Notices arriving as early as this week; appeal deadline May 11

By Nicole Bowman-Layton

EDENTON – Chowan County property owners could see updated property values in their mailboxes as early as the end of this week the county rolls out its 2026 property revaluation.

Ryan Vincent, owner of Vincent Valuations, presented the results to the Chowan County Board of Commissioners during the March 2 meeting, explaining how the new values were calculated, what they mean for taxpayers and how residents can appeal if they believe their assessment is incorrect.

The meeting was held at the Chowan County Public Safety Building on West Freemason Street. More on the meeting will appear in a future story.

Countywide, property values average an increase between 38% and 42% compared to 2022.

But officials stressed that a higher property value does not automatically mean taxes will increase by that same percentage.

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• 2026 Revaluation Key Dates

• Jan. 1, 2026
  Effective date of new property values

• Late this week / early next week
  Change-of-value notices mailed

• April 7, 2026
  Board of Equalization and Review begins hearing appeals

• May 11, 2026 — 5 p.m.
  Deadline to file an appeal with the Chowan County tax office

• Summer 2026
  First tax bills reflecting new values mailed

What is a revaluation

A revaluation — sometimes called a reappraisal — is the process of updating all real property in the county to reflect current market value as of a specific date. For this cycle, that date is Jan. 1, 2026.

Real property includes land and buildings permanently attached to the land. It does not include vehicles or other personal property.

Under North Carolina law, counties must conduct a revaluation at least once every eight years. Chowan County operates on a four-year cycle recommended by the state Department of Revenue, Vincent said.

The goal is fairness.

Different properties rise — or fall — in value at different rates. Without periodic revaluations, some property owners would end up paying more than their share while others would pay less.

“The tax office does not create market value,” Vincent told commissioners. “We’re simply taking a snapshot of what buyers and sellers are doing in the marketplace.”

How values were calculated

Work began in March 2024 with field data collection. Appraisers deal with about 13,000 parcels across the county, Vincent said.

Commissioners approved a “schedule of values” last fall, setting the formulas used to determine assessments.

Appraisers analyzed 452 valid sales from 2024 and 2025. The median sales ratio — comparing assessed value to actual sale price — was 99.04%, meaning assessments closely tracked what properties were selling for. The coefficient of dispersion, a measure of consistency, was 5.45%, indicating uniform results.

Appraisers do not conduct interior inspections, relying instead on exterior reviews and existing property records.

How much are values changing?

About 87% of properties in Chowan County will increase in value compared to 2022. Roughly 12% will decrease, and about 14% will change by less than 15%.

Individual properties may differ widely from the county average.

Examples presented to commissioners showed residential increases ranging from about 15% to more than 75%. Some manufactured homes more than doubled in sale price compared to prior assessed values. Commercial properties also showed significant gains in some cases.

Will taxes increase?

That depends on the tax rate.

A property tax bill is calculated by multiplying the assessed value by the tax rate. While the new values are now determined, the tax rate will be set during the county’s upcoming budget process. For those living in Edenton, the town will follow the same process when working on its upcoming budget. That process is in the very early stages at this time.

Because of that, officials say they cannot yet say how individual tax bills will be affected.

How to appeal

Vincent recommend a three-step process: Review, Compare, Appeal.

First, review the property record card to ensure details such as square footage and number of bedrooms are correct. Errors can often be corrected without filing a formal appeal.

Commissioner Larry McLaughlin said he found a minor error during the previous revaluation and had it corrected by visiting the tax office.

Second, compare your assessment with similar properties using sales data posted on the county’s GIS website.

If you still believe your value is inaccurate, file a formal appeal with the tax office. Once the appeals process opens, form will be available at the tax office and online. Include supporting evidence such as comparable sales, a recent appraisal or documentation of property damage.