How is Maine property tax calculated?

Maine taxes property by mill rate — dollars of tax per 1,000 dollars of assessed value. Annual tax equals (assessed value minus exemptions) divided by 1,000, times the mill rate. A 250,000 dollar home at a 15 mill rate owes about 3,750 dollars before exemptions.

What is the Maine homestead exemption?

Maine's homestead exemption reduces the taxable value of a primary residence by 25,000 dollars for qualifying owners who have owned a Maine home for at least 12 months. It lowers the value the mill rate is applied to, cutting your bill.

A mill rate (or mill levy) is the property tax rate expressed in mills, where one mill is one dollar of tax per 1,000 dollars of assessed value. A 20 mill rate equals 2% of assessed value. Maine mill rates vary widely by town.

Is assessed value the same as market value?

Not always. Maine towns assess at a certified ratio to market value, which can be below 100%. Your assessed value on the tax bill is what the mill rate is applied to, so use that figure rather than a Zillow estimate for accuracy.

How accurate is this estimate?

It is accurate if you enter your town's real mill rate and assessed value. The statewide average effective rate is about 1.24%, but individual town rates vary substantially, so always use your local mill rate for the best result.

Maine Property Tax Estimator

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Maine property taxes are levied by your town using a mill rate — dollars of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value. With a statewide average effective rate around 1.24%, Maine sits in the middle of US states, but individual towns vary widely. This estimator applies your local mill rate to your assessed value, subtracts the $25,000 homestead exemption if you qualify, and shows the resulting annual and monthly bill.

How it works

The mill-rate method is the standard across Maine municipalities:

Start with assessed value. Use the value on your tax bill, not a market estimate — Maine towns assess at a certified ratio to market value.
Subtract exemptions. If you qualify for the homestead exemption, subtract $25,000 from the assessed value to get the taxable value.
Apply the mill rate. Annual tax = taxable value / 1,000 x mill rate. A mill rate of 15 means $15 of tax per $1,000 of taxable value, i.e. 1.5%.

The calculator also shows the effective rate (tax as a percentage of full assessed value) so you can compare against the ~1.24% statewide average.

Tips and example

A $300,000 home in a town with a 16 mill rate, with the homestead exemption, has a taxable value of $275,000. The tax is 275000 / 1000 x 16 = $4,400 per year, about $367 a month, an effective rate near 1.47% of full value.

Mill rates change yearly when towns set budgets, and some towns reassess and shift their certified ratio at the same time — so check your latest tax commitment or your assessor’s office for the current mill rate, and confirm your homestead eligibility, before relying on the figure.