Massachusetts · FIPS 25009 · ACS 2020–2024
Essex County, Massachusetts property tax rate
Homeowners in Essex County paid a median of $6,430 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $619,100 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 1.02% of home value, 2% above the Massachusetts rate of 1.00% and 9% above the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 1.02%Effective tax rate±0.02% margin · Massachusetts: 1.00%
- $6,430Median tax per yearMassachusetts: $5,992 · U.S.: $3,119
- $619,100Median home valueMassachusetts: $562,100
- 198,838Owner-occupied homes63% of households own
| Measure | Essex County | Massachusetts | U.S. | Essex County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 1.02% | 1.00% | 0.94% | 1.06% | −0.03 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $6,430 | $5,992 | $3,119 | $6,267 | +$163 (+2.6%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $6,371 | $5,987 | $3,489 | $6,235 | +$136 (+2.2%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $6,577 | $6,001 | $2,576 | $6,351 | +$226 (+3.6%) |
| Median home value | $619,100 | $562,100 | $332,700 | $584,000 | +$35,100 (+6.0%) |
| Total taxes paid | $1,424,511,300 | $11,940,507,300 | $360,573,527,500 | $1,380,052,700 |
How Essex County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $10.24 a year, against $10.03 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in Massachusetts: 7 of 14 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 71% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 1.02% of value; homes without one: 1.03%. Median bills: $6,371 and $6,577.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (−0.03 pts) and the median tax changed +$163 (+2.6%). The two 5-year surveys share four years of responses, so year-to-year moves are small and partly noise.
- Margin of error: the effective rate is 1.02% ± 0.02% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 198,838 owner-occupied homes.
Massachusetts counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County | 1.01% | $7,501 | $727,800 |
| Norfolk County | 1.02% | $7,261 | $683,900 |
| Bristol County | 1.03% | $4,807 | $451,200 |
| Plymouth County | 1.06% | $6,502 | $556,000 |
| Berkshire County | 1.13% | $4,036 | $305,400 |
| Worcester County | 1.25% | $5,438 | $423,700 |
| Franklin County | 1.32% | $4,720 | $329,000 |
| Hampshire County | 1.36% | $5,589 | $390,300 |
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates, table-based summary file: B25090 (aggregate real estate taxes), B25082 (aggregate home value), B25103 (median real estate taxes), B25077 (median home value) and B25003 (tenure); files dated January 29, 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2019–2023 5-year estimates, same tables (files dated October 31, 2024), for the comparison column.
- Geography names: Census Bureau Geos20245YR.txt (file dated January 22, 2026).
Effective rate = total real estate taxes paid by owner-occupied homes ÷ their total value, as reported by owners to the Census Bureau. It is not a millage rate. Your bill depends on your assessed value, exemptions (such as homestead) and local levies.