Property Tax in St. Mary's County, Maryland
In St. Mary's County, Maryland, the typical homeowner pays $3,392 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $390,900. 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 St. Mary's County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $3,392 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in St. Mary's County, and $390,900 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 St. Mary's 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 St. Mary's County
| Measure | St. Mary's County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $3,392 |
| Median home value | $390,900 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.87% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $283 |
| 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.
St. Mary's County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Maryland: #12 of 24 counties
- Median home value rank in Maryland: #11 of 24
- Population rank in Maryland: #12 of 24 (114,372 residents)
- Population density rank: #13 of 24 (319 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Maryland: #16 of 24 (358 sq mi, 3.7% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $283; per $1,000 of home value: $0.87
How St. Mary's County compares
Of the 24 Maryland counties with published data, 11 have a higher median property tax bill than St. Mary's County's $3,392, putting the county at #12 in the state. Its bill is about 15% lower than the state median of $3,989 and about 14% higher than the national median of $2,969.
Rates and values pull in opposite directions: an expensive housing market can produce big bills at ordinary rates. Here the derived rate is 0.87%, versus 0.98% derived nationally, and the median home value ranks #11 within Maryland.
Some extra context for St. Mary's County: the median bill works out to about $283 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $868 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 114,372 people — the #12 most populous county in Maryland, spread over 358 square miles, a density of about 319 people per square mile. Its median home value, $390,900, ranks #11 among the state's 24 counties with data.
Nationally, St. Mary's County's median bill of $3,392 ranks #338 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 11% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 1.9% of Maryland's population, its median home value is about 2% below 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 St. Mary's County to the most expensive county, Howard County ($6,814), is $3,422 a year.
Counties nearest St. Mary's County in the Maryland ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen Anne's County, MD | $3,503 | $441,800 | 0.79% |
| Harford County, MD | $3,424 | $367,300 | 0.93% |
| Baltimore city, MD | $3,236 | $219,300 | 1.48% |
| Cecil County, MD | $3,059 | $311,800 | 0.98% |
St. Mary's County and its population peers
Population is a useful lens on these figures, so the table below sets St. Mary's County beside the counties closest to it in population anywhere in the country — communities of a similar scale operating under different state and local tax systems. Ranked by median tax paid within this peer group of 9, St. Mary's County's $3,392 bill is #4 of 9.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County, OH | 116,618 | $2,457 | $204,600 | 1.20% |
| Calhoun County, AL | 116,141 | $610 | $149,500 | 0.41% |
| Jefferson County, NY | 116,130 | $2,851 | $181,000 | 1.57% |
| Newton County, GA | 115,530 | $2,133 | $233,300 | 0.91% |
| Albemarle County, VA | 113,683 | $3,482 | $471,000 | 0.74% |
| Lycoming County, PA | 113,570 | $2,647 | $195,600 | 1.35% |
| Northwest Hills Planning Region, CT | 112,848 | $5,609 | $311,700 | 1.80% |
| Ontario County, NY | 112,405 | $4,460 | $202,900 | 2.20% |
The closest population match is Albemarle County, Virginia (113,683 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $3,482 on a median home value of $471,000 — $90 less than St. Mary's County pays.
Inside Maryland itself, the counties closest to St. Mary's County in population are Charles County (168,710 residents, median tax $4,179 on a median value of $402,300); Washington County (155,033 residents, median tax $2,444 on a median value of $275,900); Cecil County (104,366 residents, median tax $3,059 on a median value of $311,800); Wicomico County (104,117 residents, median tax $2,120 on a median value of $238,900). Same state, same broad tax framework — yet the median bills still differ, because assessed values and the mix of county, municipal and school-district rates are set locally.
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 0.87%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $868 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $3,472. 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 St. Mary's County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.87% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for St. Mary's County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 1.00% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $1,302 | $108 |
| $250,000 | $2,170 | $181 |
| $350,000 | $3,038 | $253 |
| $500,000 | $4,340 | $362 |
| $750,000 | $6,510 | $542 |
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 St. Mary's County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the St. Mary's 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in St. Mary's County, Maryland?
The median real estate tax paid in St. Mary's County, Maryland is $3,392 per year, on a median home value of $390,900 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in St. Mary's County, Maryland?
On a derived basis, 0.87%: the county's median tax bill of $3,392 divided by its median home value of $390,900. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does St. Mary's County compare with the rest of Maryland?
St. Mary's County ranks #12 of 24 Maryland counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $3,392 is about 15% lower than the Maryland median of $3,989.
How are property taxes calculated in St. Mary's County, Maryland?
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 St. Mary's County is $3,392 of tax on a $390,900 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in St. Mary's County, Maryland?
Yes — appeals are handled locally. Start with the St. Mary's 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.