Massachusetts · FIPS 25001 · ACS 2020–2024
Barnstable County, Massachusetts property tax rate
Homeowners in Barnstable County paid a median of $4,239 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $629,000 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.65% of home value, 35% below the Massachusetts rate of 1.00% and 31% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.65%Effective tax rate±0.02% margin · Massachusetts: 1.00%
- $4,239Median tax per yearMassachusetts: $5,992 · U.S.: $3,119
- $629,000Median home valueMassachusetts: $562,100
- 85,753Owner-occupied homes81% of households own
| Measure | Barnstable County | Massachusetts | U.S. | Barnstable County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.65% | 1.00% | 0.94% | 0.69% | −0.04 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $4,239 | $5,992 | $3,119 | $4,090 | +$149 (+3.6%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $4,114 | $5,987 | $3,489 | $3,960 | +$154 (+3.9%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $4,408 | $6,001 | $2,576 | $4,275 | +$133 (+3.1%) |
| Median home value | $629,000 | $562,100 | $332,700 | $575,900 | +$53,100 (+9.2%) |
| Total taxes paid | $428,040,400 | $11,940,507,300 | $360,573,527,500 | $399,592,900 |
How Barnstable County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $6.50 a year, against $10.03 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in Massachusetts: 3 of 14 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 38% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.65% of value; homes without one: 0.66%. Median bills: $4,114 and $4,408.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate fell (−0.04 pts) and the median tax changed +$149 (+3.6%). 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 0.65% ± 0.02% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 85,753 owner-occupied homes.
Massachusetts counties with similar rates
| County | Effective rate | Median tax | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nantucket County | 0.27% | $3,974 | $1,593,800 |
| Dukes County | 0.46% | $5,828 | $1,165,800 |
| Suffolk County | 0.69% | $4,649 | $705,800 |
| Middlesex County | 1.01% | $7,501 | $727,800 |
| Norfolk County | 1.02% | $7,261 | $683,900 |
| Essex County | 1.02% | $6,430 | $619,100 |
| Bristol County | 1.03% | $4,807 | $451,200 |
| Plymouth County | 1.06% | $6,502 | $556,000 |
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.