Beverly Property Taxes Explained

Beverly is a city of roughly 43,000 people on Massachusetts’s North Shore, and its property tax rate is set each December after the City Council votes on the annual tax classification. The FY2026 residential rate is displayed at the top of this page and is read live from taxRates.json, sourced from the Massachusetts Division of Local Services. [VERIFY: confirm FY2026 Beverly residential rate is loaded correctly in taxRates.json; the FY2025 DLS-certified rate was $10.99 per $1,000, and the December 2025 City Council vote produced an average single-family bill of $8,833.89, a 4.3% increase over FY2025.]

Beverly uses a split tax rate, meaning commercial and industrial properties are taxed at a higher rate than residential properties. The City Council votes each December on the classification shift; for FY2026 Beverly applied the maximum allowable shift of 1.75:1, so businesses pay 175 percent of the residential rate. That shift provides meaningful relief to homeowners relative to what a single uniform rate would produce.

Last verified: 2026-08-18. Rate data sourced from the Massachusetts Division of Local Services and the Beverly City Council tax classification vote, December 2025.

How Beverly’s Tax Bill Is Calculated

Your annual bill has two components: the base property tax and a small Community Preservation Act (CPA) surcharge. Beverly collects taxes quarterly, with payments due September 1, December 1, March 1, and June 1.

Base tax formula:

Assessed value ÷ 1,000 × residential rate = annual base tax

The Beverly Assessors Office establishes the fair market value of all 13,037 real estate parcels in the city as of January 1 each year and notifies owners of that value. Assessments are meant to reflect full fair market value under Massachusetts law.

Worked example. The following uses the FY2025 rate of $10.99 per $1,000 as a placeholder. [VERIFY: substitute the confirmed FY2026 rate from taxRates.json before publishing.]

Item	Calculation	Amount
Assessed value	—	$650,000
Base tax	$650,000 ÷ 1,000 × $10.99	$7,143.50
CPA surcharge (1% on value above $100,000)	($650,000 − $100,000) ÷ 1,000 × $10.99 × 1%	$60.45
Estimated annual bill		$7,203.95
Per quarter		$1,800.99

The third-quarter bill, mailed around January 1, carries your actual assessed value for the fiscal year — and it is the bill that starts the abatement clock.

The Community Preservation Act Surcharge

Beverly adopted the Community Preservation Act (CPA) by city-wide vote in November 2012. The surcharge is 1% of the property tax owed on assessed value above $100,000 for residential owners — the first $100,000 of residential assessed value is exempt. Qualifying moderate-income seniors and low- and moderate-income households may also be fully exempt from the surcharge.

CPA funds support open space, historic preservation, affordable housing, and outdoor recreation projects throughout the city. The surcharge appears as a separate line item on your quarterly bill.

Beverly’s Split Rate: What It Means for Homeowners

Massachusetts law allows cities and towns to shift a portion of the total tax levy onto commercial, industrial, and personal property — up to a maximum factor of 1.75. Beverly has applied the maximum shift for several consecutive years. The practical effect for a homeowner is that your residential rate is lower than it would be under a single uniform rate. The trade-off is that businesses in Beverly pay a significantly higher rate per $1,000 of assessed value.

For a buyer comparing Beverly to a single-rate neighbor like Danvers, the split rate is one reason Beverly’s residential rate can look competitive even when the two cities’ total levies are similar. What matters at the offer table is the assessed value of the specific property — not just the headline rate.

How Beverly Compares to Nearby Cities and Towns

The table below uses FY2026 certified rates read from taxRates.json. Figures update automatically when the data file is refreshed.

[VERIFY: confirm all comparison-town rates are correctly populated in taxRates.json before this table renders.]

City / Town	FY2026 Residential Rate	Rate Structure
Beverly	See taxRates.json	Split, max 1.75:1 shift
Salem	See taxRates.json	Split rate
Danvers	See taxRates.json	Single rate
Gloucester	See taxRates.json	Split rate
Hamilton	See taxRates.json	Single rate

A lower rate does not always mean a lower bill. Beverly’s assessed values have risen steadily — the citywide median home value has climbed well above $700,000 in recent years — so even when the rate holds flat or dips slightly, many homeowners see their bills increase because their assessed value went up. A buyer moving from a lower-value market into Beverly should model the bill on the actual assessed value of the target property, not on the rate alone.

Proposition 2½ and What It Means for Your Bill Trajectory

Massachusetts Proposition 2½ limits how much a city or town can raise its total property tax levy each year. The basic rule: the levy can grow by no more than 2.5% over the prior year’s levy limit, plus the value of new construction added to the tax rolls. Voters can approve an override to exceed the cap, or a debt exclusion to fund a specific capital project outside the cap.

For Beverly buyers, the practical implication is this: new development along the waterfront and near the Beverly commuter rail station has added meaningful new growth to the tax base in recent years. That new-growth revenue lets the city fund services without pushing the rate up as fast as it otherwise would. But it does not freeze your bill — as your assessed value rises with the market, your bill rises with it, even if the rate stays flat. A home that appreciated 20% over three years will carry a materially higher bill at the same rate. Buyers should think of the tax bill as a function of both the rate and the trajectory of assessed values in the neighborhood they are buying into.

Property Values Vary Across Beverly’s Neighborhoods

Beverly’s single tax rate applies citywide, but assessed values — and therefore bills — vary significantly by neighborhood. Waterfront and near-waterfront properties in areas like Ryal Side, where homes sit close to Bass River with views toward the harbor, carry assessed values that reflect their location premium. Townhouses in Ryal Side have sold in the $580,000–$740,000 range in recent years. Properties near Dane Street Beach and along the North Shore coastline face an additional consideration: Beverly’s flood maps identify coastal storm surge and tidal flooding as recurring concerns in low-lying areas, and flood insurance costs can add meaningfully to the total carrying cost of a waterfront home.

Inland Beverly — neighborhoods farther from the water — generally carries lower assessed values and therefore lower bills at the same rate. The commuter rail station area has seen rising values as transit-oriented development has increased demand. Wherever you are buying, the assessed value of the specific parcel matters more than the citywide average.

Property Tax Exemptions Available in Beverly

Several exemptions can reduce your bill if you qualify. You apply through the Beverly Assessors Office at City Hall, 191 Cabot Street.

Seniors (age 65+). Massachusetts offers a property tax deferral program (M.G.L. c. 59, §5, Clause 41A) and several fixed-dollar exemptions for seniors who meet income and asset limits. Beverly administers these locally. [VERIFY: confirm Beverly’s current senior exemption dollar amounts and income/asset thresholds from the Assessors Office at beverlyma.gov/City-Assessors.]

Veterans. Qualifying veterans, surviving spouses, and blind persons may receive fixed-dollar exemptions under M.G.L. c. 59, §5.

CPA surcharge exemptions. The first $100,000 of residential assessed value is exempt from the CPA surcharge. Qualifying moderate-income seniors and low- and moderate-income households may apply for a full CPA exemption.

Declaration of Homestead. Filing a Declaration of Homestead under M.G.L. c. 188 protects up to $500,000 of your home’s equity from certain creditor claims. It is a creditor-protection tool — it does not reduce your assessed value or your tax bill.

How to File an Abatement

If you believe your assessed value is too high, you can apply for an abatement. Here is how the process works in Beverly.

Step 1 — Review your third-quarter bill. The third-quarter bill, typically mailed around January 1, shows your actual FY assessment. Compare your assessed value to recent arm’s-length sales of similar homes in your neighborhood. The Assessors Office publishes sales data used to determine current assessments, and you can access property data online at beverlyma.gov/City-Assessors.

Step 2 — File by the deadline. Your abatement application must be filed with the Beverly Assessors Office on or before the due date of the first installment of the actual tax bill. For FY2025, Beverly’s official abatement deadline was February 2, 2026 — the next business day after February 1, 2026, which fell on a weekend. Applications must be postmarked by the USPS no later than the deadline and addressed directly to the assessing department; do not include your application with your tax payment. This deadline cannot be extended.

Step 3 — Gather evidence. Useful evidence includes recent comparable sales (arm’s-length transactions from calendar year 2024 for an FY2026 challenge), a recent independent appraisal, or documentation of a property condition issue the assessors may not have captured. The Beverly Board of Assessors reviews arm’s-length sales from the prior calendar year to set assessed values as of January 1.

Step 4 — Wait for the Board’s decision. The Board of Assessors has three months from the filing date to render a decision. The Board may invite you to a meeting or request additional information.

Step 5 — Appeal to the Appellate Tax Board. If the Board denies your application, or fails to act within three months, you may appeal to the Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board (ATB) within three months of the decision (or the deemed-denial date). Pay your tax bill even while an appeal is pending — unpaid taxes can jeopardize your right to appeal.

Beverly Assessors Office: 191 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA 01915. Website: beverlyma.gov/City-Assessors.

What Shows Up on a Beverly Property Tax Bill

A Beverly quarterly tax bill typically shows:

• Parcel address and map/lot number — the identifier the Assessors Office uses for your property
• Assessed value — the full and fair cash value as of January 1
• Residential tax — assessed value ÷ 1,000 × residential rate
• CPA surcharge — 1% of the tax on value above $100,000
• Any exemptions applied — shown as credits
• Amount due this quarter — one-fourth of the annual bill
• Due date — Beverly’s quarterly due dates are September 1, December 1, March 1, and June 1

If you have a mortgage, your lender likely pays your property taxes from an escrow account. The bill still goes to the property address, so confirm your lender received it after any change of address.

Questions about your Beverly property taxes? We are happy to walk through what a bill means for a home you are buying or selling. Contact Sherwood & Company.

FAQ

What is Beverly’s FY2026 residential property tax rate?

The FY2026 certified residential rate is displayed at the top of this page and is read directly from our data file, which is sourced from the Massachusetts Division of Local Services. The FY2025 rate was $10.99 per $1,000 of assessed value; the FY2026 rate was set by the City Council in December 2025 and produced an average single-family bill of $8,833.89.

How does Beverly’s split rate work?

Beverly applies the maximum allowable classification shift of 1.75:1, meaning commercial and industrial properties are taxed at 1.75 times the residential rate. This shifts a portion of the total levy onto businesses and lowers the effective rate for homeowners compared to a single uniform rate. For buyers, the key takeaway is that Beverly’s residential rate is lower than it would be if the city taxed all property classes equally.

When is the abatement deadline in Beverly?

For quarterly-billing communities like Beverly, the abatement application must be filed with the Assessors Office on or before the due date of the first installment of the actual tax bill — typically February 1, or the next business day if February 1 falls on a weekend. For FY2025, Beverly’s deadline was February 2, 2026. This deadline cannot be extended, and applications must be postmarked by the USPS or hand-delivered — not emailed or faxed.

Does the Declaration of Homestead reduce my Beverly property tax bill?

No. The Declaration of Homestead (M.G.L. c. 188) protects up to $500,000 of your home’s equity from certain creditor claims — it is a creditor-protection tool, not a tax exemption. It has no effect on your assessed value or your tax bill.

What is the Community Preservation Act surcharge in Beverly?

Beverly levies a 1% CPA surcharge on the property tax owed on assessed value above $100,000. For a home assessed at $650,000, the surcharge adds roughly $60 per year to the annual bill. Qualifying moderate-income seniors and low- and moderate-income households may apply for a full exemption from the surcharge.