Property Tax in York County, Maine
The median real estate tax bill in York County, Maine is $3,691 per year, and the median home is worth $357,200. Both figures are the US Census Bureau's survey medians for owner-occupied households (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What the York County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of York County homeowners pay more than $3,691 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 $357,200, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 1.03%. 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.
York County by the numbers
| Measure | York County | Maine | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $3,691 | $2,926 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $357,200 | $266,400 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.03% | 1.10% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $308 | $244 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
York County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Maine: #2 of 16 counties
- Median home value rank in Maine: #2 of 16
- Population rank in Maine: #2 of 16 (214,731 residents)
- Population density rank: #3 of 16 (217 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Maine: #9 of 16 (991 sq mi, 3.2% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $308; per $1,000 of home value: $1.03
How York County compares
The median tax bill in York County is about 26% higher than the state median ($2,926 for Maine) and about 24% higher than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #2 out of 16 Maine counties with published Census data — 1 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. York County's derived rate of 1.03% sits above the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for York County: the median bill works out to about $308 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,033 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 214,731 people — the #2 most populous county in Maine, spread over 991 square miles, a density of about 217 people per square mile. Its median home value, $357,200, ranks #2 among the state's 16 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 272 record a higher median tax bill than York County — it sits in the top 9% nationally. The county holds roughly 15.6% of Maine's people. Its homes are worth more than the state norm (median $357,200 versus $266,400), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.03% adds up to about 10.33% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Piscataquis County, medians $1,487 — $2,204 less than York County per year.
Counties nearest York County in the Maine ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cumberland County, ME | $4,577 | $411,400 | 1.11% |
| Knox County, ME | $3,643 | $290,800 | 1.25% |
| Sagadahoc County, ME | $3,365 | $300,200 | 1.12% |
York County and its population peers
Counties of a similar size can tax very differently. The table below shows the counties closest to York County in population across the United States, with their median bills and home values. Within the group of 9, York County ($3,691) ranks #4 of 9 by median tax paid.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware County, OH | 221,160 | $6,896 | $419,500 | 1.64% |
| Yolo County, CA | 217,782 | $4,567 | $593,800 | 0.77% |
| Mohave County, AZ | 217,420 | $1,229 | $253,200 | 0.48% |
| Lackawanna County, PA | 215,834 | $2,910 | $189,900 | 1.53% |
| Okaloosa County, FL | 214,281 | $1,948 | $324,800 | 0.60% |
| Niagara County, NY | 211,341 | $4,052 | $177,400 | 2.28% |
| Benton County, WA | 210,224 | $2,910 | $369,400 | 0.79% |
| Clermont County, OH | 209,862 | $3,141 | $245,600 | 1.28% |
The closest population match is Okaloosa County, Florida (214,281 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $1,948 on a median home value of $324,800 — $1,743 more than York County pays.
Staying within Maine, the counties nearest York County by population are Cumberland County (305,940 residents, median tax $4,577 on a median value of $411,400); Penobscot County (153,571 residents, median tax $2,435 on a median value of $193,800); Kennebec County (125,614 residents, median tax $2,510 on a median value of $219,900). The spread in their median bills — all under the same state framework — shows how much of the property tax burden is decided county by county and district by district.
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 1.03%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $1,033 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $4,132. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Illustrative bills in York County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 1.03% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for York County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 1.10% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $1,550 | $129 |
| $250,000 | $2,582 | $215 |
| $350,000 | $3,616 | $301 |
| $500,000 | $5,165 | $430 |
| $750,000 | $7,747 | $646 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in York County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the York 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 York County, Maine?
The median real estate tax paid in York County, Maine is $3,691 per year, on a median home value of $357,200 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in York County, Maine?
On a derived basis, 1.03%: the county's median tax bill of $3,691 divided by its median home value of $357,200. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does York County compare with the rest of Maine?
York County ranks #2 of 16 Maine counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $3,691 is about 26% higher than the Maine median of $2,926.
How are property taxes calculated in York 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 York County is $3,691 of tax on a $357,200 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in York County, Maine?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the York County assessor's property record card for your home, correct any factual errors, and back your case with comparable recent sales. Formal appeals go to the review board named on your assessment notice and must be filed by its deadline, typically within 30 to 90 days.