prices guide and, for areas inside the city, our neighborhoods guide.
Population, income and commute
From the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates, the same survey for all three. Follow each town’s QuickFacts page for the full profile.
| Wilmington | Leland | Carolina Beach | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 120,805 | 29,607 | 6,745 |
| Median household income | $66,738 | $91,977 | $94,398 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $383,800 | $398,900 | $566,200 |
| Mean travel time to work | 18.5 minutes | 24.7 minutes | 22.1 minutes |
The Census home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, so it differs from Zillow’s figure.
Who provides services
| Service | Wilmington | Leland | Carolina Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Police | Wilmington Police Department | Leland Police Department | Carolina Beach Police Department |
| Fire | Wilmington Fire Department | Town of Leland Fire Department, which also covers Belville and unincorporated northern Brunswick County | Carolina Beach Fire and Ocean Rescue |
| Trash | City Solid Waste Services, billed through Cape Fear Public Utility Authority | Brunswick County curbside service, collected by GFL Environmental (county solid waste page) | GFL Environmental under contract with the town, $26.79 a month on the town utility bill (trash page) |
Wilmington’s trash details are in our trash and recycling guide, and its departments are in who to call at City Hall.
How to check an address
- Which town and tax district a parcel is in: New Hanover County’s property search for Wilmington and Carolina Beach; Brunswick County’s property tax records search for Leland. A Wilmington or Leland mailing address can be outside the town limits.
- Which schools serve it: New Hanover County Schools’ School Locator; Brunswick County Schools’ attendance areas lookup.
- What the tax bill will be: multiply the assessed value on the county record by the combined rate above and divide by 100. The county tax office can confirm the figure: New Hanover County Tax Department, 910-798-7300.
Frequently asked questions
Are property taxes lower in Leland or Wilmington?
The 2026 rate is lower in Leland: 59.20 cents per $100 of assessed value (Brunswick County 34.20 plus the town’s 25), against 63.35 cents in Wilmington (New Hanover County 30.20 plus the city’s 33.15). The two counties set assessed values in separate revaluations.
What is the property tax rate in Carolina Beach?
For 2026, 47.32 cents per $100 of assessed value: New Hanover County’s 30.20 cents plus the Town of Carolina Beach’s 17.12 cents, according to New Hanover County’s tax rate table.
What high school serves Carolina Beach?
Eugene Ashley High. All 7,871 residential addresses in Carolina Beach are zoned for Ashley on New Hanover County Schools’ zone map. In 2025-26, 62.2% of its state tests were at grade level.
Is Leland in New Hanover County?
No. Leland is in Brunswick County, across the Cape Fear River from Wilmington, so it has Brunswick County taxes and Brunswick County Schools. Carolina Beach is in New Hanover County, like Wilmington.
What is the typical home value in Leland, Carolina Beach and Wilmington?
In August 2026, according to the Zillow Home Value Index: $384,364 in Leland, $419,038 in Wilmington and $603,767 in Carolina Beach.
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