According to Buncombe County, the property tax figure on a Weaverville listing this fall is based on values set in 2021. That's because of two state laws passed this summer. The newer values homeowners got in the mail earlier this year won't take effect until January 1, 2027. If you're comparing two homes with a 28787 mailing address, the tax line you see now won't tell you next year's bill. It also won't tell you about the second variable, which is whether the house sits inside the Town of Weaverville's limits or just outside them.
Those two factors interact. Together they decide what a "Weaverville" home costs to own after closing, and neither one shows up in the price.
Why this year's tax bill runs on 2021 values
Buncombe finished its required revaluation, and in June the county, the City of Asheville and the Town of Weaverville each adopted tax rates based on the new 2026 values. Then the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 889, which became Session Law 2026-8, the "Property Tax Reappraisal Moratorium." It was signed June 19, 2026, and requires covered counties to keep using their previous reappraisal schedule for the tax year that began July 1, 2026. A follow-up law, Senate Bill 474, which became Session Law 2026-47, was signed July 7 and changed which counties the moratorium covers. Buncombe is on the final list, along with Anson, Bladen, Chowan, Davidson, Guilford, Onslow, Pamlico and Pender.
Local governments could either set a revenue-neutral rate on the new values or go back to the old values and raise the rate to fund the budgets they'd already adopted. At a July 14 special meeting, Buncombe County commissioners went back to the 2021 values and set the county rate at 61.54 cents per $100. The other choice was a 40-cent revenue-neutral rate on 2026 values, which would have cut the adopted budget by more than $24 million. Weaverville Town Council made the same kind of move on July 13. It voted 5–0 to drop its June rate of $0.32 on the new values and adopt $0.455 per $100 on the prior values. Asheville followed suit, raising its rate from 37.69 cents to 50.78 cents per $100 on the 2021 values.
For a buyer, this splits one tax picture into two. The county began mailing 2026 bills on August 21, and they use the old values at the higher rates. In 2027, the 2026 values take effect, and each jurisdiction will set new rates against them. A seller's current tax bill is accurate for this year. It just can't predict the first full year you'll own the home.
The town line decides which rates stack
Every Buncombe property pays the county rate. What gets added on top depends on whether the parcel is inside a town. Inside Weaverville's limits, the town rate is added. In unincorporated areas around Weaverville, the county's Unified Fire District rate is added instead. The county set that rate at 17.38 cents per $100 in the same July amendment.
Here's how the 2026 layers compare per $100,000 of assessed value. Your own bill depends on your parcel's actual assessed value.
| Per $100,000 of 2021-schedule value | Inside Weaverville town limits | Outside town limits, unincorporated |
|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County at 61.54¢ | $615.40 | $615.40 |
| Town of Weaverville at 45.5¢ | $455.00 | — |
| Unified Fire District at 17.38¢ | — | $173.80 |
| 2026 total | $1,070.40 | $789.20 |
Going by tax rates alone, the in-town home costs about $281 more per $100,000 of value this year. The town rate pays for services you get inside the line. The Town of Weaverville collects household trash weekly and picks up brush, leaves and yard clippings every other week, and only for residents inside town limits. The town also runs its own police department and a fire department that covers the town and the North Buncombe Fire District.
Water service pulls the other way.
Water costs twice as much on the far side of the line
The town's FY2026–27 water fee schedule took effect July 1 and includes a 5% rate increase. It sets separate rates for service inside and outside town limits. For the first 3,000 gallons a month, in-town customers pay $11.35 per 1,000 gallons and outside customers pay $22.70. Every tier above that is roughly double outside the line as well. Running those tiers out:
- 3,000 gallons a month: $34.05 inside town, $68.10 outside
- 5,000 gallons a month: $58.25 inside town, $116.40 outside
- Minimum monthly charge, standard residential meter: $11.35 inside, $22.70 outside
Opening an account costs more outside the line too. The deposit for a standard residential meter is $100 inside town and $200 outside.
These figures only apply if the outside home is on town water, which a 28787 address doesn't guarantee. The town says its system serves about 2,800 customers in unincorporated areas next to town, in the Reems Creek Valley and north along U.S. 19/23. Woodfin Water lists Weaverville and the Reems Creek area in its service expansion. Some rural parcels use private wells. Two neighboring homes could have three different water arrangements, and the only reliable way to tell is to look at an actual bill for that address.
Water also matters if you're buying land to build on. The town collects a water system development fee before it issues a building permit on a subdivision lot. The fee is $2,750 for a meter under one inch and $6,875 for a one-inch meter.
Why more new homes may land on the outside column
You might expect most new single-family homes to be inside town and pay town taxes. The town's own planning documents suggest otherwise. Weaverville's 2026–2031 Comprehensive Land Use Plan, adopted April 27, says nearly all residential development in town over the past five years has been multifamily, and that the town approved only one major subdivision in that time, with 35 single-family lots. Another 609 units were under construction when the plan was written: Encore at Reems Creek with 139, the Meribel apartments with 156, two Pleasant Grove townhome sites with 40 and 51, and 75 Cole Road with 223.
The plan also notes that there's little large undeveloped land left inside town, so big projects tend to happen at the edges. Whether those edges join the town is decided one project at a time, and recent decisions have gone both ways:
- Northridge Farms in the Gill Branch Valley is permitted for 568 apartments, townhomes, duplexes and single-family homes. The plan estimates it will make up about 20% of the town's housing stock. At the July 13 council workshop, Forestar Division President Ali Seabaugh said phase 1 had started, sewer installation was underway, and Forestar expected to finish within 9 to 12 months.
- 830 New Stock Road is a proposal for 114 lots on about 58 acres. On February 2, council voted unanimously to make its water request conditional on annexation.
- 10 Silverwood Farm Road got a town water commitment on February 2 by a 6–1 vote. The request covered 17 apartment buildings, 180 residential lots and a commercial component. The land use plan says the site is just outside town limits and that council chose not to require annexation. If it's built as described, it will be a large group of homes on Weaverville water without being in the town.
This new supply also affects the rent-or-buy decision. Encore at Reems Creek is advertising up to three months of free rent, plus waived application and administrative fees, for move-ins by November 2026. It lists its two-bedroom Laurel townhome from $1,899 a month, with 42 available, and notes that pricing may change. When new rentals are offering incentives like that, a buyer can take time to sort out the tax and water picture before deciding.
The countywide market gives you that time. In August 2026, Buncombe County's median sale price was $501,000, homes averaged 63 days on market, and inventory equaled 6.0 months of supply, compared with 6.9 a year earlier. Pending sales were up 17%. Canopy Realtor Association's September 29 release doesn't break out Weaverville separately, so treat those figures as regional context.
Questions to answer before you make an offer
- Is the parcel inside town limits? Confirm this with county and town records. A Weaverville mailing address doesn't settle it.
- What did the 2026 reappraisal notice say? The new 2026 values take effect in 2027, so ask for the notice that was mailed earlier this year along with the current bill.
- Is a value appeal pending? The county says appeals of 2026 reappraisal values are still under review and their outcomes will apply once those values take effect in 2027. Appeals of the value on the current bill can be filed through December 31, 2026.
- Who supplies the water? Ask for a recent water bill or a well record.
- Does garbage pickup come from the town or a private hauler? Outside the line, budget for a private hauler.
FAQ
Will my 2027 tax bill be higher or lower than the seller's 2026 bill? Nobody can say yet. The 2027 bill will use the 2026 values with whatever rates the county, the town and the fire district set next year. The county's FAQ notes that even this year, bills can go up from the year before depending on each jurisdiction's rate.
Does the Weaverville town rate include fire protection? The amended budget ordinance covers both the town's General Fund and its Special Revenue Fire Fund. That's why the in-town column in the table has no separate fire district line.
Is this tax or financial advice? No. These are published rates and dates. For your own situation, talk to the Buncombe County tax office or a tax professional.
Weaverville's line splits streets and subdivisions in ways a ZIP code won't show you, and it decides more of your carrying cost than most buyers expect. If you're looking at a home near that line and want help pulling the parcel status, the 2026 reappraisal notice and the water bill before you write an offer, Nate Kelly is glad to go through it with you. Let's Connect.
