Property Tax in Worcester County, Massachusetts
The median real estate tax bill in Worcester County, Massachusetts is $5,207 per year, and the median home is worth $390,700. 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 Worcester County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Worcester County homeowners pay more than $5,207 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 $390,700, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 1.33%. 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 Worcester County
| Measure | Worcester County |
|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid per year | $5,207 |
| Median home value | $390,700 |
| Derived effective rate* | 1.33% |
| Equivalent monthly tax | $434 |
| Tax per $100,000 of value (derived) | $1,333 |
| Illustrative tax on a $400,000 home (derived rate) | $5,332 |
For context, the Massachusetts medians are $5,813 of tax on $525,800 of value, and the US medians are $2,969 on $303,400. *Derived figures are estimates from Census medians, not official rates.
Worcester County at a glance
- Median tax rank in Massachusetts: #7 of 14 counties
- Median home value rank in Massachusetts: #10 of 14
- Population rank in Massachusetts: #2 of 14 (861,664 residents)
- Population density rank: #9 of 14 (570 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in Massachusetts: #1 of 14 (1,510 sq mi, 19.4% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $434; per $1,000 of home value: $1.33
How Worcester County compares
Set against its state, Worcester County's median bill of $5,207 is about 10% lower than the Massachusetts median ($5,813). Against the country as a whole it is about 75% higher than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #7 of 14 Massachusetts counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Worcester County's median home, at $390,700, ranks #10 by value in Massachusetts, while its derived rate of 1.33% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Worcester County: the median bill works out to about $434 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $1,333 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 861,664 people — the #2 most populous county in Massachusetts, spread over 1,510 square miles, a density of about 570 people per square mile. Its median home value, $390,700, ranks #10 among the state's 14 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 116 record a higher median tax bill than Worcester County — it sits in the top 4% nationally. The county holds roughly 12.3% of Massachusetts's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $390,700 versus $525,800), and a decade at the derived rate of 1.33% adds up to about 13.33% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Nantucket County, medians $2,985 — $2,222 less than Worcester County per year.
Counties nearest Worcester County in the Massachusetts ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dukes County, MA | $5,503 | $1,104,100 | 0.50% |
| Hampshire County, MA | $5,326 | $363,400 | 1.47% |
| Bristol County, MA | $4,685 | $421,800 | 1.11% |
| Franklin County, MA | $4,595 | $303,400 | 1.51% |
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 1.33%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $1,333 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $5,332. 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 Worcester 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 Worcester 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 Worcester County, Massachusetts?
The median real estate tax paid in Worcester County, Massachusetts is $5,207 per year, on a median home value of $390,700 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Worcester County, Massachusetts?
The derived effective rate is 1.33% — the median bill ($5,207) expressed as a share of the median home value ($390,700). No authority sets a rate this way; it exists to make counties with different home prices comparable.
How does Worcester County compare with the rest of Massachusetts?
By median taxes paid, Worcester County stands at #7 among the 14 Massachusetts counties the Census publishes figures for. Its $5,207 median bill is about 10% lower than the state median ($5,813), and 6 counties in the state record a higher median.
How are property taxes calculated in Worcester County, Massachusetts?
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 Worcester County is $5,207 of tax on a $390,700 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Worcester County, Massachusetts?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Worcester 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.