The annual property tax figure on a Leland listing this fall starts from what the property was worth on January 1, 2023. That was the effective date of Brunswick County's last revaluation. Every bill since then, including the 2026 bills mailed in August, has applied the current tax rates to those 2023 assessed values.
That base resets on January 1, 2027. Across the Cape Fear River, New Hanover County reset its values on January 1, 2025, and it doesn't plan another reset until 2029. If you're weighing a house in Brunswick Forest against one in Wilmington and comparing the tax lines, one figure comes from 2023 values that are about to change. The other comes from 2025 values that will stay put for years.
The calendar that decides the next Leland bill
Brunswick County has already started the 2027 revaluation in public. In its September 23 notice, the county lays out this sequence:
- October 5, 2026: The Schedule of Values, the rules appraisers use to value property, was introduced at the Board of Commissioners meeting.
- October 19, 2026, 6 p.m.: Public hearing on the Schedule of Values.
- November 2, 2026: Commissioners consider adopting it.
- January 1, 2027: The revaluation takes effect. All real property is valued at its market value and condition as of that date.
- February–March 2027: Owners get notices with their new values. The county expects them out by the end of March.
The county says it is "impossible to determine" how a new value changes a tax bill until the county, the town, and any other taxing bodies adopt their FY 2028 budgets and set rates. It expects that "in late spring or early summer 2027." So a home bought in Leland this fall closes at a 2026 price, carries a tax figure based on 2023 values, and gets a new value in early 2027. Its first post-revaluation bill depends on rates nobody has voted on yet.
The county also warns against early estimates. "The 2027 Revaluation is still not complete, so be cautious of any claims about how much property values or taxes are increasing, whether by dollars or percentage." The county's recap of the October 5 meeting confirms the commissioners received the proposed schedule and set the hearing. It gives no estimate of how much values will change.
Prices have kept moving since the last reset. In July 2026, Brunswick County's median sale price was $396,750, up 10.2% from $359,999 in July 2025, according to the Brunswick County Association of Realtors figures reported by WilmingtonBiz. That's a countywide sales median, not an assessment and not a Leland-only number. Still, sale prices are exactly the evidence the county's appraisers study. The county describes revaluation as the process of bringing tax values "back in line with the current sale price of properties."
What 2023 shows about how a reset works
The last cycle is the best guide to how this one works, because the arithmetic surprises people. According to WECT's coverage of the 2023–24 budget, Brunswick County property values jumped more than 54% at the start of 2023. Commissioners responded by cutting the county rate from 48.50 cents to 34.20 cents per $100 of value.
The anchor for that cut was the revenue-neutral rate. The county manager's budget document, quoted by WECT, put it at 33.70 cents. That's the rate calculated "to produce the same levy as FY 23 plus the average growth over the last 3 fiscal years." The adopted 34.20 cents was half a cent above that.
The Town of Leland moved the same way. Its FY 2023–24 budget message, dated April 17, 2023, proposed cutting the town rate from 25 cents to 23 cents per $100.
A revenue-neutral rate keeps the county's total collections roughly level, not each household's bill. Here's an illustration using the 2023 county rates alone:
| Property's 2023 value change | County portion of the bill, before vs. after |
|---|---|
| Rose about 54%, in line with the reported jump | Up roughly 8 to 9% |
| Rose about 30% | Down roughly 8% |
| Rose well above the average | Up more than 9% |
These are simple arithmetic illustrations. Old rate times old value is compared with new rate times new value. They aren't measured outcomes. They show how a reset works: what matters is how your property's value changed compared with everyone else's, more than how big the countywide jump was. Brunswick County says the same thing about 2027. Values "will not change uniformly throughout the county or even within your city or town," and an individual assessment "could increase, decrease, or remain the same."
Why Wilmington's tax line is on a different calendar
New Hanover County went through this in 2025. For FY 2025–26, the county adopted a 30.6-cent rate against a post-revaluation revenue-neutral rate of 29.2 cents, putting the adopted rate 1.4 cents above neutral. WWAY reported that commissioners kept 30.6 cents for FY 2026–27.
Here are the two counties side by side for this fiscal year:
| Brunswick County | New Hanover County | |
|---|---|---|
| Last revaluation effective | January 1, 2023 | January 1, 2025 |
| Next revaluation effective | January 1, 2027 | January 1, 2029 |
| FY 2026–27 county rate | 34.2¢ per $100 | 30.6¢ per $100 |
| Municipal layer shown | Leland, 25¢ per $100 | Not covered here |
Brunswick County adopted its FY 2026–27 budget on June 15, 2026, keeping the rate at 34.2 cents. WECT reported that the Leland Town Council approved a $50 million budget with the town rate cut from 27 cents to 25 cents, a 7.4% reduction.
A New Hanover figure has already absorbed its reset, and its base stays fixed through 2028. A Brunswick figure comes from a base that is three tax years old and is about to be replaced.
The parts of a Leland bill that don't follow value
Two parts of a Leland-area bill don't depend on the revaluation at all, and both trip people up when they compare listings.
The town rate applies only inside town limits. Brunswick County collects one combined county-and-municipal bill for many towns. Its list names Leland, Belville and Navassa separately, and it sends questions about municipal rates to each town. Whether the 25-cent Leland rate is on a particular bill depends on the parcel's jurisdiction. The parcel record will show it. The marketing name of the community won't.
Fire protection is billed as a fee, not a tax. Brunswick County is the only county in North Carolina that uses a fire fee system instead of a fire tax. The fee for a house depends on its heated square footage, not its tax value. The rules on how high those fees can go changed this year. The state budget Governor Josh Stein signed on July 7, 2026 raised the caps on what departments may charge. Brunswick commissioners approved the departments' requested fees on August 3. WECT reported that requested increases countywide were generally 10% to 25%.
Leland's posted residential fire fee schedule is tiered by heated square footage:
- Under 1,000 sq. ft.: $100
- 1,001–1,999 sq. ft.: $200
- 2,000–3,000 sq. ft.: $400
- 3,001–4,000 sq. ft.: $600
- The tiers keep rising by $200 per 1,000 sq. ft., up to $1,600 for 8,001–9,000 sq. ft.
The posted chart doesn't give an effective date. We couldn't confirm whether Leland Fire/Rescue changed its fees after the August 3 approval. Check the current bill for the specific property. Because this fee depends on size, two homes with the same assessed value can pay different fire fees. And a large home pays the same fire fee whatever the 2027 revaluation decides it's worth.
New construction and the January 1 snapshot
New construction made up 37% of Brunswick County home sales in July 2026. In a market like that, the revaluation date matters for homes still being built. The county's FAQ says buildings still under construction on January 1, 2027 will be appraised by how complete they are on that date. For a buyer under contract on a new Leland home that won't be finished until 2027, the first assessment reflects whatever stage the house has reached on New Year's Day. The finished house gets picked up later.
Frequently asked questions
Does a higher 2027 value mean a higher tax bill? Not necessarily. Brunswick County says an increase in value "does not necessarily mean your next tax bill will increase," because bills also depend on the FY 2028 rates set in 2027.
When will owners see their new values? The county expects notices in February or March 2027, by the end of March. It hasn't announced dates for the appeal period yet.
Where can I see a property's current assessed value? Brunswick County's Property & Tax Information tool and Property Record Card show current values, along with which fire department serves the parcel.
When are 2026 Brunswick bills due? They were due September 1, 2026, and can be paid without interest through January 5, 2027.
If you're comparing Leland and Wilmington homes this fall, the Sherwood Strickland Group can pull the parcel records, confirm the jurisdiction and fire department, and show you how each tax figure was calculated, so your carrying-cost estimate accounts for the 2027 reset even before the new rates are set. Request a Red Carpet Consultation, and we'll go through a specific property's tax picture with you before you write an offer.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
