Property tax in Suffolk County, Massachusetts

By Brent Chudoba, editor Updated September 23, 2026

The median property tax bill in Suffolk County, Massachusetts is $4,649 a year, which is about 0.66% of the county's median home value of $705,800. That effective rate is lower than the typical Massachusetts county (1.06%) and lower 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 Suffolk County

Enter a home's market value for a ballpark at Suffolk County's average effective rate of 0.66% (Census). The real bill depends on the home's assessed value, the millage where it sits and any exemptions.

Home market value

Estimated property tax: $4,658 / year

Property tax in Suffolk County at a glance

Suffolk County, Massachusetts property tax (Census ACS, reviewed September 23, 2026)
Measure	Value
Median annual property tax	$4,649
Median home value	$705,800
Effective tax rate	0.66%
Typical Massachusetts county rate	1.06%
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 Suffolk County compare in Massachusetts?

Among Massachusetts's 14 counties, Suffolk County has the 12th highest effective property-tax rate: 11 rank higher and 2 rank lower. That places it among the least taxed counties in the state. Nationally, it ranks 2042nd of 3135 US counties by effective rate. See every Massachusetts county ranked.

How much do homeowners in Suffolk County actually pay?

The median is only the middle bill. Across Suffolk County's 119,335 owner-occupied homes, 66.7% pay $3,000 or more a year in property tax, 77.9% pay at least $2,000, and 6% pay under $800. Another 3.5% report paying no property tax at all, which usually means an exemption covers the whole bill.

Annual property tax paid by Suffolk County homeowners (Census ACS 2020-2024)
Annual bill	Homes	Share
Under $800	7,205	6%
$800 to $1,499	9,112	7.6%
$1,500 to $1,999	5,919	5%
$2,000 to $2,999	13,313	11.2%
$3,000 or more	79,589	66.7%
No property tax paid	4,197	3.5%

Owners with a mortgage pay a median of $4,557 and owners without one pay $4,890. That is within 10% either way, so in Suffolk County paying off the house does not go with a noticeably different bill. Census table B25103.

How does the Suffolk County property tax bill compare with local incomes?

The median property tax bill of $4,649 is about 3.1% of the median income of Suffolk County homeowner households, $148,570 a year. That compares two middles, so a retiree in a long-held home can pay a far larger share. 36.5% of Suffolk County's occupied homes are lived in by their owners; renters pay property tax too, just folded into rent.

Have property taxes gone up in Suffolk County?

Yes. The median bill went from $3,729 in 2015-2019 to $4,649 in 2020-2024, a 24.7% rise. Over the same span the median home value moved 42.2%, from $496,500 to $705,800. 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 Suffolk County

Suffolk County borders 4 counties.

Suffolk County and its neighbors, highest effective rate first (Census ACS 2020-2024)
County	Effective rate	Median bill	Median home value
Plymouth County, MA	1.17%	$6,502	$556,000
Norfolk County, MA	1.06%	$7,261	$683,900
Essex County, MA	1.04%	$6,430	$619,100
Middlesex County, MA	1.03%	$7,501	$727,800
Suffolk County, MA (this county)	0.66%	$4,649	$705,800

How is a home assessed in Suffolk County?

Massachusetts assesses homes at 100% of market value in every county, Suffolk County included. How Massachusetts assesses and reappraises homes.

Is there a homestead exemption in Suffolk County?

Not statewide. A Massachusetts community may adopt a residential exemption of up to 35% of the average residential assessed value on a principal residence; the homestead declaration protects equity from creditors and is not a tax break. That is the Massachusetts rule, and it applies in Suffolk County. Massachusetts's exemptions and relief programs in full.

When are property taxes due in Suffolk County?

Massachusetts communities use one of three billing systems. On quarterly billing, installments are due August 1, November 1, February 1 and May 1. On semi-annual preliminary billing, the preliminary bill is due October 1 (or November 1, or 30 days after mailing if later, when it is mailed after August 1) and the actual bill is due April 1. On standard semi-annual billing, the first half is due November 1 and the rest May 1; if the bill is mailed after October 1, payment is due 30 days after mailing instead. Check which system your city or town uses.

Massachusetts splits the bill into 4 installments. That is the Massachusetts rule. Suffolk County issues and collects the bill, so the dates printed on your statement are the ones that bind you.

How to appeal your Suffolk County property assessment

You contest the assessed value with the Board of Assessors, then the Appellate Tax Board. The filing deadline is typically the first-installment payment due date (February 1 where billing is quarterly). That is the Massachusetts rule; Suffolk County sets the exact dates and forms. The Massachusetts appeal process step by step.

Massachusetts rules from primary state sources, reviewed September 7, 2026; sources on the Massachusetts page.

Work out your own numbers

Sources

Median real estate taxes paid and median home value for Suffolk County, Massachusetts: 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.