Massachusetts · FIPS 25025 · ACS 2020–2024
Suffolk County, Massachusetts property tax rate
Homeowners in Suffolk County paid a median of $4,649 a year in real estate taxes on a median home value of $705,800 (2020–2024 survey). Taxes came to 0.69% of home value, 31% below the Massachusetts rate of 1.00% and 27% below the U.S. rate of 0.94%.
- 0.69%Effective tax rate±0.03% margin · Massachusetts: 1.00%
- $4,649Median tax per yearMassachusetts: $5,992 · U.S.: $3,119
- $705,800Median home valueMassachusetts: $562,100
- 119,335Owner-occupied homes36% of households own
| Measure | Suffolk County | Massachusetts | U.S. | Suffolk County 2019–2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effective tax rate | 0.69% | 1.00% | 0.94% | 0.68% | +0.01 pts |
| Median tax, all owners | $4,649 | $5,992 | $3,119 | $4,533 | +$116 (+2.6%) |
| Median tax, with a mortgage | $4,557 | $5,987 | $3,489 | $4,469 | +$88 (+2.0%) |
| Median tax, no mortgage | $4,890 | $6,001 | $2,576 | $4,695 | +$195 (+4.2%) |
| Median home value | $705,800 | $562,100 | $332,700 | $680,700 | +$25,100 (+3.7%) |
| Total taxes paid | $725,414,600 | $11,940,507,300 | $360,573,527,500 | $691,863,800 |
How Suffolk County compares
- Per $1,000 of home value, owners here paid about $6.88 a year, against $10.03 statewide and $9.40 nationally.
- Rank in Massachusetts: 4 of 14 counties from lowest to highest effective rate (among those with reliable estimates). Nationally, 42% of 2,682 counties had a lower rate.
- Homes with a mortgage: 0.68% of value; homes without one: 0.71%. Median bills: $4,557 and $4,890.
- Compared with the 2019–2023 survey, the effective rate rose (+0.01 pts) and the median tax changed +$116 (+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 0.69% ± 0.03% at 90% confidence, from a sample of the 119,335 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 |
| Barnstable County | 0.65% | $4,239 | $629,000 |
| 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.