The average Massachusetts property tax rate is about 1.0% of a home’s value, which comes to roughly $5,992 a year on the typical Massachusetts home. That makes Massachusetts property tax a middle-of-the-pack burdens in the country. This guide breaks down the Massachusetts property tax rate, what the typical bill looks like, how your bill is figured, where the money goes, and — most useful of all — how to check
whether you are overpaying and how to pay less.
Massachusetts Property Tax at a Glance
| Effective tax rate | 1.0% |
| Median annual bill | $5,992 |
| Median home value | $562,100 |
| Rank among states | #16 of 50 highest |
| vs. U.S. average | $1,721 above the U.S. average ($4,271) |
| Reassessed | Assessors update values every year (called interim-year adjustments) to keep pace with the market, and the Department of Revenue reviews and recertifies each community’s values on a full revaluation cycle roughly every five years. |
Rate & bill: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024 5-year (effective rate B25090/B25082 – the Tax Foundation method; median bill B25103; value B25077).
| Massachusetts Property Tax | Figure |
|---|---|
| Effective property tax rate | 1.0% |
| Median annual property tax bill | $5,992 |
| Median home value | $562,100 |
| Rank (highest to lowest) | #16 of 50 states |
| U.S. average bill | $4,271 |
In This Massachusetts Guide:
What Is the Massachusetts Property Tax Rate?
The Massachusetts property tax rate is not one flat number — it is the combined result of your county, city, township, and school-district rates, applied to your home’s assessed value. Across Massachusetts, homeowners pay about 1.0% of their home’s value on average, or around $5,992 a year on a typical $562,100 home. That puts Massachusetts in the middle nationally — ranked #16 of 50 states from highest to lowest. Two
homes worth the same amount can still owe very different bills depending on the town and school district, so treat the statewide figure as a starting point, not your exact bill.
If your bill went up, start by reading the assessed value on your notice and asking whether it reflects what your home could realistically sell for — assessors generally welcome questions and can explain how they reached the number. Next, ask your local assessor’s office which exemptions you may qualify for, since many homeowners miss ones they’re entitled to. If the assessed value still looks too high, you can request
an abatement (an appeal) through the Board of Assessors within the filing window shown on your notice — check your assessment notice for that date.
Think your Massachusetts bill is too high? Check in two minutes.
How Massachusetts Property Tax Is Calculated
Your Massachusetts property tax starts with an assessed value set by Local city and town assessors — each municipality has a Board of Assessors that values property. Their work is overseen and certified by the Massachusetts Department of Revenue’s Bureau of Local Assessments (Division of Local Services). Massachusetts does not use county assessors.. By law, Massachusetts assessors value property at its “full and fair cash value” — essentially what it
would sell for on the open market.
The figure on your notice is your assessed value; check it against what you believe your home would actually sell for, and see the data box above for how it relates to your bill. That assessed value is then multiplied by the combined local tax rate to produce your bill. In Massachusetts, property is generally reassessed Assessors update values every year (called interim-year adjustments) to keep pace with the market,
and the Department of Revenue reviews and recertifies each community’s values on a full revaluation cycle roughly every five years..
The single most important number to check is your assessed value: if it is higher than what your home would sell for, your bill is too high — and that is exactly what an appeal fixes.
The actual rates in Massachusetts are set by Cities and towns (municipalities) set the tax rate — Massachusetts has no county-level property tax. The rate each year comes from dividing the total amount the town needs to raise by the total value of all taxable property, all within the limits of Proposition 2½.. That is why your neighbor one town over can pay a different bill on an identical house.
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Where Your Massachusetts Property Tax Money Goes
Property taxes are the main funding source for local government and mostly pay for municipal services — public schools, police and fire, roads and public works, and other town or city services. For most Massachusetts homeowners, the school-district share is the biggest single piece of the bill, which is why property taxes tend to be highest where schools rely most on local funding.
One Massachusetts note: Massachusetts has Proposition 2½, a Prop-13-style law that limits how much total property tax revenue a community can raise. In general a town’s total tax levy can’t exceed 2.5% of the assessed value of all its property, and it can’t grow by more than 2.5% a year (plus taxes from new construction) unless local voters approve an override at the ballot. This limit applies to the town’s
total, not directly to any single home’s bill.
How Massachusetts Property Tax Compares
The U.S. average property tax bill is about $4,271 a year. The typical Massachusetts bill of $5,992 is $1,721 above that. Remember that a low rate does not always mean a low bill — a state with cheap rates but expensive homes can still cost you more than Massachusetts. The dollar bill and your own assessment matter more than the headline rate.
How to Lower Your Massachusetts Property Tax
You cannot change the Massachusetts property tax rate, but you have two real levers on your own bill. First, claim every exemption you qualify for. Massachusetts offers targeted property tax relief rather than one broad break for everyone. Local exemptions administered by your Board of Assessors may lower the bill for qualifying seniors (generally older homeowners), veterans, blind or disabled homeowners, and surviving spouses, and there is also a state
“circuit breaker” income tax credit for eligible seniors.
Amounts and eligibility are set locally and by state law — check whether you qualify (see the data box above for details) and apply through your local assessor. Second, appeal your assessment if your home is valued higher than it would sell for — studies suggest a large share of homes are over-assessed, and appeals often succeed.
Don’t want to appeal your Massachusetts taxes yourself? A property tax appeal service can file everything for you and usually only charges if it wins — typically a share of what it saves you. It is one option; you can also appeal on your own for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Massachusetts property tax rate?
The average effective Massachusetts property tax rate is about 1.0% of a home’s value, based on U.S. Census data. On the typical Massachusetts home that works out to roughly $5,992 a year. Your own bill depends on your county, city, and school district, plus any exemptions you claim — see the data box above.
Why is my Massachusetts property tax so high?
Property tax in Massachusetts is driven mostly by your local rates (especially school levies) and by your home’s assessed value. If your assessment is higher than what your home would actually sell for, you may be overpaying — that is the most common reason a bill is too high, and it is something you can appeal.
How can I lower my Massachusetts property tax?
Two things help most in Massachusetts: make sure you are claiming every exemption you qualify for (homestead, senior, veteran, or disability), and appeal your assessment if your home is over-valued. Both can lower your bill, and both are free to do yourself.
Massachusetts Property Tax Sources & Data
- Massachusetts Department of Revenue (property tax): https://www.mass.gov/guides/massachusetts-municipal-property-taxes
- Tax Foundation — Property Taxes by State & County: taxfoundation.org
- U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey): census.gov/acs
- Lincoln Institute of Land Policy (property tax data): lincolninst.edu
Massachusetts property tax rates and typical bills on this page come from U.S. Census (American Community Survey) data as
published by the Tax Foundation, and were last checked in July 2026. Rates and bills change each year and vary by county
— confirm your own figures with your county assessor before you rely on them.
More Property Tax Guides
- Property Tax Rates by State
- Property Tax by County
- Are You Overpaying? Over-Assessment Checker
- Property Tax Exemption Finder
Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Know Property Tax is an independent educational resource. It is not a government agency, not a county assessor, and not a tax-appeal service. Property tax rates, bills, exemptions, and deadlines change over time and vary by county and property. Confirm anything that affects your taxes with your county assessor or a licensed professional before you act.