Apex, Cary, Holly Springs and Morrisville side by side: 2026-27 tax rates, high school scores, Zillow values, Census income and commute, and services.
Last checked Oct. 11, 2026. Sources: each town’s adopted 2026-27 budget, Wake County’s 2026-27 tax levy report, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s 2025-26 accountability data, Zillow Research, the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey through QuickFacts and the towns’ own service pages.
Apex’s three nearest towns are Cary, about 5 miles away, Holly Springs, about 5 miles, and Morrisville, about 8 miles, measured between town centers. All four are in western Wake County, share the county’s property tax rate and the Wake County Public School System, and sit on the same highways: US 1, US 64, NC 55 and NC 540. What differs is the town tax rate, the high schools inside each town’s limits, home values and who collects your trash. This page gives the official figures side by side, one year or one month for all four.
What this means for you
- Compare the combined rate: Wake County’s 53.71 cents plus the town’s rate, per $100 of assessed value.
- Your school is set by your address, not your town. Check it in the district’s base school lookup.
- A mailing address is not a town: some “Apex” addresses are in unincorporated Wake County or inside Holly Springs, and Middle Creek High’s Apex address is inside Cary.
Property taxes
North Carolina rates are set per $100 of assessed value. Wake County’s rate for the tax year that began July 1, 2026, is 53.71 cents, from its 2026-27 tax levy report. Town rates are from each town’s adopted 2026-27 budget.
| Town | Wake County rate | Town rate | Combined | On a $500,000 assessed home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apex | 53.71 | 37.35 | 91.06 | $4,553 |
| Cary | 53.71 | 36.75 | 90.46 | $4,523 |
| Holly Springs | 53.71 | 34.35 | 88.06 | $4,403 |
| Morrisville | 53.71 | 35.00 | 88.71 | $4,436 |
Rates are in cents per $100. The table is for the Wake County part of each town; a property in another county pays that county’s rate instead. Cary raised its rate 2.75 cents this year, the town said; Holly Springs’ approved budget kept 34.35 cents; Morrisville kept 35 cents and also charges a $30 vehicle decal fee and a $50 stormwater fee per equivalent residential unit, according to the town.
Homestead exemptions. None of the four towns offers its own. North Carolina’s relief programs for older, disabled and veteran homeowners are run by Wake County for all four; see our property tax guide.
Town tax rates
Schools
All four towns are in the Wake County Public School System, where 68.2% of state tests were at grade level or above in 2025-26. These are the base high schools inside each town’s limits on the Census Bureau’s geocoder, with 2025-26 figures from the state’s accountability data.
| Town | High school | At grade level | Growth | Four-year graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apex | Apex High | 74.3% | Met | Above 95% |
| Apex | Apex Friendship High | 87.2% | Exceeded | Above 95% |
| Cary | Cary High | 64.1% | Exceeded | 88.8% |
| Cary | Green Hope High | 84.2% | Exceeded | Above 95% |
| Cary | Green Level High | 90.5% | Exceeded | Above 95% |
| Cary | Middle Creek High (Apex mailing address) | 64.2% | Not met | 94.9% |
| Cary | Panther Creek High | 81.8% | Exceeded | Above 95% |
| Holly Springs | Holly Springs High | 84.4% | Exceeded | Above 95% |
Morrisville has no base high school. Its only high school in the federal directory is the Wake Early College of Information and Biotechnologies, which admits by application. The district’s 2027-28 enrollment proposal is built around the opening of a new Morrisville High. Felton Grove High, which serves southeast Apex, is left out because we could not place its campus on the geocoder; 81.2% of its tests were at grade level in 2025-26. More in our schools guide.
Home values
The Zillow Home Value Index is a modeled typical value for the middle third of homes in each town, not a sale price.
| Town | August 2026 | August 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex | $592,991 | $603,410 | -1.7% |
| Cary | $619,636 | $628,603 | -1.4% |
| Holly Springs | $574,699 | $579,299 | -0.8% |
| Morrisville | $470,563 | $494,139 | -4.8% |
Values inside Apex vary by area; see our neighborhoods guide and home prices guide.
Census figures
From the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates, the same vintage for all four. Travel time is the mean commute for workers 16 and older.
| Town | Population | Median household income | Median home value | Mean travel time to work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apex | 70,630 | $144,135 | $576,100 | 25.2 minutes |
| Cary | 179,306 | $134,905 | $580,200 | 22.5 minutes |
| Holly Springs | 45,248 | $135,578 | $535,800 | 28.8 minutes |
| Morrisville | 31,422 | $125,396 | $518,800 | 21.8 minutes |
The Census median home value is what owners estimate their homes are worth, so it differs from Zillow’s index.
Who provides town services
Each of the four towns runs its own police and fire departments inside its limits; the Wake County Sheriff’s Office covers unincorporated areas. Trash service differs:
| Town | Trash and recycling |
|---|---|
| Apex | GFL under a town contract for trash and recycling; town Public Works crews collect yard waste |
| Cary | Town curbside collection in town-provided roll-out carts, weekly for garbage |
| Holly Springs | GFL Environmental, which the town calls its waste contractor |
| Morrisville | GFL Environmental under a town contract for single-family homes; the town says the cost is included in property taxes |
More on Apex’s schedule in our trash and recycling guide.
How to check an address
- Which town, and the tax bill: Wake County’s real estate search shows the planning jurisdiction and the taxing town for any parcel, and its tax bill search shows the rates on a bill.
- Which schools: the WCPSS base school lookup, or Student Assignment at 919-431-7333.
- What it would cost: multiply the assessed value by the combined rate and divide by 100, then add any town fees. Questions go to Wake County Tax Administration, 919-856-5400.
Frequently asked questions
Which has lower property taxes, Apex or Cary?
For 2026-27, Apex’s town rate is 37.35 cents per $100 of value and Cary’s is 36.75 cents. Both add Wake County’s 53.71 cents, for combined rates of 91.06 and 90.46 cents.
What are the property tax rates in Holly Springs and Morrisville?
Holly Springs adopted 34.35 cents per $100 for 2026-27 and Morrisville kept its rate at 35 cents. With Wake County’s 53.71 cents, the combined rates are 88.06 and 88.71 cents.
What is the typical home value in Apex compared with Cary?
In August 2026 the Zillow Home Value Index was $592,991 in Apex, $619,636 in Cary, $574,699 in Holly Springs and $470,563 in Morrisville.
Do Apex, Cary, Holly Springs and Morrisville have the same schools?
All four are in the Wake County Public School System, but each address has its own base schools. Morrisville has no traditional high school yet; the district’s 2027-28 proposal is built around a new Morrisville High.
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