Massachusetts homeowners pay an average of more than $8,000 in property taxes on a single-family home, but where they live can make a difference of more than $25,000 per year.
Weston has the highest average single-family property tax bill in Massachusetts for Fiscal Year 2026 at $26,313, according to data from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue's Division of Local Services. Hancock has the lowest at $835.
The statewide average single-family property tax bill is $8,113, up from about $7,730 in FY2025. The average single-family home is assessed at $742,986, while the median of individual community average tax bills is $6,829.
Property tax rates and average tax bills can vary significantly based in part on property values. A community with a higher residential tax rate does not necessarily have a higher average bill.
Westhampton, for example, has the highest FY2026 residential property tax rate in Massachusetts at $20.35 for every $1,000 of assessed value, but its average single-family property tax bill is $7,149.
Weston's residential rate is considerably lower at $10.88, but its average single-family home is assessed at more than $2.4 million, resulting in an average bill of $26,313.
The communities with the highest average bills are largely concentrated in Greater Boston.
The 10 highest FY2026 average single-family property tax bills are:
Home values contribute significantly to the bills in many of those communities. The average single-family property in Weston is assessed at about $2.42 million, while Brookline's average exceeds $2.56 million.
Many of the communities with the lowest average bills are located in Western Massachusetts.
The 10 lowest average single-family property tax bills are:
Hancock, located in Berkshire County, also has the lowest FY2026 residential tax rate among communities included in the state's analysis at $2.18 per $1,000.
Florida, Massachusetts, ranks fourth-lowest with an average bill of $2,006, one of several small Western Massachusetts communities near the bottom of the statewide rankings.
Residential tax rates decreased in 230 Massachusetts communities for FY2026, increased in 109 and remained unchanged in four, according to DOR.
A lower rate, however, does not necessarily mean a homeowner's bill decreased. Among the 343 communities with certified FY2026 rates included in DOR's analysis, assessed property values increased in 340, while total assessed value increased approximately 4.9 percent to more than $2 trillion.
Property taxes are calculated by applying a municipality's tax rate to a property's assessed value, meaning increases in assessments can result in higher bills even when rates decline.
DOR's statewide analysis included 346 reporting communities as of Feb. 2 and is limited to properties classified as single-family homes. Condominiums, multifamily homes and apartment buildings are not included.
Property taxes have also become part of budget discussions in communities facing higher costs.
Arlington voters approved a $14.8 million Proposition 2½ override in March. Town officials estimated the measure would add approximately $1,030 annually to the tax bill for an average single-family home.
"We attempted to be as absolutely precise as possible, and not ask for more than we absolutely needed to ask for," Town Manager Jim Feeney said before the vote.
Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt has raised similar concerns about municipal costs and their impact on taxpayers, warning that rising health insurance premiums and stagnant state aid would put "extreme pressure on our budgets and increase the burden on our taxpayers."
Peabody has not needed a Proposition 2½ override, but Bettencourt said earlier this year that the city's remaining levy capacity has continued to decline.
"The day, certainly, is coming where we're going to be a Prop 2 1/2 community unless things change," Bettencourt said.
Despite its name, Proposition 2½ does not limit an individual homeowner's annual property tax increase to 2.5 percent. The law instead generally limits growth in the amount municipalities can raise through property taxes, with adjustments for new growth and voter-approved overrides or exclusions.
Statewide, the total property tax levy among the 343 communities included in DOR's analysis increased by approximately $1.2 billion, from $22.8 billion to about $24 billion.
The more than $25,000 difference between the highest and lowest average bills illustrates the wide range of property tax costs facing single-family homeowners across Massachusetts.
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