What actually sets Maine apart
Maine assesses at the municipal level with no county rate to speak of, and towns revalue on wildly different schedules. A town that has not revalued in fifteen years can show a low certified ratio and a high mill rate, which looks alarming next to a recently revalued neighbour but may produce a similar bill.
Property taxes in Maine at a glance
- Average effective tax rate: 1.1% of home value per year
- Median home value: $266,400
- Estimated tax on a median-value home: $2,926 per year (about $244 per month)
- Rank by tax rate: 18th of 50, highest first
- Rank by amount actually paid: 19th of 50, highest first
- Where these figures come from: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, for the Maine statewide averages shown above — ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimates, last reviewed September 2026.
Rate and bill agree in Maine
Maine sits 18th of the fifty by tax rate and 19th by the amount a median-value owner actually pays. That agreement is less common than it sounds: 19 of the 50 states move ten places or more between the two rankings, because home values vary far more widely than rates do. In Maine the 1.1% headline is a fair summary rather than a figure that needs correcting.
How Maine works out what you owe
Towns assess at their own certified ratio of market value, which is published each year, so a town assessing at 80% applies its mill rate to 80% of what your home is worth.
Maine sets no statutory limit on how fast a home's taxable value can rise, so a Maine assessment tracks the market more closely than it would in a capped state.
Exemptions Maine homeowners should claim
Each of these reduces a Maine bill every year you hold the property, and almost none are granted without a claim:
- Homestead exemption: Reduces the assessed value of a permanent residence for owners who have held Maine residency for at least a year. The reduction is adjusted by the town's certified ratio.
- Veteran and blind exemptions: Additional reductions in valuation for qualifying veterans, their surviving spouses, and legally blind owners.
Where you buy inside Maine changes the bill
A statewide average hides its extremes. Where they show up in Maine:
- Cumberland County: Portland and its suburbs, the state's most expensive market and the one where mill rates vary most between adjoining towns
- York County: the southern coast, with a large seasonal population that does not qualify for the homestead exemption
- Penobscot County: Bangor and the interior, where values are far lower and mill rates correspondingly higher
Maine and its neighbours
The same $266,400 — the Maine median — taxed at each neighbouring state's average rate:
- New Hampshire at 1.77%: about $4,715 a year, roughly $1,789 more than the $2,926 a Maine owner would pay on the same value.
Appealing a Maine assessment
If the assessed value on your Maine home overstates what it is worth, the route is an appeal to the municipal assessor for abatement, then the local board of assessment review. The window is within 185 days of the commitment of taxes, and it is strict — missing it means waiting a full cycle.
Frequently asked questions
When are Maine property taxes due, and when must exemption claims be filed?
Each municipality sets its own fiscal year and due dates, most commonly with two instalments in the autumn and spring. Applications go to the municipal assessor and must be filed by 1 April to apply to that year's roll.
Does this calculator use my exact Maine county tax rate?
No — it applies the Maine statewide average of 1.1%. Rates are set locally, and the spread inside Maine is wide enough to matter: on a $266,400 home, $305 a year separates Maine from an averagely taxed state before any county variation is counted. Check the parcel's own rate with its Maine county before relying on this figure.
Reference sources
Related calculators
How this estimate is built
Principal and interest come from the standard amortization formula, worked through in full on the formula reference page. Property tax, insurance, PMI and loan-program figures layer on top from published assumptions — each one sourced, dated and listed on the methodology page. Every result here is an estimate built from public data, not a quote: confirm the specifics with a lender before relying on it.
For developers
This calculation is also available as a REST API and through an MCP server, both running the same engine as this page — so the figures match by construction rather than by convention. No key required.