Areas we buy
Sell your North Carolina land for cash
Parcel Buyers buys vacant lots and land directly from owners across North Carolina, with a written, no-obligation cash offer within 24 hours and closings through an independent title company. The counties below hold 165,652 vacant residential lots in the published parcel and assessment data. Each page shows local lot sizes, county assessed values and the rules that affect what a lot is worth.
Official state references
State land rules and records
General information, not legal advice. Rules can change and facts about one parcel can change the result; confirm current requirements with the agency, clerk, title company or attorney handling the transaction.
| Topic | What the official sources say |
|---|---|
| Real-estate conveyance excise tax | North Carolina levies an excise tax on an instrument conveying an interest in real property. The rate is $1 for each $500, or fractional part of $500, of the consideration or value conveyed. The transferor pays the tax to the county register of deeds before recording, subject to statutory exemptions. [1] |
| Delinquent-property-tax foreclosure | North Carolina uses tax-lien foreclosure sales that convey title, not tax-certificate sales. A taxing unit may use a civil foreclosure under G.S. 105-374 or the alternative in-rem procedure under G.S. 105-375. The civil procedure ends with a court-confirmed deed; the in-rem purchaser acquires fee-simple title subject to the statutory exceptions. System: deed. Interest cap: No tax-certificate return applies. Delinquent taxes accrue 2% from January 6 through February 1, then 0.75% per month or fraction until paid; a docketed in-rem judgment bears 8% annually.. Redemption or time to deed: Under G.S. 105-374, redemption is allowed before confirmation; after the sale report, at least 10 days must pass for exceptions or increased bids before confirmation and delivery of the deed. The alternative in-rem procedure has separate judgment and execution timing. [2][3][4] |
| Adverse-possession time periods | North Carolina provides a 20-year period for adverse possession under known and visible lines and boundaries. A separate statute provides a seven-year period when possession is under known and visible lines and boundaries and under color of title. Time alone does not establish that every statutory requirement is met. Period: 20 years generally; seven years under color of title [5][6] |
| Present-use-value deferred taxes | Qualifying agricultural, horticultural and forestland can be taxed at present-use value. When the land loses eligibility because of a disqualifying event, the deferred tax differences for the preceding three fiscal years become due and payable under the statutory payment rules, subject to stated exceptions. [7] |
| Remote electronic notarization | North Carolina authorizes a registered electronic notary to perform permitted notarial acts on electronic documents through communication technology. The electronic notary must be physically located in North Carolina, and the law imposes document exclusions, identity and technology requirements, plus a special restriction on using a remotely notarized power of attorney in a remote real-property transfer. [8][9] |
Statewide roll summary
Statewide, all 25 counties on the roll
- Matching records
- 285,167
- Counties in full file
- 25
- Outside-state mailing share
- 28%
Top five counties in the full file
Matching records
- 1. Brunswick County: 43,345
- 2. Moore County: 17,412
- 3. Macon County: 15,758
- 4. Ashe County: 14,922
- 5. Buncombe County: 14,483
Median assessed value
- 1. Dare County: $124,200
- 2. Buncombe County: $81,300
- 3. Carteret County: $73,800
- 4. Currituck County: $51,600
- 5. Onslow County: $51,000
Outside-state mailing share
- 1. Cherokee County: 55%
- 2. Currituck County: 54%
- 3. Macon County: 50%
- 4. Swain County: 50%
- 5. Clay County: 40%
County dataset
County-by-county land records
Stated rule: Parcels in the NC OneMap county extract with improvement value 0, parcel value at least $1,000, and positive GIS acres at most 10 (falling back to recorded acres when GIS acres are blank or zero). This is a statewide proxy, not a zoning or buildability finding.
| County | Records matching stated rule | Size mix | Median assessed value | Outside-state share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | 11,158 |
| $28,022(2023) | 8% |
| Alexander County | 6,238 |
| $14,214(2023) | 5% |
| Alleghany County | 4,631 |
| $16,200(2021) | 33% |
| Anson County | 5,894 |
| $9,000(2018) | 12% |
| Ashe County | 15,394 |
| $15,600(2023) | 27% |
| Avery County | 9,089 |
| $22,500(2022) | 30% |
| Beaufort County | 12,437 |
| $16,544(2025) | 15% |
| Bertie County | 5,501 |
| $5,753(2020) | 24% |
| Bladen County | 8,097 |
| $7,650(2022) | 16% |
| Brunswick County | 47,962 |
| $26,000(2023) | 25% |
| Buncombe County | 21,133 |
| $82,600(2021) | 18% |
| Burke County | 15,457 |
| $17,843(2023) | 11% |
| Cabarrus County | 10,259 |
| $54,000(2024) | 8% |
| Caldwell County | 12,457 |
| $13,300(2025) | 10% |
| Camden County | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. |
| Carteret County | 14,112 |
| $73,368(2025) | 11% |
| Caswell County | 2,788 |
| $18,749(2024) | 16% |
| Catawba County | 18,500 |
| $15,000(2023) | 9% |
| Chatham County | 7,914 |
| $41,610(2025) | Not measurable — The county extract does not provide a measurable owner mailing-state field. |
| Cherokee County | 12,436 |
| $14,830(2020) | 54% |
| Chowan County | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. |
| Clay County | 3,308 |
| $20,000(2018) | 39% |
| Cleveland County | 9,795 |
| $19,630(2025) | 13% |
| Columbus County | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. |
| Craven County | 12,495 |
| $14,800(2023) | 15% |
| Cumberland County | 18,461 |
| $20,000(2025) | 11% |
| Currituck County | 5,533 |
| $53,300(2021) | 51% |
| Dare County | 5,897 |
| $111,600(2025) | 33% |
| Davidson County | 16,380 |
| $30,610(2021) | 5% |
| Davie County | 4,209 |
| $27,440(2025) | 5% |
| Duplin County | 11,256 |
| $18,300(2025) | Not measurable — The county extract does not provide a measurable owner mailing-state field. |
| Durham County | 17,699 |
| $75,000(2025) | 13% |
| Edgecombe County | 1,903 |
| $16,765(2024) | 9% |
| Forsyth County | 14,831 |
| $23,500(2025) | 9% |
| Franklin County | 9,702 |
| $39,685(2024) | 15% |
| Gaston County | 14,554 |
| $16,500(2023) | 15% |
| Gates County | 1,102 |
| $26,462(2025) | 34% |
| Graham County | 3,419 |
| $20,350(2023) | 39% |
| Granville County | 6,870 |
| $19,364(2024) | 14% |
| Greene County | 2,599 |
| $12,840(2021) | 6% |
| Guilford County | 20,376 |
| $50,000(2022) | 8% |
| Halifax County | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. |
| Harnett County | 14,671 |
| $35,880(2022) | 18% |
| Haywood County | 11,843 |
| $29,300(2021) | Not measurable — The county extract does not provide a measurable owner mailing-state field. |
| Henderson County | 14,337 |
| $42,400(2023) | 23% |
| Hertford County | 3,397 |
| $8,464(2019) | 25% |
| Hoke County | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. |
| Hyde County | 2,153 |
| $13,900(2024) | Not measurable — The county extract does not provide a measurable owner mailing-state field. |
| Iredell County | 14,205 |
| $30,200(2023) | 10% |
| Jackson County | 14,370 |
| $38,850(2025) | 52% |
| Johnston County | 15,500 |
| $62,500(2025) | 9% |
| Jones County | 3,132 |
| $15,000(2022) | 13% |
| Lee County | 7,453 |
| $20,000(2023) | 9% |
| Lenoir County | 8,434 |
| $11,163(2025) | 9% |
| Lincoln County | 9,690 |
| $24,635(2023) | 6% |
| Macon County | 16,258 |
| $30,020(2023) | 49% |
| Madison County | 5,856 |
| $25,920(2024) | 34% |
| Martin County | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. |
| McDowell County | 12,191 |
| $28,000(2023) | 21% |
| Mecklenburg County | 31,154 |
| $85,000(2023) | 13% |
| Mitchell County | 6,224 |
| $12,000(2022) | 27% |
| Montgomery County | 9,427 |
| $6,900(2020) | 10% |
| Moore County | 18,364 |
| $21,475(2023) | 13% |
| Nash County | 8,421 |
| $15,000(2024) | 25% |
| New Hanover County | 8,583 |
| $129,100(2025) | 14% |
| Northampton County | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. |
| Onslow County | 13,121 |
| $50,250(2022) | Not measurable — The county extract does not provide a measurable owner mailing-state field. |
| Orange County | 5,683 |
| $93,500(2025) | 9% |
| Pamlico County | 4,703 |
| $17,128(2020) | 25% |
| Pasquotank County | 3,738 |
| $20,800(2022) | 19% |
| Pender County | 12,108 |
| $35,280(2019) | 17% |
| Perquimans County | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. |
| Person County | 6,019 |
| $22,917(2025) | 11% |
| Pitt County | 11,879 |
| $20,000(2024) | 10% |
| Polk County | 4,826 |
| $33,500(2025) | 35% |
| Randolph County | 16,991 |
| $20,480(2023) | 5% |
| Richmond County | 12,049 |
| $8,404(2024) | 13% |
| Robeson County | 23,579 |
| $7,700(2024) | 10% |
| Rockingham County | 6,518 |
| $18,042(2024) | 8% |
| Rowan County | 15,327 |
| $25,500(2023) | 9% |
| Rutherford County | 17,628 |
| $10,600(2023) | 28% |
| Sampson County | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. |
| Scotland County | 5,631 |
| $6,240(2019) | 13% |
| Stanly County | 9,326 |
| $23,712(2025) | 10% |
| Stokes County | 6,695 |
| $18,600(2025) | 6% |
| Surry County | 7,567 |
| $13,750(2025) | 8% |
| Swain County | 4,793 |
| $29,000(2021) | 49% |
| Transylvania County | 9,679 |
| $30,000(2025) | 31% |
| Tyrrell County | 1,057 |
| $14,628(2025) | 24% |
| Union County | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. | Not measurable — The county extract reports zero improvement value across all parcels, so the statewide proxy cannot distinguish vacant land. |
| Vance County | 5,572 |
| $13,196(2024) | 13% |
| Wake County | 34,565 |
| $85,000(2024) | Not measurable — The county extract does not provide a measurable owner mailing-state field. |
| Warren County | 5,737 |
| $17,525(2025) | 32% |
| Washington County | 2,764 |
| $8,600(2021) | 19% |
| Watauga County | 14,844 |
| $29,600(2022) | 29% |
| Wayne County | 18,901 |
| $17,500(2025) | 6% |
| Wilkes County | 12,523 |
| $23,890(2025) | 13% |
| Wilson County | 5,311 |
| $20,000(2024) | 10% |
| Yadkin County | 6,733 |
| $11,880(2023) | 4% |
| Yancey County | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. | Not measurable — The county extract does not fill enough fields to measure the statewide proxy reliably. |
Dataset schema and method
Counts, size groups, and outside-state mailing shares come from county_matrix.json. Parcel-value medians use the same OneMap predicate and are labelled with each county latest reappraisal year from the NCDOR fiscal-year 2025-2026 schedule. Rows whose source fields fail the matrix reliability flag are not measurable.
- county
- County name from the state-lane aggregate.
- records
- Records matching the dataset's stated vacant-land rule.
- sizeMix
- Up to three largest measured lot-size groups, with record counts and shares.
- assessedValue
- Median assessed land or parcel value and its assessment year; not a sale price or appraisal.
- outsideStateShare
- Share whose owner mailing state differs from the subject state; mailing address does not prove residence.
Source: NC OneMap statewide parcels, with county reappraisal years from the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Generated 2026-10-03. License: CC BY 4.0.
Common North Carolina land questions
How much is North Carolina's real-estate conveyance tax?
The statewide excise-tax rate is $1 for each $500, or fractional part of $500, of the consideration or value conveyed. The transferor pays the county register of deeds before the instrument is recorded, unless a statutory exemption applies. [1]
Does North Carolina sell tax certificates or tax deeds?
The cited statewide procedures are tax-lien foreclosures that result in a sale of the real property and transfer of title, not a sale of tax certificates. Counties may use the civil-action process in G.S. 105-374 or the alternative in-rem process in G.S. 105-375. [2][3]
Can North Carolina property be redeemed during a tax foreclosure?
Under the civil-action procedure, the statute expressly allows redemption before confirmation of the foreclosure sale by paying the required taxes, penalties, interest and costs. A 10-day period for exceptions or increased bids follows the sale report before confirmation can occur. The in-rem procedure follows different judgment and execution steps. [2][3]
How long does adverse possession take in North Carolina?
The statute provides 20 years for adverse possession under known and visible lines and boundaries. The period is seven years when possession also qualifies as possession under color of title. The facts still must satisfy the applicable statute. [5][6]
How many years of North Carolina present-use-value taxes can become due?
When a disqualifying event causes qualifying land to lose present-use-value eligibility, the statute generally makes the deferred tax differences for the preceding three fiscal years due and payable. The statute also contains specific exceptions. [7]
Does North Carolina authorize remote electronic notarization?
Yes. A registered electronic notary may perform authorized acts on electronic documents by communication technology while the notary is physically in North Carolina. The transaction must satisfy the identity, technology and document rules, including the special real-property restriction for remotely notarized powers of attorney. [8][9]
North Carolina counties and communities
Select any column heading to sort. Open a county's community list to browse every published local page.
| Avery County | 8,642 | — | 1 community page
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunswick County | 43,345 | $55,000 | 4 community pages
|
| Buncombe County | 14,483 | — | County hub only |
| Carteret County | 13,159 | — | 1 community page
|
| Currituck County | 4,674 | — | 2 community pages
|
| Dare County | 4,871 | — | 3 community pages
|
| Henderson County | 11,495 | — | 1 community page
|
| Macon County | 15,758 | — | |
| Onslow County | 12,610 | $95,000 | 2 community pages
|
| Rutherford County | 14,108 | — | 1 community page
|
| Transylvania County | 8,674 | $85,000 | 1 community page
|
| Watauga County | 13,833 | — | 1 community page
|
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