Property Tax in Cumberland County, Maine
In Cumberland County, Maine, the typical homeowner pays $4,577 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $411,400. The figures on this page are the Census Bureau's published medians (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023), shown exactly as released.
What the Cumberland County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Cumberland County homeowners pay more than $4,577 a year and half pay less. The exact bill for any one home depends on its assessed value, exemptions, and which school, municipal and special districts cover it.
Set against the median home value of $411,400, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 1.11%. That rate is an estimate computed from the two medians — no county publishes a rate calculated this way — but it adjusts for home prices, which makes comparisons between counties more meaningful.
The key figures for Cumberland County
| Measure | Cumberland County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $4,577 |
| Median home value | $411,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.11% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $381 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,113 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $4,452 |
For context, the Maine medians are $2,926 of tax on $266,400 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Cumberland County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Maine: #1 of 16 counties
- Median home value rank in Maine: #1 of 16
- Population rank in Maine: #1 of 16 (305,940 residents)
- Population density rank: #1 of 16 (366 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Maine: #11 of 16 (836 sq mi, 2.7% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $381; per $1,000 of home value: $1.11
How Cumberland County compares
The median tax bill in Cumberland County is about 56% higher than the state median ($2,926 for Maine) and about 54% higher than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #1 out of 16 Maine counties with published Census data — 0 counties in the state have a higher median bill.
Comparisons cut both ways: a county can have a modest rate but high bills because homes are expensive, or a high rate but modest bills because homes are cheaper. Cumberland County's derived rate of 1.11% sits above the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Cumberland County: the median bill works out to about $381 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,113 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 305,940 people — the #1 most populous county in Maine, spread over 836 square miles, a density of about 366 people per square mile. Its median home value, $411,400, ranks #1 among the state's 16 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 155 record a higher median tax bill than Cumberland County — it sits in the top 5% nationally. The county holds roughly 22.2% of Maine's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $411,400 versus $266,400), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.11% adds up to about 11.13% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Piscataquis County, medians $1,487 — $3,090 less than Cumberland County per year.
Counties nearest Cumberland County in the Maine ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| York County, ME | $3,691 | $357,200 | 1.03% |
| Knox County, ME | $3,643 | $290,800 | 1.25% |
How the tax is worked out
As an illustration of the arithmetic: at Cumberland County's derived rate of 1.11%, a home valued at $400,000 would carry a tax bill of roughly $4,452 a year. That is only an illustration using the derived rate — a real bill is computed from the property's assessed value, its exemptions, and the combined rates of its specific taxing districts, so it can be higher or lower.
The usual sequence is: the local assessor values the property; exemptions are applied; the taxable value is multiplied by the combined local rates; and the county bills and collects the tax, distributing it to the schools, municipalities and districts that levied it.
Checking your assessment in Cumberland County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Cumberland County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
More Maine counties
Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Cumberland County, Maine?
The median real estate tax paid in Cumberland County, Maine is $4,577 per year, on a median home value of $411,400 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Cumberland County, Maine?
On a derived basis, 1.11%: the county's median tax bill of $4,577 divided by its median home value of $411,400. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Cumberland County compare with the rest of Maine?
By median taxes paid, Cumberland County stands at #1 among the 16 Maine counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $4,577 median bill is about 56% higher than the state median ($2,926), and 0 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Cumberland County, Maine?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in Cumberland County is $4,577 of tax on a $411,400 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Cumberland County, Maine?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Cumberland County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.