As you do your financial planning for the next few years, there’s one large cost that you should plan on: A hefty increase in the property taxes that you pay in Guilford County.
It’s true that the coming tax increase will come on the heels of 2022, a year when many county residents saw their property tax bills jump 25 or 30 percent as a result of the countywide property revaluation.
In 2022, property values had jumped tremendously from previous years, and that dramatically increased the cost of property tax bills because the Guilford County Board of Commissioners decided not to adjust the tax rate downward to account for the increased property values, but instead decided to leave the tax rate at the same level and take all that newly generated money and spend it.
By not adjusting the rate, the board took in the equivalent of a 14-cent property tax hike per every $100 dollars of assessed property value – thought to be, by far, the largest tax increase in the history of Guilford County.
Even with that extra $92 million dollars coming in each and every year, residents can expect a new tax hike in 2026. That’s because, the county is having a new revaluation a year earlier than was called for.
Guilford County Tax Director Ben Chavis said this week that work on the next reevaluation is already going strong and that it had been for some time.
“Things have leveled off some,” Chavis said when it came to the prices of houses.
However, he added that property values now reflected on the tax rolls, when compared to actual amounts brought by sales in the real estate market, are on average currently only catching about 70 percent of the true market value of homes, businesses and other property.
However much your home and business property value increases in next year’s revaluation will depend on several factors such as location, market conditions, zoning, comparable sales, any home improvements, etc.
However, given the average prices reflected on the county’s tax books, and the current real estate market, it might be a good guestimate to take your current property tax bill and plan for your 2026 bill – and the bills in the years after that – to be 30 percent higher than the current level.
Guilford County is on a five-year reevaluation cycle so the county wasn’t supposed to have another revaluation until 2027.
However, by state law, after countywide property revaluations, the assessed numbers must be checked against the prices of actual home sales and, if the actual sales are on average less than 20 percent of the county’s values, or more than 20 percent of those values, the county must conduct another revaluation regardless of its actual revaluation schedule.
That’s why Guilford County is having another revaluation – in 2026 – sooner than planned.
Of course, it’s always possible that the current Democrat-majority board, could do what the Republican board did years ago when Guilford County conducted a revaluation and the Republicans were calling the shots. That board adjusted the county’s tax rate downward to a “revenue-neutral” level. That is, they held taxpayers harmless and essentially kept the county revenues – and people’s property tax bills – at the same levels they were before.
While it’s theoretically possible, the current Democrat led board could do that as well next year, since this board took charge from the Republicans four years ago, the current board has shown no inclination to do anything of that sort. Instead, it has shown a strong compulsion to take in as much revenue as it can, give big raises and attractive benefits to all county employees, approve every spending measure county staff brings before it, assume more than $2 billion in bond debt, and grow and grow the county budget year after year.
In the last four years, since the Democrats took over control the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, the board has increased the county budget by roughly $200 million – more than four times greater than the previous Republican-led Board of Commissioners did in the eight years controlling the board from 2012 to 2020.
And, for Chairman Skip Alston and his loyal band of Democrats, there’s nothing at all that suggests that spending will slow down anytime soon.
Besides, if the board didn’t let these “hidden” tax increases take place, the current commissioners would actually have to take public votes to massively increase the tax rate to pay for all their spending, and they seem to, instead, enjoy a great deal stating proudly, “We have never voted to raise the tax rate!”
Any reevaluation should be revenue neutral.
Gosh, just think how many more votes Skip can buy with increased taxes. Life can’t get any better in Guilford County!
We moved from PA and purchased a home in Julian (Guilford) in 2005. A lot of things have changed, both here and in Greensboro. When we moved here, Greensboro was a safe place, the crime seem to be relatively low. However, that all has changed within the past 10 years and not for the better. Greensboro was once a nice city. However, with the high violent crimes, the high county and property taxes, and being a “sanctuary” city, my husband and I are finding it harder and harder to justify living in this county. We just read, in one of your recent articles, that Guilford County had a “surplus” of millions of dollars (from property taxes) and they “gave it away” to the boards “pet” non-profits organization. Then to read the board wants to increase our property taxes AGAIN! This is insane! The people who voted these “tax and spend” dems, on this board, are to blame! We don’t NEED a city or county that wants to increase taxes so their pet projects can stay the course. We need “responsible” people on the board! We need a mayor that wants a safe city for everyone! We need DA’s willing to put those persons behind bars! Frankly, I don’t think the people in Guilford Country are getting their money’s worth!
Exactly I am currently trying to hold people responsible for letting an illegal gang member go after I had to solve my own case of breaking and entering and destruction of private property. They want to increase your tax rate which is supposed to go for the police handling such cases but then when you have to solve them yourself and the department of public safety decides not to prosecute then you have to take it to the DA and they decide to prosecute but then person is already left the state and he can’t afford to fix your property back up our government is way to corrupt they don’t care about the people unless it’s themselves
A duh moment. It is the parasitic VOTERS who are responsible. And, the apathetic and uninformed electorate that doesn’t bother to vote. We have a majority minority population in Guilford County; they are voting themselves a free lunch.
Our Republic, use it or lose it.
The Left represent the interests of the state, always implementing whatever will enrich and empower government.
The Right represents the interests of the citizens, generally implementing whatever will protect the rights and income of the people.
You can thank your race-baiter extraordinare, Skippy and the condescending white liberals that kowtow to his bs. Nancy blamed ‘gun shows’ and police for the rise in violence. Said the riot was ‘peaceful’, after paying a couple hundred thousand dollars to the merchants that were vandalized and ripped off! Are we headed for a similar fate to the travesties in WNC and Los Angeles? Same cultural Marxist types! Destroying the meritocracy and freedoms in America and the World!
You wish. Excepting the Rinos that have allowed about 30 years of graft and the disappearance of at least
10 trillion dollars from the Pentagon that went into someone’s bank accounts.
I didn’t say Republicans.
I said “The Right”.
RINOs are fake conservatives.
This is good a definition as any other, or better.
California here we come…….
You wish. Excepting the Rinos that have allowed about 30 years of graft and the disappearance of at least
10 trillion dollars from the Pentagon that went into someone’s bank accounts.
I concur.
The property tax rate is $0.73 per $100 in Guilford County for 2025 vs $0.49 per $100 in Wake county vs $0.53 per $100 in Meck County. Median family income in Guilford County is about $65 K vs $103 K in Wake vs about $85K in Meck county. Guilford has the lowest median family income of the 3 largest counties in NC and yet has the highest property tax rate by a huge amount. The poverty rate in Greensboro is about 18%. Remember that property owners are not going to eat that property tax but will pass thru to renters. Many renters in Greensboro with only about 53% of homes being owner occupied vs the state at around 65%. The homeless population jumped by 42% in Greensboro from January 2023 to 2024. Wake and Meck counties jumped by about 8-9%. The state was up about 19%.
Guilford County, North Carolina has a 14% eviction rate, which is the fourth highest in the state. The North Carolina Housing Coalition ranks counties from 1 to 100, with 1 being the highest eviction rate and 100 being the lowest.
If you buy a new car at the average price of $47,000, you will pay $120 per year more in property taxes for that car in Guilford County than you will in Wake County. For a $$300K house, you will pay about $750/year more in property taxes.
One in five citizens in N.C. are now over the age of 65. They are on fixed incomes with the average Social Security being about $1900/month. Only 10% have pensions. Savings average under $200K. Of those over 75 years of age, about 81% are women living alone. COLA (cost of living annual increases) are about 2.5%.
The over 65 age is the fastest growing population in N.C. The citizens of Guilford County cannot afford to continue this pace of spend, spend, spend by this Democrat controlled Board, especially with inflation over the past few years the worst it’s been in 40 years. Property taxes are up. Auto and home insurance is up. Heating/cooling bills are up. Grocery bills are up. The people are struggling and the Board continues merrily on their way.
Thank you Democrat controlled Guilford County Board of Commissioners…..NOT!!
we keep telling the commisioners the same thing over and over again. They do not care!!!!. Get ready to bend over again. Your letter is right on target, but they have a way to keep the target moving so we all miss, and pay the price for others who have nothing to loose and reap all the benefits of the hard working taxpayers.
They DO care for the faithful.
We are seniors. There is now way most people on fixed incomes can survive all the whammies. Sell the house, and rent to the end. Move in with the kids (the horror). Or just die.
Amen. You are pricing the elderly out of their homes.
Historically through the sixties, seventies and onward, Guilford County conducted a property re-evaluation every eight years that resulted in increased property values. To maintain tax stability following re-evaluation Greensboro reduced its tax rate to an amount basically where it was at the start of the last eight year valuation, followed by annual rate increases throughout the ensuing eight years period, until it was again at a point requiring a downward tax rate adjustment. The result was that individual property taxes remained stable – this year’s tax bill wasn’t far different from last year’s tax.
Beginning after the 2012 re-evaluation Greensboro stopped lowering its tax rate, which afforded an opportunity to grow its budget and increase its expenditures in new areas. For each property owner this has resulted in an ever growing annual tax bill.
2025 is a City Council election year. Taxpayers should demand of all candidates a return to fiscal sanity that existed before 2012.
I do believe the biggest reason for this is the majority of the County population live in the incorporated areas. And when you have the likes of Skippy and his minions on the Board, elected by the majority of of County citizens that just so happen to live in the cities, it’s a rigged game.
‘Oh but we need money for schools, for law enforcement, for all our pet projects that supplement and support those leeches that we give money to that happen (cough, cough) to live in the cities. So quite bi**hing and give us your money. We deserve it while you deserve nothing!’
Carpe Diem! Sic semper tyrannis!
We should restructure Guilford County and the rest of the state to follow the Commonwealth model like Virginia and several other states. You either live in a city or town or you live in the county and you only pay taxes for either the county or the town you live in and not both. For example, if you live in the Greensboro city limits you only pay taxes to Greensboro and not the county. If you live in an unincorporated part of Guilford County and not in any of the towns, e.g., High Point, Summerfield, Oak Ridge, etc. you will only pay taxes to the county.
This has always been the case in VA. This affects the way schools in VA are financed. Underperforming schools are the biggest drain on Guilford taxpayers.
Simple solution: VOTE REPUBLICAN
Thanks for sharing some very interesting and useful information. APATHY is the one thing Skip and his minions count on. It’s high time we all stood up together and elected new leaders that embrace our values and needs. Get out to vote and bring your neighbors with you.
So they can afford to pay the teachers, police, and animal shelter at last.
That’s funny… I thought those people already received a salary. And healthcare. And Rolls-Royce retirement plans – that they receive after just 30 years!
Our teachers work 9 months a year, average well over $50,000 a year, and are the worst performing in the Western World.
No, the truth is that there is never enough money to satisfy the rapacious greed of government and the Parasitic Sector. Which is why our taxes always go up, year after year.
Teachers generally work 10 months. The pay is for 10 month’s work, not 12. How many can make it with a gross of $50,000 year? Our two SS checks are more than that; pay no income tax, so it’s gross, not net.
With nothing but monthly expenses, you’d think we have enough. Two people can’t make it on that. Mebbe in a shack with beans & rice, one crappy car, and one of those cheap Medicare (Advantage) plans that are NFG. Need a water pump for your car? Put it on the card.
I feel better now.
50 Grand is plenty for NINE months’ work – if you can call it work. They talk to kids all day. It ain’t working down a mine, or in a factory.
And I’m sorry you can’t manage your finances, Miller, even though you receive Social Security in excess of $50,000 a year. Wow. What’s the problem?
No probleno, senyor. We get approx the average SS payments. Todays’ cost of living is even higher every day. If you own a house, you know the drill. It’s always something. Last year, a our top-rated dishwasher failed in it’s third year. Our car was rear ended, and had to be replaced at more money. Now, our oven has failed. “It’s always something”.
Having been married to school teacher, I can tell you that the teacher’s workday is pure hell, especially in Guilford County. Most new teachers drop out pretty quickly. Those near retirement just hang on, as someone who has nothing to lose. Thus many of the staff are incompetent. Their year really is ten months, working into June, beginning in mid-August. Es verdad.
I never discuss my finances, religion, or politics with anyone; a very good policy.
I travel incognito on this forum.
Ah… your wife was a teacher. That explains your position. “Educators” know which side their bread is buttered.
Chris’s wife works (or worked) in the government schools, which also explains some of his claims.
Not sure I’d want anything in common with Chris, though…
Austin, it was my EX-wife who was a teacher. 34 years. At the end of the 1959 year, I even had my High School teacher said that education “has been ruined”. You know what happened in the school system at that time. She said she was not coming back.
I also have two relatives who work in schools. One could tell you what goes on in the cafeteria, and who is responsible for the “goings on”.
There is no tax rate that is too high for Emperor Skippy and his Democrat cronies.
Whodothunk this would happen?
Am I glad to be out of the County. I close on the sale of my house this month.
SIMPLE SOLUTION: VOTE FOR A REPUBLICAN CITY COUNCIL AND COUNTY BOARD !
I would have a stroke if there wasn`t or. dare I say, a tax decrease!
Eliminate district voting. All candidates should run at-large. District voting keeps Skip Alston and others like him on the Board. The same is true of Greensboro. It is easier to convince a district’s population to vote a certain way, especially when the population is low information voters. Voting at-large increases the likelihood that informed voters will outweigh the low information voter. Blacks live vicariously through Skip Alston and other Black elected officials. This may give them a “sense of power.” A “sense of power” does not translate into betterment, as the “sense of power” is false. As some point out with an element of glee, Whites are now the minority, therefore, district voting no longer makes for good judgment as it results in the election of Skip Alston, Deena Hayes-Greene, Goldie Wells, and Sharon Hightower.
New schools positions of power brand new community centers projects aimed at bettering our community is not a “sense of power” it’s actual power that we wield like we are supposed to. We put our people in position to have better jobs inside county government. Those people in turn help out the communities they live in or are from. These are some of the most influential black people in the country who have Presidential candidates come and create relationships. In turn we are able to lure large corporations that come and employ people in this city which is 45% black with high paying jobs and status. It’s not a figment of our imagination. We are better off under Skip than any year under Billy Yow.
City 13 days into the New Year 6 murders that’s a great selling point for people to hear.
And by the way in case you missed it,DEI is on the way out and affirmative action is ending
And
Trump got re-elected
Please explain how we are “better off.” Our schools are a disaster, our property taxes are the highest in NC, and many of those companies that have moved into the area are destroying our environment, all after bring given millions of our tax dollars to locate here. And if the truth beknown, other locations did not court these businesses because they do destroy the environment. It is a personal opinion that Black leadership always lives and reacts in the moment with little vision to the future. That’s why the area has become a cesspool; Black leadership and Whites that are Black wannabes to get elected in a White minority population. A very large percentage of the Black population has a chip on their shoulder and your comment reflects that. Your comment confirms that Blacks have been given jobs in local governments because they are Black not because they are the most qualified. This is payback for when Greensboro and Guilford County were majority White and voted for the most qualified candidates for office.
Hey Term Limits Have you ever noticed how big city seems to disappear when he gets the dirty diaper hung in front of his nose
Looking at top Guilford County employee salaries. In 2019, 26 Guilford County employees made $113K or more. In 2024, 33 Guilford County employees made $150K or more. Michael Halford was making $139k as an assistant director manager in 2019. The position of County Manager was making $209K in 2019. In 2024, Michael Halford was making $278K as County Manager. There are similar percent increases with folks like Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers and Guilford County Tax Director Ben Chavis and many others.
The N.C. governor’s salary was $203K in 2024.
These salaries of top Guilford County employees are ludicrous driving up property taxes. Pay up fixed income folks over age 65 of Guilford County!! While you have a fixed income of $1900/month on Social Security, these folks deserve your tax payer dollars for their salaries!! After all, the median family income in Guilford County is $65K !!!
Thank you Guilford County Democrat Board of Commissioners….NOT!!
The Parasitic Sector is doing very well. The Productive Sector is still struggling to recover from COVID.
That’s how it works when you can just point a gun at our head, and force us to hand over our hard earned cash.
George Washington said something like “Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force.” And, like a common street thief, it forces us to surrender the money we have earned.
Public schools are the real reason that our property taxes increase. A simple Google search of any county property tax allocation in America will show similar disproportion with public schools choke hold on property tax revenue.
Your CITY property taxes DO NOT fund public schools. Yet the tax rate $0.6725 cents per $100 is very close to the county rate. I could not find an allocation chart for the CITY property taxes. Police, Fire, Streets, Water, Sewer, and a lot of welfare programs.
Allocation of COUNTY not CITY Tax Dollars
COUNTY TAX RATE $0.7305 cents:
* 57% School System $0.4153
* 19% Sheriff and EMS $0.1420
* 12% Public Health, Social Services, Behavioral Health $0.0841
* 12% All other COUNTY Departments and COUNTY Debt service $0.0891
FAKE NEWS. REPUBLICANS CONTROL THE TAXES – NOT DEMOCRATS. REPUBLICANS WHO ARE CORRUPT GOT CAUGHT JACKING UP EVERYONE’S TAX, EXCEPT THEMSELVES.
NC Republican state legislature has decreased the NC state income tax rate from 5.25% in 2021 to 3.99% in 2026. I say Republican because only 5 Democrats voted for this in the 2023 state budget. This decrease equates to about $820/year cumulative tax savings for Guilford County households on average. Wake County equates to about $1,250/year income tax savings since their households make much more than Guilford County.
Bottom line: Our Republican state legislature is saving Guilford County residents tax dollars in the NC Incime tax while the Democrat Guilford County d Board is jacking up county property taxes.
No s*)t.
Guilford County schools are a mess. Guilford County and the city of Greensboro are messes. Do you think it may be because Whites are now the minority?
Right on, TermLimits. Any society’s destiny is determined by the calibre of its people.
Intelligent, industrious resourceful people invariably create prosperous, stable and content societies (eg Japan).
Unintelligent, idle, feckless people invariably create societies that are mired in poverty, internecine violence, disease, and chronic political instability (eg Somalia).
In the long haul this dynamic is undeniable. Africa is the richest continent in the World in natural resources. Europe (the home continent of all whites) has nothing but coal. But the difference could not be more stark. It’s the people.
Can you say South Africa? The change is palpable. I have a theory regarding maintaining a culture, any culture. The race of the country must maintain 75% of its founding population in order to safeguard its culture and to ensure tranquility. The founding population of the US was White from Europe. There have been other cultures that have made their way to the US but up and until 1965, Whites were the predominate population. Look at the European countries now. They are losing their culture. Why? Because the populations have been overrun by immigrants.
Yes, Ted Kennedy’s immigration reform has a lot to answer for.
When South Africa and Rhodesia were run by Europeans those countries were prosperous First World nations, despite suffocating international sanctions (and Rhodesia was landlocked). South Africa had to erect fences on its border to stop Africans from neighboring states illegally entering the country, despite the hue & cry about Apartheid.
Sad to say, the RSA is now rapidly becoming a failed state.
And I nearly emigrated to Cape Town, a stunningly beautiful city with a perfect climate and – back then – a fabulous quality of life. They can’t even keep the electricity on 24/7 any more.
So sad. So sad.
The population of K-12 students in Guilford County is 88,100. The enrollment of K-12 students in GCS is about 68,900 for 2024-25. This enrollment is down and may continue to decrease as more parents enroll their students in private schools, charter schools, and home schooling. The school voucher could decrease GCS enrollments even further. Growth rates of the Guilford County population is much lower than counties such as Wake and Mecklenburg. Over the last 17 years, birth rates have decreased about 25% in the USA.
The county leadership needs to understand the implications of decreasing student enrollment in the GCS system and make plans accordingly. Otherwise, huge spends will result in less efficient use of the tax payer dollar. Schools are critical and reiterate that future enrollments need to be understood with an aging population.
Skippy spends more and more property tax money on schools and school construction. Why? Because his close friend is Deena Hayes-Greene and both believe that more money will teach kids how to read and write and become good citizens. Has anyone looked at Skippy’s educational background? It is my understanding that Skippy was told that without the sales tax increase, Guilford County would not be able to repay the second round of borrowed bond money. Well, the sales tax increase did not pass. Let’s see how Skippy addresses that.
Can you say higher property tax
Revolution?
From the Declaration of Independence (a Founding Document of this country)…
“The history of the present King of Great Britain (writer’s note: aka Skip Alston) is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States (writer’s note: replace “States” with County). To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.”
“For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:”
Sic Simper Tyranis
If you like and want lower-or revenue neutral-property taxes, you MUST VOTE FOR REPUBLICANS. There is a reason why the dems are know as the the party of Tax and Spend. They have an insatiable, ravenous appetite for YOUR MONEY. REPUBLICANS know how to get 7 cents of value and benefit for every 5 cents of revenue. 4 times voters have turned down a sales tax increase. Yet voters approved $3 BILLION dollars for schools. Ole Skippy, the county and school board (controlled by dems) worked together to lie to voters about the school bond. At least that is what a NC judge said. That school bond requires the money be spent within 10 years and repaid within 20 years after being spent. That means a child born TODAY, will be 30 years old with a family of their own will still paying for this bond. The bond is for $3 BILLION but payments will total $4 BILLION or more.
When REPUBLICANS were in charge in Guilford, they REDUCED taxes several times. With dems in control, the county has INCREASED TAXES by more than $400 Million PLUS the county got more than $100 Million in Covid money. What the hell happened to all this money? They hired more DEI and other employees to fatten the county budget. GC Commissioners raised their salaries by over 50% a few years ago while giving employees meager raises of 3 to 4 %. We just had a landslide election where Americans took back control of the federal government and governments across the US. It is time to THROWN THE DEMS OUT OF OFFICE IN THE NEXT ELECTION. Then keep them out! That is, unless, you want to continue paying higher and higher taxes and continue to see dems spend your hard earned tax money like drunken sailors. I mean no disrespect to drunken sailors because at least they spend their own money. They don’t pick your pockets until lint is the only thing left. Guilford and NC taxpayers should THROW THE BUMS OUT and put REPUBLICANS BACK IN CHARGE. You can’t afford to do anything else. STAND UP AMERICA!!!
Restoring at-large voting for Greensboro City Council should become an election campaign issue this year. Present council members are likely to oppose a change from the present district system that elected them so any effort to make a change will need to be undertaken by the citizens. Race should not be an issue if at-large voting is adopted since blacks now comprise a greater population percentage than whites. Further, at-large voting should result in a larger candidate field and greater voter turnout.
Why would you expect anything less? There’s nothing like participation raises, right.