Rhode Island property taxes by county
Across Rhode Island, the median owner-occupied home pays $4,900 a year in real-estate taxes on a median home value of $404,200 — an effective property-tax rate of 1.212%. That ranks Rhode Island #15 of 51 states and the District of Columbia (1 = highest). This page carries all 5 Rhode Island county-equivalents in the Census data — 5 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 Rhode Island: 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 Rhode Island sources. Figures are U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
- Effective tax rate
- 1.212%
- Median real-estate taxes
- $4,900 ± $36
- Median home value
- $404,200
- Median household income
- $87,796
- National rank
- #15 of 51
- County-equivalents
- 5
Median real-estate taxes ÷ median home value — a ratio of two independently-estimated medians, not a statutory (millage) rate.
How property tax varies across Rhode Island
Across Rhode Island's 5 county-equivalents with a published rate, the effective property-tax rate runs from 1.354% in Kent County down to 0.888% in Newport County — a 1.5× spread inside a single state, which is why a statewide average tells a buyer very little.
The largest median real-estate tax bill in Rhode Island is $6,648 in Bristol County, which ranks #2 of 5 by RATE — while the state's highest rate, 1.354%, is in Kent County, where the median bill is $4,957. Dollars and rate are different questions and rank counties differently.
Measured against the national median effective rate of 0.937%, 4 of Rhode Island's 5 ranked counties sit above it and 1 below. Rhode Island as a whole ranks #15 of 51 (1 = highest).
Median home value statewide is $404,200, but within Rhode Island it ranges from $609,700 in Newport County to $366,100 in Kent 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 5.6% of median household income. That share is heaviest in Providence County (5.9%) and lightest in Washington County (4.8%).
Comparing the non-overlapping Census periods 2015–2019 and 2020–2024, median real-estate taxes rose by a statistically significant amount in 5 of Rhode Island's 5 counties with a comparable trend, fell significantly in 0, and showed no statistically significant change in 0.
Estimate a Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island county
All 5 Rhode Island county-equivalents in the Census data (5 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.
| Kent County | 1.354% | $4,957 | $5,127 | $4,741 | $366,100 | $94,345 | 5.3% | #1 | #519 | +16.9% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol County | 1.294% | $6,648 | $6,775 | $6,307 | $513,800 | $114,490 | 5.8% | #2 | #604 | +16.7% |
| Providence County | 1.253% | $4,683 | $4,755 | $4,522 | $373,600 | $78,787 | 5.9% | #3 | #670 | +14.9% |
| Washington County | 0.999% | $5,102 | $4,988 | $5,328 | $510,800 | $106,638 | 4.8% | #4 | #1123 | +16.1% |
| Newport County | 0.888% | $5,414 | $5,479 | $5,290 | $609,700 | $103,514 | 5.2% | #5 | #1378 | +14.1% |
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 Rhode Island
Assessment, exemptions, appeals and payment are set by Rhode Island 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
- Cities and towns assess, not the state. Per RI General Law 44-5-11.6 each municipality must perform a statistical update every third and sixth year and a full property revaluation every nine years, on a published statewide schedule running through 2031. The assessment date is December 31 of the respective year. The Division of Municipal Finance maintains a listing of registered revaluation companies. source →
- Exemptions & credits
- Exemption amounts are written municipality by municipality in statute. Under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-3-4 the veterans' exemption covers honorably discharged wartime and Cold War veterans and their unmarried widows or widowers to the amount of $1,000, except that it is $4,000 in Burrillville, may be set by ordinance up to $23,772 in Cumberland, and may not exceed $3,000 in Cranston. source →
- Appealing an assessment
- An appeal is filed in the local office of tax assessment on or before November 15, but not less than 90 days after the first tax payment is due. The assessor has until December 31 to decide. The taxpayer may then appeal to the local tax board of review within 30 days of that decision, or by January 31 if none issued, and may petition superior court within 30 days of the board's written decision. source →
- Payment schedule & penalties
- Every city and town must provide an option to pay in equal quarterly installments, free of any charges, interest, penalties or other assessments, with the amounts and dates specified in the resolution ordering the assessment and collection of the tax. A municipality may provide that the option does not apply to a tax of $100 or less, in which case it is payable in a single installment. source →
- Why rates vary within the state
- In fiscal year 2013 and each year after, a city or town may levy a tax no more than 4% in excess of the total amount it levied and certified the previous fiscal year. This caps the levy, not any individual assessment. Exceeding it requires an affirmative vote of at least four-fifths of the full membership of the governing body plus a certified ground such as an emergency or debt service increase. source →
- What makes this state's system distinctive
- After a revaluation or update, a city or town may adopt a tax classification plan by ordinance with four classes: residential real estate of no more than five dwelling units, commercial and industrial real estate, all ratable tangible personal property, and motor vehicles. The effective rate on any class other than motor vehicles may not exceed another class rate by more than 50%, except in Providence, Glocester and East Greenwich. 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 Rhode Island?
- Statewide, Rhode Island's effective property-tax rate is 1.212% — the state median real-estate taxes ($4,900) divided by the state median home value ($404,200), from the Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. The national figure is about 0.937%, which puts Rhode Island at #15 of 51 (1 = highest). Individual counties vary widely; the table above shows every one.
- Which Rhode Island county has the highest property taxes?
- By effective rate, Kent County is highest in Rhode Island at 1.354% (median bill $4,957), and Newport County is lowest at 0.888% (median bill $5,414). 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 Rhode Island?
- Exemption amounts are written municipality by municipality in statute. Under R.I. Gen. Laws 44-3-4 the veterans' exemption covers honorably discharged wartime and Cold War veterans and their unmarried widows or widowers to the amount of $1,000, except that it is $4,000 in Burrillville, may be set by ordinance up to $23,772 in Cumberland, and may not exceed $3,000 in Cranston. 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 Rhode Island?
- An appeal is filed in the local office of tax assessment on or before November 15, but not less than 90 days after the first tax payment is due. The assessor has until December 31 to decide. The taxpayer may then appeal to the local tax board of review within 30 days of that decision, or by January 31 if none issued, and may petition superior court within 30 days of the board's written decision. 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 Rhode Island?
- Every city and town must provide an option to pay in equal quarterly installments, free of any charges, interest, penalties or other assessments, with the amounts and dates specified in the resolution ordering the assessment and collection of the tax. A municipality may provide that the option does not apply to a tax of $100 or less, in which case it is payable in a single installment. If your taxes are paid through a mortgage escrow account, your servicer pays on this schedule on your behalf.
- How is property assessed in Rhode Island?
- Cities and towns assess, not the state. Per RI General Law 44-5-11.6 each municipality must perform a statistical update every third and sixth year and a full property revaluation every nine years, on a published statewide schedule running through 2031. The assessment date is December 31 of the respective year. The Division of Municipal Finance maintains a listing of registered revaluation companies. 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%; Rhode Island's statewide figure is 1.212%.