North Shore · comparison guide
North Shore Property Tax Center
Property taxes are the single largest recurring cost of owning a home on the North Shore. This hub brings together the live rate comparator, town-by-town guides, and plain-English explanations so you can see exactly what you will pay — and what your options are if the number looks wrong.
| Town | FY2026 tax rate per $1,000 | Avg. single-family bill FY2026 | Median sale price trailing 12 mo. | Days on market median | Active listings now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beverly | $10.81 | $8,834 | $805,000 | 48 days | 60 |
| Danvers | $10.65 | $7,780 | $725,000 | 50 days | 50 |
| Essex | $13.04 | $11,957 | $902,500 | 63.5 days | 11 |
| Gloucester | $9.31 | $9,502 | $757,500 | 59.5 days | 70 |
| Hamilton | $15.04 | $13,093 | $834,000 | 57 days | 30 |
| Ipswich | $10.78 | $9,733 | $897,500 | 62 days | 39 |
| Marblehead | $8.56 | $11,055 | $1,128,000 | 58 days | 50 |
| Nahant | $8.99 | $9,654 | $925,000 | 78 days | 19 |
| Peabody | $9.47 | $6,411 | $717,665 | 50 days | 59 |
| Rockport | $8.46 | $8,548 | $992,500 | 75.5 days | 39 |
| Rowley | $12.09 | $9,235 | $879,000 | 55 days | 13 |
| Salem | $10.78 | $7,285 | $705,000 | 57 days | 50 |
| Swampscott | $12.00 | $11,478 | $853,500 | 60.5 days | 29 |
| Topsfield | $15.66 | $14,483 | $971,000 | 56.5 days | 17 |
| Wenham | $15.99 | $16,164 | $1,200,000 | 69 days | 12 |
Last verified 2026-08-07. Tax rates: Massachusetts Division of Local Services, Municipal Databank, FY2026 (verified 2026-07-31). Market figures from MLS via Lofty, as of September 5, 2026, covering the trailing twelve months. Every figure in this table is read from the same datasets the rest of the site uses — nothing here is typed by hand.
How to Use This Center
Start with the live rate comparator. Pick the towns you care about, enter an assessed value, and the tool calculates an estimated annual bill for each. Then follow the links to individual town pages for the full picture: abatement deadlines, exemption programs, and how each town sets its rate each fall.
If you are buying, the assessed value shown in the MLS is a starting point, not a guarantee. Assessments reset on January 1 each year, and a purchase at a price above the current assessed value often triggers a higher assessment the following fiscal year.
The Live Rate Comparator
The North Shore Property Tax Comparator reads directly from our verified tax-rate data, which is refreshed each time the Massachusetts Division of Local Services publishes new certified rates. Every figure in the tool carries the date it was last confirmed. Open it, pick your towns, and compare estimated bills side by side.
FY2026 North Shore Rates at a Glance
Rates are the FY2026 certified residential figures each town filed on its Tax Rate Recapitulation with the Massachusetts Division of Local Services (DLS). The comparator holds the full, always-current table for every town we track. A split-rate community charges commercial and industrial properties a higher rate than the residential rate shown here.
A few things stand out in this year's data. Salem's residential rate of $10.78 per $1,000 sits in the middle of the county range. Marblehead's rate of $8.56 per $1,000 is among the lowest in Essex County — but its high assessed values mean actual bills are still substantial. At the other end, Wenham ($15.99) and Topsfield ($15.66) carry the highest residential rates in the county, largely because those towns have little commercial tax base to share the levy.
Source: Massachusetts Division of Local Services, Tax Rates by Class report; Salem rate confirmed at salemma.gov; Marblehead and Swampscott rates confirmed via MA DOR FY2026 LA4 assessment data; Essex County high/low rates confirmed via DLS-sourced data. Last verified: 2026-08-07.
Why Rates Vary So Much Town to Town
Every Massachusetts city and town sets its own rate each fall by dividing the total tax levy it is allowed to raise by the total assessed value of all taxable property. The levy itself is capped by Proposition 2½, which limits annual levy growth to 2.5 percent plus new growth from construction and development, unless voters approve an override or debt exclusion.
A town with a large commercial tax base — think Salem's downtown or Peabody's retail corridor — can spread the levy across more property classes, which tends to hold the residential rate down. A small residential town with little commercial development has to raise most of its levy from homeowners, which pushes the rate up. That is why Wenham and Topsfield, both largely residential, carry rates nearly double Marblehead's even though home values in all three towns are high.
Split-rate communities go one step further: they vote to shift a portion of the levy onto commercial, industrial, and personal property, reducing the residential rate below what a uniform rate would produce. Salem uses a split rate; many smaller North Shore towns do not.
How Your Bill Is Calculated
Your annual tax bill is straightforward arithmetic:
Assessed value ÷ 1,000 × tax rate = annual bill
For example, a home assessed at $750,000 in Salem (FY2026 residential rate: $10.78) produces an estimated annual bill of $8,085. The same home in Marblehead (rate: $8.56) would produce an estimated bill of $6,420. In Wenham (rate: $15.99), the estimated bill would be $11,993.
Those are estimates. Your actual bill depends on your specific assessed value and any exemptions you qualify for — see the exemptions section below.
Assessed Value vs. Market Value
In Massachusetts, assessors are required to value property at full and fair cash value as of January 1 of the prior calendar year. For FY2026 bills, that means values as of January 1, 2025, based on sales data from calendar year 2024.
Because the market moves faster than the assessment cycle, assessed value and market value are often different numbers. In a rising market, assessed value typically lags behind what a home would actually sell for. In a cooling market, the gap can run the other way. Neither situation is automatically wrong — it simply reflects the timing built into the Massachusetts assessment system.
If you believe your assessed value does not reflect what your property was worth on January 1, 2025, you have the right to challenge it through the abatement process.
Exemptions That Can Lower Your Bill
Massachusetts law provides several exemptions that reduce the taxable value or the bill itself for qualifying owners. The most common on the North Shore:
Clause 41A — Senior Tax Deferral. Homeowners 65 or older with income below the local threshold can defer all or part of their tax bill until the property is sold. Interest accrues, but no payment is due while you live there. Each town sets its own income limit within state guidelines.
Clause 17D — Elderly Exemption. A flat dollar reduction for homeowners 70 or older who meet income and asset limits. The exemption amount varies by town.
Clause 22 — Veterans Exemption. Qualifying veterans and surviving spouses receive a reduction ranging from a few hundred dollars to full exemption depending on disability rating and other factors.
Residential Exemption. A handful of Massachusetts communities — not all North Shore towns — adopt a residential exemption that shifts more of the levy onto non-owner-occupied properties. Check your town's assessor page to see if this applies.
Community Preservation Act (CPA) Surcharge. This is not an exemption — it is an addition. Towns that have adopted the CPA add a surcharge (typically 1–3 percent of the tax bill) to fund open space, historic preservation, and affordable housing. Adoption and surcharge percentages vary town to town — your town's assessor page or most recent tax bill will show whether a CPA line applies to you.
To apply for most exemptions, contact your town's Board of Assessors. Deadlines vary but are typically tied to the third-quarter tax bill.
The Abatement Process
If you think your assessment is too high, you can file for an abatement. Here is how it works in Massachusetts:
- File by the deadline. The application must be filed with the Board of Assessors by the due date on your third-quarter tax bill — typically February 1. Missing this deadline forfeits your right to appeal for that year.
- Pay your bill. Filing for an abatement does not suspend your obligation to pay. You must pay on time to preserve your appeal rights.
- The board reviews your application. Assessors have three months to act. If they grant the abatement, you receive a credit or refund. If they deny it or do nothing, you can appeal to the Appellate Tax Board (ATB).
- ATB appeal. The Appellate Tax Board is a state agency that hears property tax disputes. You have three months from the board's decision (or inaction) to file.
The strongest abatement applications include recent comparable sales showing the property was worth less than its assessed value on January 1 of the assessment year.
Town-by-Town Property Tax Pages
Each link below goes to a dedicated page with the town's current rate, a worked bill example, exemption details, and abatement contact information.
- Beverly Property Taxes — coming soon
- Danvers Property Taxes — coming soon
- Essex Property Taxes — coming soon
- Gloucester Property Taxes — coming soon
- Hamilton Property Taxes — coming soon
- Ipswich Property Taxes — coming soon
- Manchester-by-the-Sea Property Taxes — coming soon
- Marblehead Property Taxes — coming soon
- Nahant Property Taxes — coming soon
- Newburyport Property Taxes — coming soon
- Peabody Property Taxes — coming soon
- Rockport Property Taxes — coming soon
- Rowley Property Taxes — coming soon
- Salem Property Taxes — coming soon
- Swampscott Property Taxes — coming soon
- Topsfield Property Taxes — coming soon
- Wenham Property Taxes — coming soon
Related Topics
Property taxes are one piece of the cost-of-ownership picture. Two others come up at every closing:
Deed excise tax. When you sell, the state collects an excise on the transfer. On the North Shore (Essex County), the rate is $4.56 per $1,000 of sale price. See Deed Excise Tax / "Tax Stamps" Explained for the full breakdown, worked examples, and common exemptions.
Municipal Lien Certificate. Before a sale closes, the buyer's attorney orders a Municipal Lien Certificate (MLC) from the town to confirm that all taxes, assessments, and betterments on the property are paid. Outstanding amounts must be resolved at closing. This is a standard part of every Massachusetts real estate transaction.
FAQ
What is the FY2026 residential property tax rate in Salem?
Salem's FY2026 residential rate is $10.78 per $1,000 of assessed value, as certified and confirmed on the City of Salem Assessor's page. Salem uses a split rate; the commercial and industrial rate is $21.89 per $1,000.
Why is my neighbor's tax bill lower than mine if our houses are worth about the same?
Several things can create that gap: your neighbor may qualify for an exemption you do not, their assessed value may differ from yours even at a similar market value, or — if you are comparing across town lines — the two towns simply have different rates. The rate comparator at the top of this page lets you run the numbers side by side.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment?
Yes. File an abatement application with your town's Board of Assessors by the deadline printed on your third-quarter tax bill (typically February 1). You must pay your bill on time to preserve your appeal rights. If the board denies your application or does not act within three months, you can appeal to the state Appellate Tax Board.
Does buying a home trigger a reassessment?
Not automatically — Massachusetts does not have a sale-triggered reassessment like some other states. Assessors set values annually for all properties based on market sales data. However, if you pay significantly more than the current assessed value, the assessor may revise the assessment in the next cycle to reflect the new market evidence your sale provides.