Property tax by ZIP code in Maine
Enter a Maine ZIP and see the median property tax paid, median home value, and effective tax rate from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey — plus how it compares to the Maine state median.
Look up a Maine ZIP code
Enter a 5-digit Maine ZIP code above to see its property tax data.
ZIP doesn't have ACS data — typically because it's a PO-box-only ZIP, a single-business ZIP, or a small area where the Census suppresses small-sample estimates. Try a nearby ZIP.
ZIP isn't a Maine ZIP code. This page covers Maine only. Other states are launching state by state — check back, or use our state-by-state median page in the meantime.
Maine's effective property-tax rate sits on the higher side — around 1.02% of value statewide — because towns fund municipal services and a large share of K–12 schooling through the property tax, with few local sales- or income-tax options to spread the burden. Assessors value at "just value" (market value) as of April 1, then each town applies its own mill rate.
Enter a 5-digit Maine ZIP to see its median property tax, median home value, and effective rate from the US Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 vintage, plus how it compares to the Maine state and US national medians. The explainer below covers just-value assessment as of April 1, the certified ratio that scales statewide exemptions, the $25,000 Homestead Exemption, and the refundable Property Tax Fairness Credit.
How Maine property tax works
In Maine, municipal assessors value property at "just value" — its market value — as of April 1 each year. The state's goal is assessment at 100% of just value, but few towns sit exactly there, so each carries a "certified ratio" (assessed value divided by market value). That ratio matters because it scales the statewide exemptions: a $25,000 Homestead Exemption in a town assessing at an 80% ratio is applied as $20,000. There is no fixed statutory revaluation interval — property is assessed annually as of April 1 — but towns run periodic full revaluations to keep the certified ratio near 100%.
Maine's main homeowner relief is the $25,000 Homestead Exemption, available to owners who held the home as a permanent residence for the prior 12 months and apply by April 1; the amount is reduced by the town's certified ratio. Veterans can claim a $6,000 exemption (or $50,000 with a specially-adapted-housing grant), and a $4,000 exemption is available to legally blind owners. The state also runs a State Property Tax Deferral "lifeline loan", which pays the bills of eligible older or disabled owners and is repaid with interest when the home is sold or transferred.
For income-qualified households there's the refundable Property Tax Fairness Credit, claimed on Schedule PTFC/STFC with the state income-tax return rather than on the property bill, worth up to $1,000 (or $2,000 for filers 65 or older) for tax year 2024. One program no longer applies: the Property Tax Stabilization program (LD 290), enacted in August 2022, was repealed in July 2023 and last applied to the tax year beginning April 1, 2023 — it is not current relief.
Why your actual bill differs
The numbers above describe a typical homeowner in this ZIP — not your specific bill. A few things move bills away from the median:
- Town mill rate and certified ratio. Each municipality sets its own mill rate and carries its own certified ratio, so two similar homes in neighboring towns can owe noticeably different amounts.
- Annual just-value assessment. Property is valued at market value as of April 1 each year, and a town's periodic full revaluation can reset a lagging assessment upward — pushing a bill above the ZIP median.
- Exemptions and credits. The $25,000 Homestead Exemption (scaled by the certified ratio), the veteran and blind exemptions, and the refundable Property Tax Fairness Credit each pull a qualifying owner's bill below the median.
Maine bills are municipal, so there's no single statewide lookup — each town runs its own. The City of Portland's online real-estate tax search and pay is a working example; for any other town, find that municipality's tax-collector or assessor page.
Methodology
Data on this page comes from the US Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 vintage (released January 29, 2026), at the ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA) level. After filtering ZCTAs the Census suppresses for privacy or small-sample reasons, this page covers 399 Maine ZIPs.
Topcoding in Maine. The Census caps median property tax at $10,000, reporting anything higher as $10,001. In Maine all but a single ZIP fall under that cap, so the figures here are effectively true medians.
See the full methodology page for source details (Census table IDs, the comparison-median rule, calculator formulas), how we handle topcoding across every state, and the refresh cadence.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the median tax in my ZIP different from what I pay?
Median is the middle of the distribution, not your bill. Maine towns assess at just value as of April 1, but each sets its own mill rate and carries its own certified ratio. The Homestead Exemption, veteran and blind exemptions, and the refundable Property Tax Fairness Credit move qualifying owners further from the median.
Why might my ZIP show $10,001 as the median tax?
That's the Census topcode for privacy. In Maine all but a single ZIP fall under the $10,000 cap, so the figures here are effectively true medians; only that one outlier ZIP would read $10,001.
Where do I find my actual Maine property tax bill?
From your town or city office — Maine bills are municipal, not county. There's no statewide portal; each municipality runs its own. The City of Portland's online real-estate tax search and pay is a working example.
When does Maine data update on this page?
Annually, when the Census Bureau releases a new ACS 5-year vintage. The 2020–2024 vintage released January 29, 2026. The next vintage (2021–2025) typically follows the next year, though the Census has not yet posted its release date.
Why don't you cover other states yet?
State-by-state rollout. Each state needs its own context section (assessment method, exemptions, local taxing structure) to be genuinely useful. Higher-search-volume states are going live first.