So, you’re looking at a house in Longmeadow or maybe scouting a condo in Cambridge, and you see the tax numbers. Your jaw hits the floor. One town has a rate of $21.12 per thousand, while the neighbor across the invisible line is sitting pretty at $6.35. Honestly, it feels like a glitch in the matrix. But in the Bay State, property tax is less about a universal rule and more about a hyper-local math problem that changes every single year.
If you are trying to understand property tax rates Massachusetts by town, you’ve probably realized that a "low rate" doesn't always mean a "low bill." That’s the first thing people get wrong. You can’t just look at the rate in a vacuum. It’s a dance between the tax rate and the assessed value.
The Wild Reality of Massachusetts Property Tax Rates
Right now, for the 2026 fiscal year, the spread is massive. You’ve got towns like Westhampton hitting a residential rate of $20.35. Then you look at a place like Hancock, and it's basically a rounding error at $2.18.
Why the gap? Well, towns like Hancock have tiny populations and massive chunks of utility property or specific commercial assets that foot the bill. Meanwhile, residential-heavy towns in Western Mass or the suburbs of Springfield don’t have a huge "commercial engine" to help out. They have to lean on the homeowners to keep the lights on at the local school and the potholes filled.
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Where the Money Actually Goes
Basically, your tax bill isn't just a random fee for existing. It’s the "Tax Levy." This is the total amount of money a community decides it needs to function after they've counted up state aid and local fees. They take that big number and divide it by the total value of all the property in town.
The Myth of Proposition 2 1/2
Everyone in Massachusetts talks about "Prop 2 1/2" like it’s a shield protecting their bank account. It sorta is, but it’s mostly misunderstood. People think it means their individual tax bill can’t go up more than 2.5% a year.
That is 100% false.
Proposition 2 1/2 limits the total amount the town can collect from everyone combined (the levy). It doesn't stop your specific house from being reassessed at a much higher value. If your neighborhood suddenly becomes the "it" place to live and values skyrocket, your bill can jump way more than 2.5% because your "slice" of the town's total value got bigger.
Overrides and Exclusions
You'll also hear about "overrides" during town meetings. This is when a town basically asks the voters, "Hey, can we break the Prop 2 1/2 limit to build a new middle school or hire five more cops?" If the voters say yes, that limit is gone for that specific project or permanently for the budget. This is why towns with similar demographics can have wildly different property tax rates Massachusetts by town—one might have just built a $100 million high school, and the other is still using one from the 70s.
Breaking Down the 2025-2026 Winners and Losers
If you’re hunting for the lowest rates, you’re usually looking at three types of places:
- The Tourist Hubs: Think Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. Edgartown recently hovered around $2.65. Chilmark and Aquinnah are similarly low. These places have astronomical property values ($5 million "shacks"), so they don't need a high rate to collect a ton of cash.
- The Business Heavyweights: Cities like Burlington ($8.66) or Woburn ($8.54) use a "split rate." They tax commercial businesses way more than residents. It’s a great deal for homeowners, but it’s why your local Starbucks is paying through the nose.
- The High-Value Suburbs: Cambridge ($6.35) is the classic example. They have so much high-end commercial real estate (think biotech labs) and high property values that the residential rate stays floor-level.
On the flip side, you have the "High Rate" towns. Longmeadow, Wendell, and Greenfield often top the list, frequently seeing rates north of $18 or even $20. These communities are beautiful, but they often lack a massive industrial park or a downtown skyscraper to help share the tax burden.
Shifted Rates: The Commercial Secret
About a third of Massachusetts towns use what we call a "split tax rate." Instead of everyone paying the same $15 per thousand, the town decides to give residents a break.
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Take Holyoke, for example. In the most recent data, the residential rate was around $17.46. But look at the commercial side—it’s a staggering $38.15. This is a deliberate policy choice to attract residents, even if it makes it tougher for small businesses. When you are comparing property tax rates Massachusetts by town, always check if you’re looking at the "residential" or "commercial" number. They aren't always the same.
How to Check Your Own Town
If you’re sitting there wondering if you’re being overcharged, you can actually look up the raw data. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR) keeps a massive database called the "Gateway" system.
It’s not exactly user-friendly, but it’s the source of truth. You’ll find things like the "LA-4" and "Tax Rate Recap" forms. If you really want to geek out, you can see exactly how much your town is spending on "New Growth"—which is basically the tax revenue from new construction that doesn't count toward the 2.5% limit.
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Actionable Steps for Homeowners and Buyers
Don't just stare at the number on a Zillow listing. That data is often a year old and doesn't account for recent town votes. Here is what you should actually do:
- Check for the Residential Exemption: Some cities, like Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, offer a "Residential Exemption." If the home is your primary residence, they lop a massive chunk off the assessed value before they even calculate the tax. In Boston, this can save you thousands of dollars a year, making a "moderate" tax rate actually very cheap.
- Look at the "Debt Exclusion" Schedule: Ask the local assessor’s office if there are any upcoming "sunset" dates for old school bonds. Sometimes a tax rate is high because of a specific project that is about to be paid off.
- Grieve Your Assessment: If you think your house isn't worth what the town says it is, you have a window (usually in January) to file an abatement. You have to prove that similar houses in your neighborhood sold for less. It’s a paperwork headache, but it’s the only way to lower your bill without moving.
- Watch the Town Meeting: Taxes are decided in those high school gyms every spring. If you don't show up to vote against the new turf field, don't be shocked when your tax bill jumps in the fall.
The real takeaway is that property tax rates Massachusetts by town are a moving target. High rates in a town like Westhampton might actually result in a smaller bill than low rates in a town like Lexington because the houses in Lexington are worth three times as much. Always multiply the rate by the likely assessment to get the "real" number.
Keep an eye on the "New Growth" in your town too. If you see a lot of new apartment buildings or labs going up, that's generally good news for your personal tax bill—it means someone else is finally helping to pay for the snowplows.
To stay ahead of your next tax bill, verify your town's current certification status on the Mass.gov DLS portal. If your town is due for a "revaluation year," expect your assessed value to jump significantly to match the current market, even if the town's overall tax rate drops to compensate.