The TaxLienSimple Index / North Carolina

The TaxLienSimple Index · NC · 2026

North Carolina Tax-Lien & Tax-Deed Investing

What North Carolina statute actually pays — return, redemption and bid method — cross-referenced with the live auction inventory we track. Every figure traces to state law or a county source.

50 /100

Tier C National rank #27 of 51

Sale type

Tax Deed

Statutory return / penalty

0% to investors — North Carolina does not sell tax lien certificates. Delinquent taxes accrue interest (2% for the first month, then 0.75% per month) payable to the taxing unit, not to any purchaser.

Redemption period

Owner may redeem any time until the foreclosure sale is confirmed by the court; a 10-day upset-bid period follows each sale bid before confirmation

Bid method

highest bid (deed)

Sale season

Year-round; county and case dependent

What you buy

Tax foreclosure deed sale

Statutory note. The county forecloses the tax lien in court either mortgage-style (G.S. 105-374) or in rem (G.S. 105-375) and sells the property to the highest bidder subject to upset bids; there is no investor certificate to buy.

653live parcels tracked

4counties with inventory

#27of 51 jurisdictions

Read the score correctly. The TaxLienSimple Index is a 0–100 research guide built from statutory terms and the inventory we track — not a yield, a guarantee, or investment advice. Realized returns depend on competition, redemption and your own due diligence. Verify every figure with the county before bidding.

Remote Investor Snapshot

Verified public-data profile for out-of-area investors — every figure below traces to the cited government source. Blank fields mean the source does not publish that value for this area (we never estimate).

Market & demographics

Population

10,470,214

5-yr population growth

+4.2% growing

Median household income

$66,186

Median age

39.1

Poverty rate

13.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2022

Housing market

Median home value

$234,900

Median gross rent

$1,093/mo

Owner-occupied

66.2% 33.8% renter

Vacancy rate

13.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2022

Property-tax burden

Median real-estate taxes

$1,724/yr

Effective property-tax rate

0.73% of home value

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year 2022

Natural-hazard risk & safety

Unemployment rate

3.7%

Source: FEMA National Risk Index (2023); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (2023 annual)

Growth & livability signals

New residential permits

98,853 units, 2023

Broadband subscription

87%

Bachelor's degree +

33.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey (2023); U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2022 (household broadband subscription; FCC availability not yet integrated); U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2022 (educational attainment — school-quality proxy; NCES ratings not yet integrated)

Risk & opportunity flags

Opportunity Zone tracts

252 tax-advantaged

EPA Superfund (NPL) sites

EPA Brownfield sites

1,100

Source: U.S. Treasury CDFI Fund / IRS designated Opportunity Zones; U.S. EPA (SEMS National Priorities List; ACRES Brownfields)

Counties we track in North Carolina

#	County	TaxLienSimple Index	Live parcels
1	Mecklenburg County	B 56	644
2	Forsyth County	C 51	5
3	Cumberland County	C 51	3
4	Union County	C 47	1

See the actual parcels in North Carolina

Browse the live tax-lien, deed and foreclosure inventory we track — search by county, redemption window and opening bid.

Browse live auction inventory →

The TaxLienSimple Index is a 0–100 research guide built from statutory terms and the inventory we track — not a yield, a guarantee, or investment advice. Realized returns depend on competition, redemption and your own due diligence. Verify every figure with the county before bidding.

© 2026 TaxLienSimple · The TaxLienSimple Index is compiled from state tax statutes and county treasurer/tax-collector offices; live inventory counts reflect parcels currently tracked by TaxLienSimple and update continuously. Nothing here is investment or legal advice.