Massachusetts Property Tax Data

Beyond the Rate: Understanding Your Property Tax Burden

Comparing residential property tax rates and actual tax burden across all 350 Massachusetts municipalities for FY2025 and FY2026.

Property tax rates tell only part of the story. A town with a "low" rate but extremely high property values can produce tax bills that consume a far larger share of household income than a town with a "high" rate. This site presents both metrics — the nominal rate and the actual burden — so voters and residents can see the full picture.

Data from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services. Last updated March 2026.

Find Your Town

Look Up Your Municipality

Search for any Massachusetts city or town to see its tax rate, average bill, and how its burden compares to the rest of the state.

Key Findings

The Numbers at a Glance

Highest Tax Rate

$20.35

per $1,000

Westhampton

Highest Tax Burden

24.2%

of after-tax income

Brookline

Highest Avg Tax Bill

$26,313

per year

Weston

Lowest Tax Rate

$2.18

per $1,000

Hancock

Lowest Tax Burden

1.1%

of after-tax income

Hancock

Lowest Avg Tax Bill

$835

per year

Hancock

Statewide Medians (FY2026)

$12.44

Median Tax Rate

$6,814

Median Tax Bill

8.0%

Median Burden

Across Massachusetts' 350 municipalities, residential property tax rates for FY2026 range from $2.18 in Hancock to $20.35 in Westhampton — a 9.3x difference. But the gap in actual tax burden is even more dramatic.

The town with the heaviest burden, Brookline, sees its average property tax bill consume 24.2% of estimated after-tax household income. At the other end, Hancock residents pay just 1.1% — a 22x difference. This disparity underscores why the nominal tax rate alone is an incomplete measure of the property tax experience.

Tax Burden Analysis

Top 20 Towns by Tax Burden

Average property tax bill as a percentage of estimated after-tax household income. The dashed line shows the statewide median.

Source: MA DOR Division of Local Services; income from ACS 2019–2023 5-Year Estimates. After-tax income estimated using 2025 federal (MFJ) and MA state tax rates.

Complete Data

All 350 Municipalities

Searchable and sortable table of every Massachusetts city and town. Default sort is by tax burden (% of after-tax income), highest first.

Showing 350 of 350 municipalities. Click any column header to sort.

Municipality	County	FY2025 Rate	FY2026 Rate	Change	Avg Home Value	Avg Tax Bill	Median Income	% of After-Tax	Burden Rank
Brookline	Norfolk	9.87	10.24	+0.37	$2,562,186	$26,237	$140,631	24.20%	1
Aquinnah	Dukes	6.76	6.87	+0.11	$1,845,298	$12,677	$72,500	21.60%	2
Amherst	Hampshire	17.95	16.91	-1.04	$588,826	$9,957	$65,938	18.53%	3
Cambridge	Middlesex	6.35	6.67	+0.32	$2,050,959	$13,680	$104,089	16.58%	4
Tisbury	Dukes	7.57	7.42	-0.15	$1,686,344	$12,513	$95,000	16.54%	5
Provincetown	Barnstable	5.60	6.13	+0.53	$1,824,604	$11,185	$88,280	15.85%	6
Lincoln	Middlesex	12.81	12.31	-0.50	$1,684,669	$20,738	$180,750	15.32%	7
Belmont	Middlesex	11.39	11.51	+0.12	$1,701,064	$19,579	$178,188	14.66%	8
Weston	Middlesex	11.10	10.88	-0.22	$2,418,446	$26,313	$250,000	14.26%	9
Greenfield	Franklin	19.56	18.64	-0.92	$325,271	$6,063	$53,961	13.56%	10
Concord	Middlesex	13.26	13.05	-0.21	$1,572,184	$20,517	$212,315	12.99%	11
Great Barrington	Berkshire	13.79	13.24	-0.55	$637,735	$8,444	$82,484	12.75%	12
Hamilton	Essex	15.65	15.04	-0.61	$870,526	$13,093	$132,000	12.74%	13
Lexington	Middlesex	12.23	12.31	+0.08	$1,656,734	$20,394	$219,402	12.51%	14
Westborough	Worcester	16.29	15.93	-0.36	$809,784	$12,900	$134,474	12.36%	15
Amesbury	Essex	15.30	15.05	-0.25	$655,694	$9,868	$100,599	12.36%	16
Northampton	Hampshire	13.93	13.67	-0.26	$570,686	$7,801	$78,467	12.35%	17
Newton	Middlesex	9.80	9.69	-0.11	$1,762,337	$17,077	$184,989	12.34%	18
Holyoke	Hampden	17.46	17.43	-0.03	$305,184	$5,319	$51,892	12.33%	19
Acton	Middlesex	17.15	16.23	-0.92	$937,779	$15,220	$163,965	12.31%	20
Cohasset	Norfolk	11.58	11.35	-0.23	$1,481,437	$16,814	$187,060	12.02%	21
Sunderland	Franklin	13.02	12.44	-0.58	$478,080	$5,947	$61,442	11.81%	22
Carver	Plymouth	13.87	13.61	-0.26	$547,259	$7,448	$78,955	11.72%	23
Topsfield	Essex	14.99	15.66	+0.67	$924,852	$14,483	$164,750	11.66%	24
Boxborough	Middlesex	15.14	15.39	+0.25	$933,829	$14,372	$163,295	11.66%	25

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Methodology

How This Data Was Compiled

Why "Tax Rate" Alone Is Misleading

The residential property tax rate — expressed as dollars per $1,000 of assessed value — is the most commonly cited metric for comparing property taxes across municipalities. However, this number can be deeply misleading. A town with very high property values will mechanically have a lower rate even if it collects more total revenue per household than a town with a higher rate but lower property values.

To provide a more complete picture, this site calculates the average tax bill as a percentage of estimated after-tax household income — a metric that captures what residents actually experience. This "burden" metric accounts for both the rate and the assessed values that drive the actual dollar amount owed.

How After-Tax Income Is Estimated

For each municipality, we start with the median household income from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-Year Estimates (table B19013). We then estimate federal, state, and payroll taxes to derive take-home pay:

Federal income tax: 2025 tax brackets for Married Filing Jointly with the standard deduction of $30,000.
Massachusetts state income tax: Flat 5% on all income.
FICA (employee share): Social Security at 6.2% on wages up to $168,600, plus Medicare at 1.45% on all wages.

The property tax burden is then calculated as:

Burden = Average Tax Bill ÷ Estimated After-Tax Income × 100

Assumptions and Limitations

—All households are assumed to file as Married Filing Jointly, the most common filing status for homeowners. Single filers would face higher effective tax rates, making the burden slightly understated for some households.
—The standard deduction is used rather than itemized deductions. Homeowners who itemize (including property tax deductions, subject to the $10,000 SALT cap) would have slightly higher after-tax income, modestly reducing the burden percentage.
—Tax credits, retirement contributions, and other adjustments are not modeled. This is a simplified estimate, not a precise individual tax calculation.
—Median household income reflects all households in the municipality, not just homeowners. Homeowner incomes may differ from the overall median.
—Average tax bills are based on single-family homes and may not reflect condominiums, multi-family properties, or commercial assessments.

Data Sources

FY2025 Residential Tax Rates

Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services

FY2026 Rates, Values & Bills

Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services (Municipal Databank)

Median Household Income

American Community Survey (ACS) 2019–2023 5-Year Estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (table B19013)

Tax Brackets

Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 2025 tax year; Massachusetts Department of Revenue

Key Definitions

Residential Tax Rate

The amount of tax per $1,000 of assessed property value, set annually by each municipality. A rate of 10.00 means $10 in tax for every $1,000 of assessed value.

Average Tax Bill

The average annual property tax bill for single-family homes in the municipality, calculated as the average assessed value multiplied by the tax rate.

Tax Burden (% of After-Tax Income)

The average tax bill expressed as a percentage of estimated household take-home pay. Higher percentages indicate a heavier financial burden relative to income.

Burden Rank

The municipality's position when all towns are ranked by tax burden (% of after-tax income). Rank #1 indicates the heaviest burden in the state.

"This analysis is provided for informational purposes only. It does not constitute tax advice. Individual tax situations vary significantly. Consult a qualified tax professional for personal guidance."