28604 Property Tax Rate
Banner Elk, North Carolina · Part of Watauga County
Effective Tax Rate
0.43%
14% below state avgMedian Annual Tax
$1,368
$114/mo escrow
Estimate Your Tax
Annual Tax
$1,368
Monthly
$114
Eff. Rate
0.43%
Buyer decision brief
What ZIP 28604 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
$114/mo
Based on median annual tax paid
State context
0.29 percentage points below the North Carolina average
North Carolina average: 0.71%
Data confidence
High confidenceThe Census margin of error is $130, about 10% of the median tax estimate.
Verify before you offer
- Confirm parcel assessed value with Watauga 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 28604 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
$130 tax MOE, 10% 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
Watauga County is used for assessor verification and broader context.
Tax bill anatomy
What can change your actual bill in ZIP 28604
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 $319,200, but your bill starts with the local assessed value for a specific parcel.
Effective rate
The displayed rate is 0.43%, 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 $114 per month before insurance, HOA dues, or special assessments.
Assessor verification
Watauga County assessor or tax collector records are the source of truth for parcel taxes, appeal windows, and exemptions.
How ZIP 28604 Compares
Median Annual Property Tax
ZIP 28604
0.43%
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 94% of ZIP codes in North Carolina(6th percentile, 754 ZIPs compared)
Property Tax Analysis
Property Tax Insights for ZIP 28604
Property owners in ZIP code 28604 (Banner Elk, North Carolina) pay a median of $1,368/year in property taxes on homes valued at $319,200. This translates to an effective tax rate of 0.43%, which is 40% below the North Carolina state average of 0.71%.
The monthly property tax burden for a median-valued home in 28604 is approximately $114, which factors into escrow payments on mortgages. This ZIP code is located within Watauga County. This is $223 less than the North Carolina average of $1,591/year.
Compared to similar ZIP codes in North Carolina, 28604 has higher property taxes. ZIP codes with similar effective rates include 28734 (0.43%) and 27212 (0.43%).
In Banner Elk, property taxes represent approximately 2.1% of the median household income of $64,052, providing context for the relative tax burden on homeowners in this area.
If you're considering purchasing a home in 28604, 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 Watauga County's tax assessor directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the property tax rate in ZIP code 28604?
How much are property taxes in Banner Elk, NC (28604)?
How does ZIP 28604 compare to the North Carolina average?
What is the median home value in ZIP 28604?
What county is ZIP code 28604 in?
Margin of Error
The median property tax estimate for this ZIP code has a margin of error of ±$130. ZCTA-level data has wider margins than county-level estimates due to smaller sample sizes.
County-Level Data
ZIP code 28604 is part of Watauga County, North Carolina. View the full county profile for broader context and more data.
View Watauga County on TaxByCounty →Why compare these ZIPs?
Better comparison set for ZIP 28604
Each ZIP highlights a homebuyer tradeoff: lower rate, stronger value context, shared county rules, city boundary changes, or nearby missing data.
28618
Deep Gap, NC
0.08 percentage points lower than ZIP 28604.
Rate
0.34%
Tax
$1,059
Quality
77
28679
Sugar Grove, NC
0.07 percentage points lower than ZIP 28604.
Rate
0.36%
Tax
$1,017
Quality
77
28692
Vilas, NC
0.02 percentage points lower than ZIP 28604.
Rate
0.41%
Tax
$1,190
Quality
82
28698
Zionville, NC
0.01 percentage points lower than ZIP 28604.
Rate
0.41%
Tax
$933
Quality
82
28207
Charlotte, NC
$1,029,700 higher median home value than ZIP 28604.
Rate
0.74%
Tax
$10,001
Quality
82
28480
Wrightsville Beach, NC
$730,300 higher median home value than ZIP 28604.
Rate
0.47%
Tax
$4,974
Quality
77
27608
Raleigh, NC
$591,800 higher median home value than ZIP 28604.
Rate
0.76%
Tax
$6,949
Quality
94
28774
Sapphire, NC
0.01 percentage points lower than ZIP 28604.
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.