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FY 2026 residential tax rate · Essex County, MA
Salem property tax rate
Salem's FY 2026 residential tax rate is $10.78 per $1,000 of assessed value. A property assessed at $300,000 owes $3,234.00 for the year. That ranks 254th highest of Massachusetts's 351 municipalities, below the middle, $1.66 per $1,000 below the $12.44 per $1,000 state median.
- 1Residential tax rate $10.78 per $1,000
- 2Bill on $300,000 assessed $3,234.00
Your Salem tax bill
The bill before exemptions and credits. Compare every Massachusetts rate.
Salem's FY 2026 rates by class of property
The Division of Local Services lists a rate for each class of property, and each city and town decides whether to tax the classes alike. Salem does not: commercial and industrial property pays $21.89 per $1,000, $11.11 more than the $10.78 residential rate, or 2.03 times as much, so the same $300,000 assessment would owe $6,567.00 as a commercial property. That commercial rate ranks 48th of 351. 112 of the 351 cities and towns set a commercial rate above their residential rate. Personal property, such as business equipment, pays $21.89.
Massachusetts assessments are meant to be fair cash value as of January 1 before the fiscal year: for FY 2026, January 1, 2025 (Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board). Because every city and town measures against the same standard, the residential rate is a fairer comparison between Massachusetts towns than a rate is in a state where assessments sit at different shares of value. The bill on this page is before the exemptions and credits an owner may qualify for.
Salem's rate in FY 2025 and FY 2026
The residential tax rate fell $0.56 per $1,000 (4.94%) from $11.34 per $1,000 in FY 2025, and the same $300,000 assessment owes $168.00 less than at last year's rate. In FY 2025 Salem ranked 232nd. The commercial rate went from $22.62 to $21.89. Each year's rate applies to that year's assessed values, so a lower rate on a higher assessment can still mean a higher bill.
Tax on common assessed values in Salem
| Assessed value | FY 2026 bill | At the FY 2025 rate | Versus MA median rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $2,156.00 | $2,268.00 | −$332.00 |
| $300,000 | $3,234.00 | $3,402.00 | −$498.00 |
| $400,000 | $4,312.00 | $4,536.00 | −$664.00 |
| $500,000 | $5,390.00 | $5,670.00 | −$830.00 |
| $750,000 | $8,085.00 | $8,505.00 | −$1,245.00 |
Each bill is the assessed value divided by 1,000 and multiplied by $10.78, before exemptions, credits or special charges. These are assessed values, not sale prices, though in Massachusetts the assessment is meant to be the property's fair cash value on January 1, 2025. The last column is the difference from the same assessment at the $12.44 per $1,000 state median.
How Salem compares in Essex County and Massachusetts
Among the 34 municipalities in Essex County, Salem ranks 17th highest; the county median is $10.78 per $1,000, so Salem sits exactly on it. The next higher rate in the county is Beverly at $10.81, and the next lower is Danvers at $10.65. Statewide, 27% of municipalities have a lower residential tax rate than Salem.
Outside Essex County, the closest rates are West Brookfield ($10.75, Worcester), Hull ($10.81, Plymouth), Needham ($10.83, Norfolk), Rehoboth ($10.85, Bristol). Massachusetts cities and towns all assess at fair cash value as of January 1, so their residential rates compare roughly like for like.
Appealing a Salem assessment
In Massachusetts the first step is an abatement application to Salem's board of assessors. Where bills are quarterly it is due by February 1, the due date of the first actual installment; where bills go out twice a year it is generally 30 days after the bill is mailed (G.L. c. 59 § 59). The assessors have three months to act, after which the application is deemed denied, and an appeal to the Appellate Tax Board must be filed within three months of their decision (G.L. c. 59 §§ 64, 65), with the tax paid on time unless the Board waives it. The question is fair cash value on January 1: on Salem's FY 2026 residential rate each $10,000 of assessment costs $107.80 a year, and $218.90 on a commercial property.
The Massachusetts appeal page sets out each step with its source and what an over-assessment costs. This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice.
Salem property tax questions
What is the property tax rate in Salem, MA?
Salem's FY 2026 residential tax rate is $10.78 per $1,000 of assessed value; commercial real estate pays $21.89 per $1,000. Source: Massachusetts Department of Revenue.
How much is the property tax on a $300,000 assessment in Salem?
$300,000 ÷ 1,000 × $10.78 = $3,234.00 a year, before exemptions and credits. At the FY 2025 rate the same assessment owed $3,402.00.
Is Salem's tax rate high for Massachusetts?
It ranks 254th highest of 351, below the middle of Massachusetts municipalities; the median is $12.44 per $1,000.
When are Salem property taxes due?
In cities and towns that bill quarterly, installments are due August 1, November 1, February 1 and May 1; some bill twice a year instead. Salem's own dates are printed on its tax bill and published by its tax collector.
How do I appeal a Salem property assessment?
Abatement application to the assessors: by February 1 in quarterly-billing towns (G.L. c. 59 § 59). Then: assessors decide (Within three months); appeal to the appellate tax board (Within three months of the assessors' action).
Source: Massachusetts Department of Revenue, Division of Local Services, Municipal Databank: Tax Rates by Class (data current as of October 26, 2026); county and 2020 population from Wikipedia, List of municipalities in Massachusetts . Appeal steps: Massachusetts Appellate Tax Board, Real Estate Tax Appeals: A Helpful Guide for Taxpayers and Assessors (last revised March 20, 2024); Massachusetts Division of Local Services, Assessment Administration: Law, Procedures and Valuation, Chapter 6, Property Tax Abatements (Rev. 01/26). Last checked October 26, 2026. This page explains published figures; it is not tax or legal advice.