Salem, Massachusetts property tax
Typical rate and yearly bill in Salem, compared with Essex County. Census survey 2020-2024.
Estimate my billHow Salem compares
How Salem 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.
Property tax in Salem, in plain words
Homeowners in Salem typically pay $6,114 a year in property tax on a home worth $542,800, according to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey for 2020-2024. That works out to an effective rate of about 1.13% of home value.
That rate is higher than Essex County as a whole (1.04%) and higher than the Massachusetts typical rate of 1.07%. Across the US, the typical rate is 0.94%.
Owners with a mortgage report a typical bill of $6,104, and owners without one $6,143. The gap usually reflects newer buyers paying tax on higher, more recent values.
Against the typical household income of $85,153, the typical bill equals about 7.2% of income.
Your own bill depends on your home's assessed value, the exact school district and special districts at your address, and any exemptions you claim. Your Essex County tax office has the final number.
Common questions
What is the property tax rate in Salem?
The typical effective rate is about 1.13% of home value per year, based on what homeowners report paying.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Salem?
About $4,500 a year at the typical rate. Exemptions and your exact district can move it either way.
Is Salem higher or lower than Essex County?
Salem's typical rate (1.13%) is higher than the county's (1.04%).
Homestead exemptions · How to appeal · Where these numbers come from