Massachusetts property tax by county
Typical rates and bills for every county, from the Census survey 2020-2024.
Estimate my billHow Massachusetts changed in five years
Comparing the Census surveys for 2015-2019 and 2020-2024, which do not overlap. Home values rose faster than bills, so the effective rate went down, often because of caps on assessment increases or rate cuts.
Ways to lower your bill in Massachusetts
- Homestead exemption or credit. Massachusetts homeowners can usually reduce the taxable value of the home they live in. You apply once with your county assessor, and the local deadline is often in the first months of the year. How homestead exemptions work
- Senior, disability and veteran relief. Extra exemptions, freezes or credits are common for owners 65 and over, people with disabilities and veterans with a service-connected disability. Many need a separate form. Senior relief explained
- Appeal a high value. If the assessed value is above what similar homes sell for, you can appeal for free, within a short window after the notice arrives. How to appeal
Amounts, income limits and deadlines change, and many programs are run county by county. Your county assessor's office can confirm what you qualify for.
Largest cities and towns
Property tax in Massachusetts, in plain words
Homeowners in Massachusetts pay a typical 1.07% of their home's value in property tax each year, above the national figure of 0.94%. On the median home, worth $562,100, that comes to about $5,992 a year. Massachusetts ranks 17th highest of the 50 states and DC by rate.
Rates vary across the state. Hampden County has the highest typical rate at 1.49%, and Nantucket County the lowest at 0.25%. The table below lists every county, and each one has its own page with a calculator.
Massachusetts's state income tax runs 5% flat (9% over $1M). The state sales tax rate is 6.25%, and local sales taxes can add more. The typical property tax bill equals about 5.8% of median household income in Massachusetts.
Every county in Massachusetts
Tap a column to sort.
| County | Typical rate | Typical bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstable County | 0.67% | $4,239 | $629,000 |
| Berkshire County | 1.32% | $4,036 | $305,400 |
| Bristol County | 1.06% | $4,807 | $451,200 |
| Dukes County | 0.50% | $5,828 | $1,165,800 |
| Essex County | 1.04% | $6,430 | $619,100 |
| Franklin County | 1.44% | $4,720 | $329,000 |
| Hampden County | 1.49% | $4,455 | $298,800 |
| Hampshire County | 1.43% | $5,589 | $390,300 |
| Middlesex County | 1.03% | $7,501 | $727,800 |
| Nantucket County | 0.25% | $3,974 | $1,593,800 |
| Norfolk County | 1.06% | $7,261 | $683,900 |
| Plymouth County | 1.17% | $6,502 | $556,000 |
| Suffolk County | 0.66% | $4,649 | $705,800 |
| Worcester County | 1.28% | $5,438 | $423,700 |