Property Tax in Montgomery County, Maryland
In Montgomery County, Maryland, the typical homeowner pays $5,341 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $615,200. 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 Montgomery County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $5,341 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Montgomery County, and $615,200 is the middle home value. Neither figure describes a specific property — together they describe the typical homeowner's situation in the county.
The derived effective rate for Montgomery County is 0.87% (median tax ÷ median value). Treat it as an estimate for comparison only: it comes from survey medians of different households, not from the county's rate schedule.
The key figures for Montgomery County
| Measure | Montgomery County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $5,341 |
| Median home value | $615,200 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.87% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $445 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $868 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $3,472 |
For context, the Maryland medians are $3,989 of tax on $397,700 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Montgomery County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Maryland: #2 of 24 counties
- Median home value rank in Maryland: #1 of 24
- Population rank in Maryland: #1 of 24 (1,057,586 residents)
- Population density rank: #2 of 24 (2,145 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Maryland: #5 of 24 (493 sq mi, 5.1% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $445; per $1,000 of home value: $0.87
How Montgomery County compares
The median tax bill in Montgomery County is about 34% higher than the state median ($3,989 for Maryland) and about 80% higher than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #2 out of 24 Maryland 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. Montgomery County's derived rate of 0.87% sits below the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Montgomery County: the median bill works out to about $445 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $868 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 1,057,586 people — the #1 most populous county in Maryland, spread over 493 square miles, a density of about 2,145 people per square mile. Its median home value, $615,200, ranks #1 among the state's 24 counties with data.
Nationally, Montgomery County's median bill of $5,341 ranks #107 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 3% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 17.1% of Maryland's population, its median home value is about 55% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 8.68% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Montgomery County to the most expensive county, Howard County ($6,814), is $1,473 a year.
Counties nearest Montgomery County in the Maryland ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Howard County, MD | $6,814 | $576,700 | 1.18% |
| Prince George's County, MD | $4,662 | $404,300 | 1.15% |
| Frederick County, MD | $4,463 | $437,700 | 1.02% |
How the tax is worked out
Think of the final bill as three ingredients: the assessed value of the property, the exemptions subtracted from it, and the combined rate of every district the property sits in. Montgomery County's medians imply a derived rate of 0.87%; applied illustratively, a $400,000 home would owe about $3,472 a year, or around $289 a month spread evenly. Individual properties depart from the illustration in both directions.
Checking your assessment in Montgomery County
If your bill looks wrong, work through these steps:
1. Get your property record card from the assessor and check the basics — living area, lot size, bedrooms, condition, and any exemptions you should have.
2. Compare your assessed value with recent sale prices of similar homes in Montgomery County.
3. Talk to the assessor's office informally first; clear errors are often fixed without a hearing.
4. If needed, file a formal appeal with the local review board before the deadline on your assessment notice, with your evidence attached.
5. Keep paying the bill as issued while the appeal runs, unless your notice says otherwise — unpaid taxes accrue penalties regardless of an appeal.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Montgomery County, Maryland?
The median real estate tax paid in Montgomery County, Maryland is $5,341 per year, on a median home value of $615,200 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Montgomery County, Maryland?
On a derived basis, 0.87%: the county's median tax bill of $5,341 divided by its median home value of $615,200. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Montgomery County compare with the rest of Maryland?
Montgomery County ranks #2 of 24 Maryland counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $5,341 is about 34% higher than the Maryland median of $3,989.
How are property taxes calculated in Montgomery County, Maryland?
The assessor estimates your property's market value; exemptions (such as a homestead exemption) reduce the taxable amount; and the result is multiplied by the combined rates of the local taxing districts — county, municipality, school district and any special districts. In Montgomery County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $5,341 on a median home value of $615,200.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Montgomery County, Maryland?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Montgomery 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.