Property Tax in Norfolk County, Massachusetts
The median real estate tax bill in Norfolk County, Massachusetts is $7,081 per year, and the median home is worth $649,400. 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 Norfolk County numbers mean
Read the two medians together: $7,081 is the middle tax bill among owner-occupied households in Norfolk County, and $649,400 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 Norfolk County is 1.09% (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.
Norfolk County by the numbers
| Measure | Norfolk County | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $7,081 | $5,813 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $649,400 | $525,800 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.09% | 1.11% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $590 | $484 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Norfolk County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Massachusetts: #2 of 14 counties
- Median home value rank in Massachusetts: #5 of 14
- Population rank in Massachusetts: #5 of 14 (724,540 residents)
- Population density rank: #3 of 14 (1,829 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Massachusetts: #10 of 14 (396 sq mi, 5.1% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $590; per $1,000 of home value: $1.09
How Norfolk County compares
The median tax bill in Norfolk County is about 22% higher than the state median ($5,813 for Massachusetts) and about 138% higher than the US median ($2,969 nationally). By median taxes paid, the county ranks #2 out of 14 Massachusetts 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. Norfolk County's derived rate of 1.09% sits above the derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Norfolk County: the median bill works out to about $590 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,090 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 724,540 people — the #5 most populous county in Massachusetts, spread over 396 square miles, a density of about 1,829 people per square mile. Its median home value, $649,400, ranks #5 among the state's 14 counties with data.
Nationally, Norfolk County's median bill of $7,081 ranks #43 of 3133 counties with published data — inside the top 1% of counties by tax paid. The county accounts for about 10.4% of Massachusetts's population, its median home value is about 24% above the state median, and at the derived rate the median home would hand over roughly 10.90% of its value in tax across a decade. Within the state, the distance from Norfolk County to the most expensive county, Middlesex County ($7,240), is $159 a year.
Counties nearest Norfolk County in the Massachusetts ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middlesex County, MA | $7,240 | $687,200 | 1.05% |
| Plymouth County, MA | $6,345 | $513,000 | 1.24% |
| Essex County, MA | $6,267 | $584,000 | 1.07% |
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 1.09%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $1,090 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $4,360. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Checking your assessment in Norfolk 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 Norfolk 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 Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
The median real estate tax paid in Norfolk County, Massachusetts is $7,081 per year, on a median home value of $649,400 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
Dividing Norfolk County's median tax bill ($7,081) by its median home value ($649,400) gives a derived effective rate of 1.09%. This is an estimate computed from two Census survey medians — it is not the county's official tax rate.
How does Norfolk County compare with the rest of Massachusetts?
By median taxes paid, Norfolk County stands at #2 among the 14 Massachusetts counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $7,081 median bill is about 22% higher than the state median ($5,813), and 1 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
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 Norfolk County, the median outcome of that process is a bill of $7,081 on a median home value of $649,400.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Norfolk County, Massachusetts?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Norfolk 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.