Property tax in Baltimore city, Maryland
The median property tax bill in Baltimore city, Maryland is $3,354 a year, which is about 1.46% of the county's median home value of $229,600. That effective rate is higher than the typical Maryland county (0.9%) and higher than the national median (0.81%). These are American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024); your own bill depends on your home's assessed value and any exemptions.
Estimate the property tax on a home in Baltimore city
Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Baltimore city's average effective rate of 1.46% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.
Estimated property tax: $3,352 / year
Property tax in Baltimore city at a glance
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual property tax | $3,354 |
| Median home value | $229,600 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.46% |
| Typical Maryland county rate | 0.9% |
| National median county rate | 0.81% |
Effective rate = median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.
How does Baltimore city compare in Maryland?
Among Maryland's 24 counties, Baltimore city has the highest effective property-tax rate. That places it among the most heavily taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 392nd of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Maryland county ranked.
How much do homeowners in Baltimore city actually pay?
The median is only the middle bill. Across Baltimore city's 121,471 owner-occupied homes, 54.4% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 72.9% pay at least $2,000, and 7% pay under $800. Another 4.4% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.
| Annual bill | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $800 | 8,561 | 7% |
| $800 to $1,499 | 11,091 | 9.1% |
| $1,500 to $1,999 | 7,951 | 6.5% |
| $2,000 to $2,999 | 22,428 | 18.5% |
| $3,000 or more | 66,121 | 54.4% |
| No property tax paid | 5,319 | 4.4% |
Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $3,608 and owners without one pay $2,760. Owners who have paid off a home have usually held it longer, and in states that cap how fast an existing owner's assessment can rise, long-held homes carry lower assessed values. Census table B25103.
How does the Baltimore city property tax bill compare with local incomes?
The median property tax bill of $3,354 is about 3.8% of the median income of Baltimore city homeowner households, $88,842 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 47.5% of Baltimore city's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.
Have property taxes gone up in Baltimore city?
Yes. The median bill went from $2,758 in 2015-2019 to $3,354 in 2020-2024, a 21.6% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 43.4%, from $160,100 to $229,600. Bills rose more slowly than values, which is what assessment caps and falling millage rates do: the county is taxing a smaller share of each home's worth.
Two Census ACS 5-year periods with no survey years in common, in each period's own dollars. A change counts only if it exceeds the combined 90% margin of error.
Property tax in counties next to Baltimore city
Baltimore city borders 2 counties.
| County | Effective rate | Median bill | Median home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore city, MD (this county) | 1.46% | $3,354 | $229,600 |
| Baltimore County, MD | 1.07% | $3,736 | $349,300 |
| Anne Arundel County, MD | 0.85% | $3,957 | $467,900 |
How is a home assessed in Baltimore city?
Maryland assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Baltimore city included. How Maryland assesses and reappraises homes.
Is there a homestead exemption in Baltimore city?
Not as an exemption. Maryland's Homestead Tax Credit caps how much your taxable assessment can rise each year: 10% for the state portion, and a cap each county and municipality sets between 0% and 10% for its own. That is the Maryland rule, and it applies in Baltimore city. Maryland's exemptions and relief programs in full.
When are property taxes due in Baltimore city?
Tax is due July 1 and can be paid without interest through September 30. Owner-occupied homes are billed semiannually by default, with the first half due September 30 and the second December 31; you may instead pay the full year by September 30 and avoid the service charge of up to 1.65% on the second installment.
Maryland splits the bill into 2 installments. That is the Maryland rule. Baltimore city issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.
How to appeal your Baltimore city property assessment
You contest the assessed value with the Supervisor of Assessments (informal), then the local Property Tax Assessment Appeal Board, then the Maryland Tax Court. The filing deadline is typically 45 days from the date on your assessment notice. That is the Maryland rule; Baltimore city sets the exact dates and forms. The Maryland appeal process step by step.
Maryland rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Maryland page.
Work out your own numbers
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How much house can I afford?
Your income, debts and down payment against the 28/36 rule lenders actually use, with Baltimore city's tax rate to hand.
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Mortgage calculator
Monthly payment with principal, interest, tax and insurance, plus what an extra payment saves you.
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Maryland income tax
Brackets, standard deduction and what Maryland actually taxes.
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Sales tax in Baltimore city
The other local tax: combined state and local rate for this county.
Sources
- Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Baltimore city, Maryland: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020-2024), tables B25103, B25077, B25102, B25119 and B25003; the five-year comparison uses the 2015-2019 estimates. Neighboring counties: Census county adjacency file.