Burlington vs Greensboro: Alamance County City Raising Its Rate or Guilford County's Larger Triad City After Reappraisal
Burlington and Greensboro are about 20 miles apart on the I-40/I-85 corridor in the North Carolina Piedmont, and a retiree who wants Triad access without Triad prices often looks at both. They sit in different counties with different tax calendars, and the two governments have published very different kinds of evidence. Burlington's budget documents show a city asking for its first property-tax increase since 2005. Greensboro's county has just completed a reappraisal and published a combined county and city rate sheet.
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Burlington vs Greensboro: the short answer
Burlington and Greensboro are about 20 miles apart on the I-40/I-85 corridor in the North Carolina Piedmont, and a retiree who wants Triad access without Triad prices often looks at both. They sit in different counties with different tax calendars, and the two governments have published very different kinds of evidence. Burlington's budget documents show a city asking for its first property-tax increase since 2005. Greensboro's county has just completed a reappraisal and published a combined county and city rate sheet.
The decision turns on the property-tax gap, the way each county's revaluation clock is running, what the city offers a household in utilities and senior services, and how much of a large city you want. Burlington is a mid-sized city with a state-certified senior center, a bond-funded parks and theater program and water fees the city says rank in the lowest 10 percent of North Carolina municipalities. Greensboro is the Guilford County seat with more than 100 miles of trails, an international airport, a coliseum complex and two public institutions of higher education.
Rates below come from the North Carolina Department of Revenue, the two counties and the cities' own pages, and reset every budget year. Because assessments differ by county, per-$100 rates cannot be compared across counties without also comparing assessed values. State relief programs are explained in the NC retirement taxes guide.
Full profiles: Burlington (North Carolina) and Greensboro (North Carolina).
Which one fits you
Choose Burlington if
- You want the lower combined property tax rate: the city's presentation shows $0.4836 per $100 and the Department of Revenue lists Alamance County at $0.4940 for 2025-26.
- You want low municipal fees and are willing to accept a city rate that is moving: the city says its water and sewer fees are within the lowest 10 percent in North Carolina and that bulk waste and loose-leaf pickup carry no additional charge.
- You want a state-certified senior center: the John Robert Kernodle Senior Center at 1535 S. Mebane Street serves adults 55 and better and the city says the State of North Carolina certifies it as a Center of Excellence.
- You are comfortable with a revaluation due in 2027 and with a Stage One drought conservation notice that the city issued in July 2026.
Choose Greensboro if
- You want a large city's services: the Greensboro tourism bureau counts more than 100 miles of trails, 135 attractions and the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, and Piedmont Triad International Airport offers service from Allegiant, American, Delta and United.
- You want a county that has already reappraised: Guilford County's new values took effect January 1, 2026 and the appeal deadline was May 15, 2026.
- You want published relief thresholds: Guilford describes an exclusion of the greater of $25,000 or up to 50 percent of home value for owners 65 or older with 2025 gross income not above $38,800.
- You accept a combined rate of $1.5880 per $100 in return for the larger urban core, rail and bus connections and a four-year university and community college.
Burlington and Greensboro side by side
| Dimension | Burlington | Greensboro |
|---|---|---|
| City and county rates, with a worked illustration | The City of Burlington's budget presentation shows a current city rate of $0.4836 per $100, and the Department of Revenue lists Alamance County at $0.4940 for 2025-26, up from $0.4690. Illustration (our arithmetic, not a tax bill): 0.4836 plus 0.4940 is 0.9776 per $100, or $2,932.80 a year on a $300,000 assessed value inside the city before fire-district and other special levies, and 1.0576 per $100, or $3,172.80, if the proposed 8 cent increase was adopted. | Guilford County's 2026-27 rate sheet lists a countywide rate of $0.7895 per $100 and a City of Greensboro rate of $0.7985, for a combined $1.5880 for an address in the city. Illustration (our arithmetic, not a county bill): a home assessed at $300,000 inside Greensboro would carry about $4,764 a year in county and city tax before relief, which is $1,831.20 more than the Burlington illustration. The two assessments are set by different counties, so compare assessed values as well as rates. |
| Rate direction and what drives it | The city's budget page says the proposed FY 2026-27 budget raises the rate by 8 cents per $100, 4 cents for debt service on voter-approved bonds and 4 cents for public safety staffing, vehicles and infrastructure, and that the last increase was 19 years ago, in 2005. One cent generates about $917,000, and for a $200,000 home the presentation shows a current city bill of $967.20 plus $160 from the increase. The budget is a proposal in a June 2, 2026 hearing document, so confirm the adopted rate. | Guilford's countywide rate of $0.7895 is higher than the $0.7305 the Department of Revenue shows for each year from 2021-22 through 2025-26. The county says the state required the 2026 reappraisal in April 2023 because the majority of properties were selling for more than their assessed value, so an owner who saw no value increase can still see a higher bill. Greensboro and Guilford offer a 1.0 percent discount for payment before September 1. |
| Revaluation clocks | The Department of Revenue shows Alamance County's last revaluation in 2023 and the next scheduled for 2027. A buyer should expect assessed values to be reset in the next few years, and the county rate could change when that happens. Contact the Alamance County tax office for application deadlines and income limits for relief. | The state schedule shows Guilford's last revaluation in 2022 and the next scheduled for 2026. The county says new values became effective January 1, 2026, owners were notified in February 2026, new values appear on the tax bill received in July 2026 and the appeal deadline was May 15, 2026. The county offers a Real Estate Appraisal Listing System, a GIS viewer and a tool called Comper Citizen for comparing a property against recent sales. |
| Relief for older owners | Burlington's city materials point to state programs: elderly and disabled homestead relief, the circuit breaker deferral and the disabled veteran exclusion. The Alamance County tax office has the applications and the current income limits, and the NC retirement taxes guide explains the state rules. The city's Resources for Seniors page adds a free smoke-alarm program funded by a North Carolina Baptist Aging Ministry grant for homes of people 65 and older. | Guilford County describes three statewide programs. Owners aged 65 or older, or totally and permanently disabled, can have the greater of $25,000 or up to 50 percent of the primary residence value excluded if gross income for 2025 does not exceed $38,800. The circuit breaker deferment limits the bill to 4 to 5 percent of income for owners with gross income up to $58,200, requires five years of ownership and occupancy and creates a lien. The disabled veteran exclusion removes $45,000 of value. The deadline is June 1. |
| Sales tax and the November ballot | The Department of Revenue's table lists Alamance County at 6.75 percent. Because that is the same rate as Guilford County's current rate, sales tax does not separate the two cities today. | Guilford County has placed a 0.25 percent additional sales tax on the November 3, 2026 ballot, which the county says would exclude prescriptions, motor vehicles, certain medical equipment, gasoline and non-prepared food or groceries and would begin collection in April 2027 if approved. Our arithmetic: approval would bring Guilford to 7.00 percent, which is 0.25 percentage points above Alamance County. Check the election result before assuming either rate. |
| Utilities, water and drought | The city's budget presentation lists a typical monthly utility bill of $60.90 in 2026 for a one- to two-person household using 2,500 gallons a month, made up of water $12.52, sewer $15.38, stormwater $7.00, solid waste $17.70 and recycling $8.30, with $63.30 proposed for 2027. The city's water status page says it is under Stage One voluntary conservation as of July 2026, that its plan has five stages from voluntary conservation to rationing and that restrictions apply to city customers but not to private wells. | Guilford's rate sheet lists fire and service districts that change the bill outside city limits. Parcels outside city limits pay the countywide rate plus a fire district rate, for example $0.2037 for Pinecroft-Sedgefield and $0.1922 for Guilford College, and an airport fire district carries $0.1723. Ask the insurer which fire district and protection class apply to the address. |
| Hospital, airport and getting around | Burlington households should confirm the hospital, specialist and plan network they will use from the health system's own pages, since a retiree's network can matter more than distance; the healthcare access guide explains how to check Medicare network participation. The city's budget FAQ says a replacement fire truck will keep first-arriving response time under 6 minutes and 20 seconds, and that this helps its ISO rating and keeps insurance cost down. | Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist's High Point Medical Center at 306 Westwood Avenue lists a cancer center, a heart and vascular center, a stroke center and an emergency center, and its main medical center is a 933-bed tertiary-care hospital in Winston-Salem. Piedmont Triad International Airport at 1000 Ted Johnson Parkway has service from Allegiant, American, Delta and United, and the J. Douglas Galyon Depot at 236 East Washington Street is the Amtrak station. |
| Parks, culture and daily life | City Park has more than 75 acres with a restored hand-carved Dentzel Carousel listed on the National Register of Historic Places, a splash park, the Maynard Aquatic Center and the Burlington Pickleball Complex. Bond projects include a $9 million enclosure for the MAC pool, an $11 million Paramount Theater renovation, a $27 million Burlington Sportsplex still in site selection and $5 million for downtown streetscaping. The Kernodle center runs fitness, outdoor programs and the Senior Games. | The Greensboro bureau lists the Atlantic and Yadkin Greenway at 7.5 miles, the Bicentennial Greenway at nearly 17 miles and the Downtown Greenway at 4 miles, with the Steven Tanger Center described as a $94 million downtown venue. North Carolina A&T State University reports 13,885 students. The bureau's attraction and restaurant counts are promotional figures. Visit in both January and July: the National Weather Service lists a normal July 15 high of 88.1 and a January 15 normal low of 29.3 at the Greensboro airport. |
| Housing prices and assessment tools | The city reports a median residential price of $212,000 and an average residential value of $247K. Its tax table shows annual city tax at $0.4836 per $100 of $967.20 for a $200,000 home, $1,209.00 for $250,000 and $1,450.80 for $300,000. The city's Unified Development Ordinance governs all new development inside Burlington and prohibits parking on grass, dirt and lawns, so a buyer planning additions should read it. | Guilford's Tax Department publishes builders' inventory exemption instructions for the increase in value of new single-family homes and duplexes, lasting three years. Greensboro's historic districts add special district rates, $0.0500 in Dunleath and $0.0100 in College Hill, and the Downtown Improvement District adds $0.0900. Buyers who want a 55-plus covenant should read the 55-plus community versus conventional neighborhood guide and ask for the governing documents. |
Related guides
Sources and review date
Last reviewed . Facts on this page come from the sources below; where a rule or figure can change, check the linked source before relying on it.
- Budget FY 26-27 — City of Burlington (accessed 2026-09-30)
- FY 2026-2027 Proposed Budget Public Hearing Presentation — City of Burlington (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Water Status Update — City of Burlington (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Senior Programs — City of Burlington Recreation and Parks (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Resources for Seniors — City of Burlington Recreation and Parks (accessed 2026-09-30)
- City Park — City of Burlington Recreation and Parks (accessed 2026-09-30)
- 2025-2026 County Tax Rates — North Carolina Department of Revenue (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Current Sales and Use Tax Rates — North Carolina Department of Revenue (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Flood Insurance — North Carolina Department of Insurance (accessed 2026-09-30)
- 2026 - 2027 Tax Property Rates — Guilford County Tax Department (accessed 2026-09-30)
- 2026 Tax Reappraisal Information and Learning Hub — Guilford County Tax Department (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Property Tax Relief Programs — Guilford County Tax Department (accessed 2026-09-30)
- 2026 Sales Tax Referendum — Guilford County (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Greensboro Facts — Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Get Around — Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Find Your Trail Adventure — Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Sports & Recreation — Greensboro Area Convention & Visitors Bureau (accessed 2026-09-30)
- High Point Medical Center — Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist (accessed 2026-09-30)
- About Us — Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist (accessed 2026-09-30)
- North Carolina A&T State University — North Carolina A&T State University (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Greensboro (GSO) Daily Normals — National Weather Service Raleigh (accessed 2026-09-30)
- Questions to Ask Your Agent — North Carolina Department of Insurance (accessed 2026-09-30)