28557 Property Tax Rate
Morehead City, North Carolina · Part of Carteret County
Effective Tax Rate
0.42%
12.8% below state avgMedian Annual Tax
$1,387
$116/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$1,387
Monthly
$116
Eff. Rate
0.42%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 28557 means for your housing budget
Use this ZIP page to compare recurring tax burden before you compare listing prices. The numbers below are Census ZCTA estimates, so they are strongest for neighborhood comparison and weakest for parcel-specific tax planning.
Monthly escrow signal
$116/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.30 percentage points below the North Carolina average
North Carolina average: 0.71%
Data confidence
High confidenceThe Census margin of error is $56, about 4% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Carteret County assessor.
- Check homestead, senior, veteran, and disability exemptions.
- Ask whether purchase triggers reassessment or value-cap reset.
- Review school district and special assessment boundaries.
Lower-rate similar ZIPs
This is informational content, not tax, legal, or mortgage advice. Local assessor records remain the source of truth for a specific property.
Data confidence ledger
Can you trust ZIP 28557 for comparison?
ACS vintage
2019-2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
Five-year Census ZCTA estimates.
ZCTA caveat
Census area, not parcel boundary
USPS ZIP routes and taxing districts can differ inside the same area.
Field completeness
3/3 required fields
Median tax, home value, and derived rate are present.
MOE status
Strong ACS confidence
$56 tax MOE, 4% of the median tax estimate.
Last site refresh
March 10, 2026
Dataset and page-quality audit run locally before publication.
County fallback
County context only
Carteret County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 28557
Use the ZIP estimate to compare neighborhoods, then verify these parcel-level inputs before relying on a payment estimate.
Assessed value
The ZCTA median home value is $331,800, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 0.42%, derived from median tax paid divided by median home value.
Exemptions
Homestead, senior, veteran, disability, and local exemptions can reduce taxable value. Confirm eligibility before estimating escrow.
Reassessment
A purchase can change assessed value depending on North Carolina and county rules. Ask how sale price affects the next assessment cycle.
Escrow impact
The median tax paid in this ZCTA equals about $116 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Carteret County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 28557 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 28557
0.42%
Effective rate
North Carolina Avg
0.71%
Effective rate
National Avg
1.10%
Effective rate
State Ranking
Property Tax Rank in North Carolina
Lower than 95% of ZIP codes in North Carolina(5th percentile, 754 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 28557
Property owners in ZIP code 28557 (Morehead City, North Carolina) pay a median of $1,387/year in property taxes on homes valued at $331,800. This translates to an effective tax rate of 0.42%, which is 42% below the North Carolina state average of 0.71%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 28557 is approximately $116, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Carteret County. This is $204 less than the North Carolina average of $1,591/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in North Carolina, 28557 has higher property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 28774 (0.42%) and 28763 (0.42%).
In Morehead City, property taxes represent approximately 2.0% of the median household income of $67,753, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
If you're considering purchasing a home in 28557, keep in mind that property taxes are based on the assessed value assigned by the local assessor, which may differ from the purchase price. In some states, properties are reassessed at or near the sale price upon transfer of ownership. For the most current tax information for a specific property, consult Carteret County's tax assessor directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 28557?
How much are property taxes in Morehead City, NC (28557)?
How does ZIP 28557 compare to the North Carolina average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 28557?
What county is ZIP code 28557 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$56. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 28557 is part of Carteret County, North Carolina. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Carteret County on TaxByCounty →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 28557
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
28579
Smyrna, NC
0.08 percentage points lower than ZIP 28557.
Rate
0.34%
Tax
$1,414
Quality
77
28577
Sealevel, NC
0.02 percentage points lower than ZIP 28557.
Rate
0.40%
Tax
$1,778
Quality
67
28531
Harkers Island, NC
0.01 percentage points lower than ZIP 28557.
Rate
0.41%
Tax
$1,205
Quality
82
28575
Salter Path, NC
0.01 percentage points lower than ZIP 28557.
Rate
0.41%
Tax
$1,000
Quality
77
28207
Charlotte, NC
$1,017,100 higher median home value than ZIP 28557.
Rate
0.74%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
82
28480
Wrightsville Beach, NC
$717,700 higher median home value than ZIP 28557.
Rate
0.47%
Tax
$4,974
Quality
77
27608
Raleigh, NC
$579,200 higher median home value than ZIP 28557.
Rate
0.76%
Tax
$6,949
Quality
94
28774
Sapphire, NC
0.00 percentage points lower than ZIP 28557.
Rate
0.42%
Tax
$3,022
Quality
77
Data from U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates (ZCTA level). ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census approximations of USPS ZIP codes.
Estimates are informational only and should not be used as financial or legal advice.