Massachusetts property taxes by county
Across Massachusetts, the median owner-occupied home pays $5,992 a year in real-estate taxes on a median home value of $562,100 — an effective property-tax rate of 1.066%. That ranks Massachusetts #17 of 51 states and the District of Columbia (1 = highest). This page carries all 14 Massachusetts county-equivalents in the Census data — 14 with a published effective rate — sortable by rate, taxes paid, home value, income, or five-year change. It also sets out how property tax actually works in Massachusetts: how property is assessed, which exemptions exist and who qualifies, the deadline and body for an appeal, and the payment schedule and penalties — each hand-sourced from official Massachusetts sources. Figures are U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
- Effective tax rate
- 1.066%
- Median real-estate taxes
- $5,992 ± $18
- Median home value
- $562,100
- Median household income
- $103,960
- National rank
- #17 of 51
- County-equivalents
- 14
Median real-estate taxes ÷ median home value — a ratio of two independently-estimated medians, not a statutory (millage) rate.
How property tax varies across Massachusetts
Across Massachusetts's 14 county-equivalents with a published rate, the effective property-tax rate runs from 1.491% in Hampden County down to 0.249% in Nantucket County — a 6× spread inside a single state, which is why a statewide average tells a buyer very little.
The largest median real-estate tax bill in Massachusetts is $7,501 in Middlesex County, which ranks #10 of 14 by RATE — while the state's highest rate, 1.491%, is in Hampden County, where the median bill is $4,455. Dollars and rate are different questions and rank counties differently.
Measured against the national median effective rate of 0.937%, 10 of Massachusetts's 14 ranked counties sit above it and 4 below. Massachusetts as a whole ranks #17 of 51 (1 = highest).
Median home value statewide is $562,100, but within Massachusetts it ranges from $1,593,800 in Nantucket County to $298,800 in Hampden County — the denominator of the effective rate, and the main reason two counties with similar bills can show very different rates.
Statewide, the median real-estate tax bill equals about 5.8% of median household income. That share is heaviest in Hampshire County (6.4%) and lightest in Nantucket County (2.8%).
Comparing the non-overlapping Census periods 2015–2019 and 2020–2024, median real-estate taxes rose by a statistically significant amount in 14 of Massachusetts's 14 counties with a comparable trend, fell significantly in 0, and showed no statistically significant change in 0.
Estimate a Massachusetts property tax bill
A median-based estimate, not a quote, an assessment, or a tax bill — it cannot know your assessed value, exemptions, or special districts. How this is computed.
Every Massachusetts county
All 14 Massachusetts county-equivalents in the Census data (14 with a published effective rate). Click a column heading to sort. Counties in bold have a full detail card further down this page — margins of error, nearby counties, and their five-year trend.
| Hampden County | 1.491% | $4,455 | $4,414 | $4,524 | $298,800 | $71,306 | 6.3% | #1 | #357 | +24.9% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County | 1.435% | $4,720 | $4,692 | $4,759 | $329,000 | $74,907 | 6.3% | #2 | #427 | +23.1% |
| Hampshire County | 1.432% | $5,589 | $5,582 | $5,598 | $390,300 | $87,001 | 6.4% | #3 | #430 | +25.8% |
| Berkshire County | 1.322% | $4,036 | $4,012 | $4,068 | $305,400 | $76,013 | 5.3% | #4 | #561 | +27.2% |
| Worcester County | 1.283% | $5,438 | $5,456 | $5,398 | $423,700 | $95,939 | 5.7% | #5 | #622 | +29.4% |
| Plymouth County | 1.169% | $6,502 | $6,489 | $6,533 | $556,000 | $114,201 | 5.7% | #6 | #779 | +27.8% |
| Bristol County | 1.065% | $4,807 | $4,830 | $4,766 | $451,200 | $85,625 | 5.6% | #7 | #970 | +28.6% |
| Norfolk County | 1.062% | $7,261 | $7,261 | $7,260 | $683,900 | $130,739 | 5.5% | #8 | #980 | +24.1% |
| Essex County | 1.039% | $6,430 | $6,371 | $6,577 | $619,100 | $101,883 | 6.3% | #9 | #1024 | +25.7% |
| Middlesex County | 1.031% | $7,501 | $7,529 | $7,463 | $727,800 | $130,847 | 5.7% | #10 | #1042 | +23.5% |
| Barnstable County | 0.674% | $4,239 | $4,114 | $4,408 | $629,000 | $95,241 | 4.5% | #11 | #1985 | +30.3% |
| Suffolk County | 0.659% | $4,649 | $4,557 | $4,890 | $705,800 | $95,631 | 4.9% | #12 | #2039 | +24.7% |
| Dukes County | 0.500% | $5,828 | $4,647 | $7,075 | $1,165,800 | $125,786 | 4.6% | #13 | #2636 | +48% |
| Nantucket County | 0.249% | $3,974 | $3,961 | $4,016 | $1,593,800 | $139,688 | 2.8% | #14 | #3115 | +22.7% |
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-year estimates — tables B25103 (real-estate taxes), B25077 (home value), B19013 (household income) — and the 2024 Census county gazetteer. Public domain (Title 17 U.S.C. §105).
How property tax works in Massachusetts
Assessment, exemptions, appeals and payment are set by Massachusetts law and practice, so they apply to every county in the table above. Each fact is taken from an official government source and linked to it.
- How property is assessed
- Local assessors determine full and fair cash valuations and classify all property in the community as of January 1 each year. They value all real and personal property on a fair cash value basis under MGL c. 59 §§2A and 38, run a cyclical property reinspection program, complete an annual property value adjustment analysis, and prepare for a five-year certification of property values by the Division of Local Services. source →
- Exemptions & credits
- An exemption releases a taxpayer from all or part of the local property tax. DOR's Division of Local Services publishes taxpayer guides to real estate tax exemptions for blind persons, qualifying senior citizens, qualifying surviving spouses, minor children and elderly persons, qualifying veterans, and religious and charitable organizations, plus a guide to real estate tax deferrals for qualifying persons. Exemptions are applied for and granted locally by the board of assessors. source →
- Appealing an assessment
- An abatement application must be filed with the local board of assessors on or before the due date for the first installment of the actual tax bill, generally February 1 where billing is quarterly. Assessors have three months to act, after which the application is deemed denied. The taxpayer must then file with the Appellate Tax Board within three months of the assessors' action or of the deemed denial; the tax must also have been paid timely. source →
- Payment schedule & penalties
- In cities and towns billing quarterly, the preliminary tax is due in two installments on August 1 and November 1, and the actual bill in two installments on February 1 and May 1. Semi-annual communities pay October 1 and April 1. Any installment not timely paid is delinquent and interest at 14% per annum is charged, computed from the due date. source →
- Why rates vary within the state
- Proposition 2½ imposes two restrictions. A community's levy cannot exceed 2.5% of its total assessed value, the levy ceiling. Separately, the annual maximum levy increase is 2.5% of the prior year's levy limit plus new growth. Either limit can only be exceeded by a vote of the electorate through an override, a debt exclusion or a capital exclusion. Unused room below the limit is called excess levy capacity. source →
- What makes this state's system distinctive
- Massachusetts delivers senior relief through the income tax rather than the assessment. The Senior Circuit Breaker is a refundable credit on the state personal income tax return for residents 65 or older, worth up to $2,820 for tax year 2025. A homeowner qualifies only if property tax plus half of water and sewer exceeds 10% of total Massachusetts income and the home's January 1, 2025 assessed valuation is $1,298,000 or less. source →
Hand-sourced from official government sources — not a substitute for your own assessor's notice, and not legal or tax advice. Where a fact isn't confirmed on an official source, it is left off rather than guessed, which is why some states show fewer rows than others.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the average property tax rate in Massachusetts?
- Statewide, Massachusetts's effective property-tax rate is 1.066% — the state median real-estate taxes ($5,992) divided by the state median home value ($562,100), from the Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. The national figure is about 0.937%, which puts Massachusetts at #17 of 51 (1 = highest). Individual counties vary widely; the table above shows every one.
- Which Massachusetts county has the highest property taxes?
- By effective rate, Hampden County is highest in Massachusetts at 1.491% (median bill $4,455), and Nantucket County is lowest at 0.249% (median bill $3,974). Ranked by dollars paid rather than rate the order changes, because home values differ so much across the state — the table above shows both columns and sorts on either.
- What property tax exemptions are available in Massachusetts?
- An exemption releases a taxpayer from all or part of the local property tax. DOR's Division of Local Services publishes taxpayer guides to real estate tax exemptions for blind persons, qualifying senior citizens, qualifying surviving spouses, minor children and elderly persons, qualifying veterans, and religious and charitable organizations, plus a guide to real estate tax deferrals for qualifying persons. Exemptions are applied for and granted locally by the board of assessors. Eligibility and filing are handled by your county assessor, and the exemption you qualify for changes your bill far more than the county you are in — the rates above are county medians and do not account for any exemption.
- How do I appeal a property tax assessment in Massachusetts?
- An abatement application must be filed with the local board of assessors on or before the due date for the first installment of the actual tax bill, generally February 1 where billing is quarterly. Assessors have three months to act, after which the application is deemed denied. The taxpayer must then file with the Appellate Tax Board within three months of the assessors' action or of the deemed denial; the tax must also have been paid timely. Missing the deadline usually means waiting a full year, so check the date on your own assessment notice rather than relying on a general figure.
- When are property taxes due in Massachusetts?
- In cities and towns billing quarterly, the preliminary tax is due in two installments on August 1 and November 1, and the actual bill in two installments on February 1 and May 1. Semi-annual communities pay October 1 and April 1. Any installment not timely paid is delinquent and interest at 14% per annum is charged, computed from the due date. If your taxes are paid through a mortgage escrow account, your servicer pays on this schedule on your behalf.
- How is property assessed in Massachusetts?
- Local assessors determine full and fair cash valuations and classify all property in the community as of January 1 each year. They value all real and personal property on a fair cash value basis under MGL c. 59 §§2A and 38, run a cyclical property reinspection program, complete an annual property value adjustment analysis, and prepare for a five-year certification of property values by the Division of Local Services. This is why an effective rate computed from market value — as every rate on this page is — will not match the millage rate printed on your bill: the two are applied to different bases.
Compare & explore
See the national highest and lowest property-tax rates, or read the methodology behind every figure. The national median effective rate is 0.937%; Massachusetts's statewide figure is 1.066%.