Suffolk County, Massachusetts property tax
The median homeowner in Suffolk County, Massachusetts pays $4,533 a year in property tax on a home worth $680,700, an effective rate of 0.67%. The national effective rate is 0.98%.
What the rate means here
At 0.67%, Suffolk County taxes property more lightly than the national 0.98%. This is the case where the rate misleads. Owners pay $4,533 a year, which is what matters, and the low percentage is a function of what housing is worth rather than of restraint by the county.
Inside Massachusetts it is among the lightest, ranking #12 of 14, against a statewide 1.11%. Hampden County, in the same state, charges 1.57%. Comparing states on property tax hides differences like that, which is why this site publishes counties.
The median home costs 7.33 times the median household income of $92,859, against 3.86 nationally, so housing absorbs an unusually large share of what people here earn. Renters pay 26.74% of median income in gross rent. With 782,172 residents this is one of the larger counties in the country, so the medians here average across a genuinely varied housing market and hide a lot of local range.
The rate is derived rather than quoted. How and why.
What that costs at different home values
Arithmetic at the county effective rate, before any exemption or assessment cap.
Housing and income
| Suffolk County | Massachusetts | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effective property tax | 0.67% | 1.11% | 0.98% |
| Median tax bill | $4,533 | $5,813 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $680,700 | $525,800 | $303,400 |
| Median gross rent | $2,069 | $1,687 | $1,348 |
| Median household income | $92,859 | $101,341 | $78,538 |
| Home price to income | 7.33× | 5.19× | 3.86× |
| Rent as share of income | 26.74% | 19.98% | 20.6% |
| Owner-occupied | 36.61% | 62.6% | 65.02% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 five-year estimates. Population 782,172.
Nearby counties of similar size
| County | Rate | Median bill | Home value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County | 1.07% | $6,267 | $584,000 |
| Norfolk County | 1.09% | $7,081 | $649,400 |
| Worcester County | 1.33% | $5,207 | $390,700 |
| Bristol County | 1.11% | $4,685 | $421,800 |
| Plymouth County | 1.24% | $6,345 | $513,000 |
Suffolk County property tax: common questions
What is the property tax rate in Suffolk County, Massachusetts?
The effective rate is 0.67% of home value, from a median tax bill of $4,533 against a median home value of $680,700. That is 0.31 points below the national 0.98%.
How much is property tax on a $400,000 home in Suffolk County?
Roughly $2,680 a year at the county effective rate of 0.67%.
Is Suffolk County expensive compared with the rest of Massachusetts?
It ranks #12 of 14 Massachusetts counties by effective property tax rate, and #1846 of 2,826 nationally. That is 0.44 points below the Massachusetts average of 1.11%.
What does housing cost in Suffolk County?
The median home is worth $680,700 and median gross rent is $2,069 a month. Median household income is $92,859, which puts the home at 7.33 times annual income and rent at 26.74% of it.