Maine property taxes by county
Across Maine, the median owner-occupied home pays $3,036 a year in real-estate taxes on a median home value of $296,600 — an effective property-tax rate of 1.024%. That ranks Maine #19 of 51 states and the District of Columbia (1 = highest). This page carries all 16 Maine county-equivalents in the Census data — 16 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 Maine: 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 Maine sources. Figures are U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
- Effective tax rate
- 1.024%
- Median real-estate taxes
- $3,036 ± $26
- Median home value
- $296,600
- Median household income
- $74,733
- National rank
- #19 of 51
- County-equivalents
- 16
Median real-estate taxes ÷ median home value — a ratio of two independently-estimated medians, not a statutory (millage) rate.
How property tax varies across Maine
Across Maine's 16 county-equivalents with a published rate, the effective property-tax rate runs from 1.165% in Knox County down to 0.825% in Hancock County — a 1.4× spread inside a single state, which is why a statewide average tells a buyer very little.
The largest median real-estate tax bill in Maine is $4,707 in Cumberland County, which ranks #7 of 16 by RATE — while the state's highest rate, 1.165%, is in Knox County, where the median bill is $3,786. Dollars and rate are different questions and rank counties differently.
Measured against the national median effective rate of 0.937%, 13 of Maine's 16 ranked counties sit above it and 3 below. Maine as a whole ranks #19 of 51 (1 = highest).
Median home value statewide is $296,600, but within Maine it ranges from $451,200 in Cumberland County to $149,700 in Aroostook 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 4.1% of median household income. That share is heaviest in Knox County (5.1%) and lightest in Piscataquis County (2.5%).
Comparing the non-overlapping Census periods 2015–2019 and 2020–2024, median real-estate taxes rose by a statistically significant amount in 16 of Maine's 16 counties with a comparable trend, fell significantly in 0, and showed no statistically significant change in 0.
Estimate a Maine 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 Maine county
All 16 Maine county-equivalents in the Census data (16 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.
| Knox County | 1.165% | $3,786 | $3,712 | $3,897 | $324,900 | $74,096 | 5.1% | #1 | #785 | +30.4% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Androscoggin County | 1.163% | $2,940 | $3,068 | $2,712 | $252,800 | $67,873 | 4.3% | #2 | #791 | +8.2% |
| Penobscot County | 1.159% | $2,481 | $2,745 | $2,088 | $214,100 | $66,356 | 3.7% | #3 | #799 | +18% |
| Aroostook County | 1.117% | $1,672 | $1,834 | $1,453 | $149,700 | $56,700 | 3.0% | #4 | #870 | +13.2% |
| Kennebec County | 1.094% | $2,605 | $2,645 | $2,537 | $238,200 | $69,077 | 3.8% | #5 | #918 | +16.8% |
| Somerset County | 1.077% | $1,798 | $1,959 | $1,635 | $166,900 | $58,179 | 3.1% | #6 | #948 | +19.1% |
| Cumberland County | 1.043% | $4,707 | $4,717 | $4,690 | $451,200 | $95,677 | 4.9% | #7 | #1015 | +23.6% |
| Waldo County | 1.042% | $2,684 | $2,756 | $2,572 | $257,700 | $72,782 | 3.7% | #8 | #1018 | +25% |
| Franklin County | 1.041% | $2,027 | $2,142 | $1,924 | $194,700 | $58,675 | 3.5% | #10 | #1020 | +14.2% |
| Sagadahoc County | 1.041% | $3,470 | $3,471 | $3,468 | $333,300 | $87,806 | 4.0% | #9 | #1019 | +20.8% |
| Washington County | 1.040% | $1,683 | $1,892 | $1,479 | $161,800 | $56,024 | 3.0% | #11 | #1023 | +13.8% |
| Oxford County | 0.995% | $2,162 | $2,369 | $1,921 | $217,300 | $60,173 | 3.6% | #12 | #1132 | +12.3% |
| York County | 0.957% | $3,787 | $3,846 | $3,664 | $395,700 | $88,333 | 4.3% | #13 | #1225 | +19.2% |
| Piscataquis County | 0.903% | $1,537 | $1,714 | $1,378 | $170,200 | $61,345 | 2.5% | #14 | #1347 | +10.8% |
| Lincoln County | 0.850% | $2,828 | $2,803 | $2,864 | $332,700 | $76,875 | 3.7% | #15 | #1466 | +19.9% |
| Hancock County | 0.825% | $2,561 | $2,565 | $2,553 | $310,400 | $72,744 | 3.5% | #16 | #1521 | +16% |
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 Maine
Assessment, exemptions, appeals and payment are set by Maine 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
- Assessing is municipal. Maine Revenue Services' State Valuation section separately determines the full equalized value of all taxable property in the state each year, conducting studies in all 482 municipalities and the unorganized territory and analyzing recent sales against assessed values. That state valuation is used to allocate state education funding and revenue sharing and to apportion county tax assessments. MRS itself acts as the local assessor for the Unorganized Territory, setting values and issuing bills there. source →
- Exemptions & credits
- The Homestead Exemption removes $25,000 of just value for owners who have held homestead property in Maine at least 12 months and occupy it as a permanent residence on April 1. A Veteran Exemption of $6,000 applies to wartime veterans 62 or older or rated 100% disabled; veterans with a federal specially adapted housing grant get $50,000; legally blind residents get $4,000. Applications are due to the assessor by April 1. source →
- Appealing an assessment
- If a municipality has adopted a board of assessment review and the assessors or municipal officers refuse the abatement asked for, the applicant may apply in writing to that board within 60 days after notice of the decision or after the application is deemed denied. Either party may then appeal to Superior Court under Rule 80B, except that nonresidential property with an equalized municipal valuation of $1,000,000 or more goes to the State Board of Property Tax Review within 60 days. source →
- Payment schedule & penalties
- Due dates and the delinquent interest rate are set locally: a municipality votes the date or dates from which interest accrues, which are also the dates taxes become delinquent, and must specify the interest rate in that vote. The maximum rate is established annually by the Treasurer of State under 36 M.R.S. §505(4). The maximum was 7.00% for taxable year 2026, 7.50% for 2025 and 8.50% for 2024. source →
- Why rates vary within the state
- Rates are municipal, and nominal mil rates are not comparable between towns because towns assess at different fractions of market value. Each year Maine Revenue Services determines the full equalized value of every municipality and calculates a full value tax rate from it; MRS publishes those full value tax rates specifically to make equitable comparisons between municipalities possible. source →
- What makes this state's system distinctive
- Maine's statewide exemptions are stated in full market value but are then scaled down by each town's certified assessment ratio, so identical homeowners get different dollar reductions. The $25,000 homestead exemption is multiplied by the local certified ratio: in a town certified at 80%, the exemption applied to the bill is $20,000. The exemption also cannot exceed the total value of the homestead. 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 Maine?
- Statewide, Maine's effective property-tax rate is 1.024% — the state median real-estate taxes ($3,036) divided by the state median home value ($296,600), from the Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. The national figure is about 0.937%, which puts Maine at #19 of 51 (1 = highest). Individual counties vary widely; the table above shows every one.
- Which Maine county has the highest property taxes?
- By effective rate, Knox County is highest in Maine at 1.165% (median bill $3,786), and Hancock County is lowest at 0.825% (median bill $2,561). 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 Maine?
- The Homestead Exemption removes $25,000 of just value for owners who have held homestead property in Maine at least 12 months and occupy it as a permanent residence on April 1. A Veteran Exemption of $6,000 applies to wartime veterans 62 or older or rated 100% disabled; veterans with a federal specially adapted housing grant get $50,000; legally blind residents get $4,000. Applications are due to the assessor by April 1. 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 Maine?
- If a municipality has adopted a board of assessment review and the assessors or municipal officers refuse the abatement asked for, the applicant may apply in writing to that board within 60 days after notice of the decision or after the application is deemed denied. Either party may then appeal to Superior Court under Rule 80B, except that nonresidential property with an equalized municipal valuation of $1,000,000 or more goes to the State Board of Property Tax Review within 60 days. 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 Maine?
- Due dates and the delinquent interest rate are set locally: a municipality votes the date or dates from which interest accrues, which are also the dates taxes become delinquent, and must specify the interest rate in that vote. The maximum rate is established annually by the Treasurer of State under 36 M.R.S. §505(4). The maximum was 7.00% for taxable year 2026, 7.50% for 2025 and 8.50% for 2024. If your taxes are paid through a mortgage escrow account, your servicer pays on this schedule on your behalf.
- How is property assessed in Maine?
- Assessing is municipal. Maine Revenue Services' State Valuation section separately determines the full equalized value of all taxable property in the state each year, conducting studies in all 482 municipalities and the unorganized territory and analyzing recent sales against assessed values. That state valuation is used to allocate state education funding and revenue sharing and to apportion county tax assessments. MRS itself acts as the local assessor for the Unorganized Territory, setting values and issuing bills there. 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%; Maine's statewide figure is 1.024%.