What shapes the rate
- The municipal budget and total property tax levy.
- The total value and mix of residential, commercial, and industrial property.
- Local choices such as split rates, residential exemptions, overrides, and debt exclusions.
Massachusetts homeowner tool
Massachusetts Property Tax Map
Compare FY2026 residential tax rates across all 351 cities and towns. Enter an assessed value, then hover over or click any municipality for an estimate.
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$100K$5M
Use the assessed value, which may differ from the asking or sale price.
Residential rate per $1,000
Under $7.50$7.50–$9.99$10–$12.49$12.50–$14.99$15–$17.49$17.50+
ActiveIn comparison
Statewide context
Property tax rate comparison
Your saved municipalities appear alongside five statewide reference points. Every annual estimate uses the same $750,000 assessed value.
Mean $12.18 / $1K1 / 5 saved
Estimated annual$15,375$20.50per $1K
Estimated annual$10,650$14.20per $1K
Estimated annual$9,330$12.44per $1K
Estimated annual$7,905$10.54per $1K
Estimated annual$7,268$9.69per $1K
Estimated annual$1,635$2.18per $1K
Statewide meanFive statewide reference points plus your active and saved municipalitiesUse + and × to manage your comparison
What the rate does—and does not—tell you
Why can property tax rates vary so much?
A city or town's rate is essentially the property tax levy it needs to raise, spread across its taxable assessed value. A community with very high property values or a broad commercial tax base may support its budget with a lower rate. A smaller tax base may require a higher rate to raise a similar amount.
That is why I treat the rate as a starting point—not a verdict on affordability or community quality. The actual bill, local exemptions and surcharges, recent trends, and what the tax dollars support all matter.
Higher vs. lower rates
A higher rate can coincide with strong local investment in schools, public safety, roads, or other services, but the rate alone does not prove service quality. At the same assessed value, it does mean a higher carrying cost.
A lower rate means less tax per assessed dollar and may reflect a valuable or diverse tax base. It does not guarantee a smaller bill: $1.5M at $8 per $1,000 is $12,000, while $700K at $15 is $10,500.
What I would compare
- The property's current assessment and most recent actual tax bill.
- Residential-exemption eligibility, CPA surcharges, and other local adjustments.
- Several years of tax bills plus known capital projects or debt exclusions.
- The complete monthly cost alongside price, insurance, utilities, and HOA fees.
My rule of thumb: compare the estimated annual bill at the home's actual assessed value first. Then ask why the rate is where it is and what property-specific adjustments apply. That gives you a much clearer picture than ranking towns by rate alone.
For the state's explanation of assessments, levies, exemptions, and abatements, see the Massachusetts municipal property tax guide.
A common first-time homeowner question
Who actually pays the property tax bill?
If your mortgage includes a property-tax escrow account, your mortgage servicer usually sends the payment to the city or town for you. Part of each monthly mortgage payment goes into escrow, the servicer holds those funds, and it pays the tax bill when it comes due. You may still receive a paper or electronic bill from the municipality, but that does not always mean you should send a second payment.
Lenders often require escrow because unpaid taxes can lead to penalties and a tax lien on the home, putting both your ownership and the lender's collateral at risk. Escrow also turns one or more large bills into smaller monthly amounts—although your mortgage payment can change when the tax bill changes.
If a tax bill arrives
- 1Check your mortgage statement or Closing Disclosure for escrow.
- 2Confirm the scheduled or completed tax payment with your servicer before paying the municipality yourself.
- 3If your loan has no escrow account, you are responsible for paying the tax authority directly and on time.
How to read this estimate
The calculation is assessed value ÷ 1,000 × the municipality's certified residential rate. Massachusetts property tax rates are set by municipality, so neighborhoods and villages use the rate of their city or town.
Rates are FY2026 figures from the Massachusetts Division of Local Services, current as of August 24, 2026.
This is a planning estimate before residential exemptions, Community Preservation Act surcharges, abatements, special assessments, or other local adjustments. Confirm a specific property's assessed value and bill with the local assessor.
Sources: DLS Tax Rates by Class and MassGIS Municipalities.
Comparing more than tax rates?
Property taxes are one part of the monthly picture. I can help you compare home values, inventory, commute, and neighborhood tradeoffs too.