It's all about the mill rate --- yours is $8.65/thousand of assessed value.
Here are 50 town rates in MA for 2011. Rates won't be more than 10% higher for 2015 because towns are capped at increasing property tax rates at no more than 2.5% annually (with some exceptions - but it requires a override that has to be approved at Town Meeting and at the ballot box). Often, the more valuable the real estate, and well-financed the town in other ways, the lower the rate -- but that's not universally true.
Also, each town decides on its own how it funds schools versus municipal government. In my town (mill rate $13.87 this year) schools get 58% of the total funding pot (which includes tax revenues, other municipal revenues (permits and licensing fees), and state aid) and general municipal services gets 42%. Town budgets are required to be balanced annually -- there is no municipal borrowing (other than authorized bonding items, which is a different issue, but bond interest and debt still has to be paid through the annual budget).
1. Springfield $19.49
2. Sharon $19.47
3. Wayland $19.35
4. Westborough $18.24
5. Amherst $18.20
6. Sherborn $17.72
7. Boxboro $17.38
8. Sudbury $17.03
9. Carlisle $16.13
10. Framingham $16.03
11. Everett $15.89
12. Randolph $15.47
13. Revere $14.44
14. Lexington $14.40
15. Dedham $14.37
16. Watertown $13.92 (Residential Exemption: $1,182.40)
17. Westwood $13.83
18. Chelsea $13.81 (Residential Exemption: $685.20)
19. Malden $13.58 (Residential Exemption: $925.10)
20. North Andover $13.52
21. Lynnfield $13.49
22. Quincy $13.42
23. Belmont $13.24
24. Concord $13.10
25. Waltham $13.09 (Residential Exemption: $1,027.44)
26. Boston $12.79 (Residential Exemption $1,628)
27. Somerville $12.71 (Residential Exemption: $1,738.02)
28. Natick $12.60
29. Melrose $12.46
30. Arlington $12.41
31. Beverly $12.41
32. Lincoln $12.37
33. Stoneham $12.21
34. Winchester $12.10
35. Dover $11.70
36. Cohasset $11.59
37. Wellesley $11.43
38. Weston $11.39
39. Brookline $11.30 (Residential Exemption: $1,864.50)
40. Needham $10.90
41. Newton $10.90
42. Saugus $10.62
43. Norwood $10.10
44. Hyannis $9.38
45. Cambridge $8.16 (Residential Exemption: $1,679)
46. Provincetown $6.81
47. Chatham $4.28
48. Nantucket $3.58 (Residential Exemption: $1,000+/-)
49. Edgartown $3.40
50. Chilmark $2.13
Holiday debt warning
Re: Holiday debt warning
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké
Re: Holiday debt warning
guin--it also depends on how houses are assessed; mine is assessed at about half its market value (as are all houses in my town), so we show a higher rate. Assessments are based on the latest assessed value and are not adjusted for inflation (or deflation); we had a reassessment about 15 years ago when the town voted down a tax rate increase--it's just a big game.
Our breakdown is education--around 60%, services much of the remainder (although some goes to the county). And while we do have a full time police force, we have a volunteer fire department and first aid squad (I think the town cannot give money directly, but can "donate" equipment to each; primary funding is by donation and bingo games); the one plus is that we have garbage collection provided--many towns around us use private haulers who are paid by the owners of the property.
We supposedly get a rebate from the state depending on income, but year after year this is finagled and paid later and later (until many forget about it)--and even a modest income will block you from getting it.
Our breakdown is education--around 60%, services much of the remainder (although some goes to the county). And while we do have a full time police force, we have a volunteer fire department and first aid squad (I think the town cannot give money directly, but can "donate" equipment to each; primary funding is by donation and bingo games); the one plus is that we have garbage collection provided--many towns around us use private haulers who are paid by the owners of the property.
We supposedly get a rebate from the state depending on income, but year after year this is finagled and paid later and later (until many forget about it)--and even a modest income will block you from getting it.
Re: Holiday debt warning
You're right BigRR, I forget that some states do that weird 50% assessment thing. We are assessed at "market value" but its always a bit off -- can be either high or low depending on the town, assessor, time of year, market conditions, etc.
“I ask no favor for my sex. All I ask of our brethren is that they take their feet off our necks.” ~ Ruth Bader Ginsburg, paraphrasing Sarah Moore Grimké
Re: Holiday debt warning
Yep, it does make it tricky; I've done a few assessment appeals in towns around me, and the only argument is to see what similar houses are assessed at--market value doesn't really come into the argument.
Re: Holiday debt warning
bigskygal wrote:I don't want to pry, oldr, but would you be willing to share how much your yearly taxes are?
Just curious because some local friends had friends visiting from NJ recently and they were shocked by how high property taxes are in the northeast.
Mine are $1800/yr. on a house with a taxable value of $208,000.
Lowish property tax but no sales tax and low-ish income taxes. But, WOW, they charge full whack at $15,000/yr income! Montana could go a long way towards reducing poverty by eliminating income taxes below 2x the poverty rate.
yrs,
rubato