Property tax by ZIP code in Massachusetts
Enter a Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts state median.
Look up a Massachusetts ZIP code
Enter a 5-digit Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts ZIP code. This page covers Massachusetts only. Other states are launching state by state — check back, or use our state-by-state median page in the meantime.
Massachusetts has a moderate effective property-tax rate — around 1.07% of value statewide — yet some of the highest property-tax bills in the country, because the median home is worth so much. The reason the rate stays in check is Proposition 2½, which caps how fast a community's total tax levy can grow. Enter your ZIP to see where it lands against the state and national medians.
Figures come from the US Census American Community Survey 2020–2024 vintage. The explainer below covers full-market-value assessment, how Proposition 2½'s levy limit and overrides work, the state's five-year certification cycle, and the residential, senior, and veteran exemptions — plus the senior circuit-breaker credit.
How Massachusetts property tax works
Each city and town's board of assessors values property at its full and fair cash (market) value, then sorts it into classes — residential, commercial, industrial, and personal — which lets many communities tax business property at a higher rate than homes. There's no fractional assessment ratio to decode; the assessment is meant to track what the property would sell for.
The rule that shapes every bill is Proposition 2½. It works two ways: a community's total tax levy can never exceed 2.5% of the total assessed value of all its taxable property (the "levy ceiling"), and from year to year the levy can grow by only 2.5% plus the value of new construction — unless voters approve an override at the ballot. That's why towns with similar home values can carry quite different rates: their levy histories and override votes diverge. The state Department of Revenue certifies each community's values about every five years, with sales-based adjustments in the interim years.
Relief is layered and largely local. Many communities adopt the residential exemption, which can shave up to 35% of the average residential assessed value off an owner-occupied home — in Boston, that saved qualifying homeowners up to $4,353.74 for fiscal year 2026 (see the city's assessing page). Clause 41C gives eligible seniors a $500 exemption (raisable to $1,000 by local vote); veteran exemptions under Clause 22 range from $400 up to a full exemption for the most severely disabled. Separately, the state's Senior Circuit Breaker income-tax credit refunds qualifying owners 65 and older up to $2,820 for the 2025 tax year. A property-tax-relief package the state Senate passed in January 2026 — adding a local-option means-tested senior exemption, among other measures — is still a proposal, not law.
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:
- Your town's levy history and overrides. Under Proposition 2½, two towns with similar values can land at different rates depending on how close they sit to their levy limit and whether voters have passed overrides.
- Residential vs. split tax rates. Communities that shift more of the levy onto commercial property — and those that adopt the residential exemption — tax owner-occupied homes more lightly than the headline rate suggests.
- Exemptions and the circuit breaker. The residential exemption, the senior and veteran clause exemptions, and the senior circuit-breaker credit each pull a qualifying owner's bill below the ZIP median.
Massachusetts bills are municipal — there's no single statewide lookup. The City of Boston's real-estate tax lookup is a working example; for other communities, start with your local assessor or collector.
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 509 Massachusetts ZIPs.
Topcoding in Massachusetts. The Census caps median property tax at $10,000, reporting anything higher as $10,001. Because Massachusetts home values are among the nation's highest, a substantial number of ZIPs — concentrated around Greater Boston and MetroWest — hit the cap. For those, the figure shown is a floor and the rate is a conservative estimate.
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. Massachusetts assesses at full market value, but Proposition 2½ caps levy growth, so towns with similar values can carry different rates. The residential, senior, and veteran exemptions and the circuit-breaker 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, and it's common in Massachusetts because of high home values — especially around Boston. The true median there is at least $10,000 and the rate shown is conservative.
Where do I find my actual Massachusetts property tax bill?
Through your city or town — there's no statewide portal. The City of Boston lookup is a working example; elsewhere, start with your local assessor or collector.
When does Massachusetts 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. High-search-volume states are going live first.