Calculate your property tax for CT. Enter your home value, apply exemptions, and see your estimated annual tax.
Connecticut's effective property tax rates are the highest in New England and among the highest in the country, commonly 1.8% to 2.5% of market value, because the state relies heavily on local property taxes to fund schools and services and has no broad homestead exemption. Property is assessed at 70% of assessed value (the state's statutory rate), and each of 169 towns sets its own mill rate. Relief comes mainly through circuit-breaker credits for seniors and disabled residents and a veterans' exemption. This guide explains the calculation and the relief available; the calculator below estimates your bill.
Connecticut assesses property at a uniform 70% of the fair market value (the statutory 'assessment ratio' set by state law), so the mill rate is applied to that 70% figure. Your tax is the assessed value times the town's mill rate (mills per $1,000 of assessed value) plus any district charges. Because there is no statewide homestead exemption, the bill is driven almost entirely by the town mill rate — which is why two identical homes in bordering towns with different mill rates can owe very different amounts.
Connecticut's main homeowner relief is the circuit-breaker program: a credit against local property tax for owners (and sometimes renters) who are 65+ or totally disabled with income under a set limit (about $43,800 for a single/married couple recently, adjusted periodically). The credit is based on a sliding scale of income and the tax burden, and is claimed on the state income-tax return. There is also an additional veterans' circuit-breaker for disabled veterans.
Connecticut grants a veterans' exemption from a portion of assessed value for qualifying wartime veterans, with an additional exemption for those with a service-connected disability, and a further exemption for totally disabled veterans. Towns may also adopt a local elderly exemption (distinct from the state circuit-breaker) that reduces assessed value for qualifying seniors. Because the veterans' exemption is set by state law and the elderly option by town, the exact dollar relief varies.
Beyond the state credit, Connecticut towns may offer their own elderly homeowner exemption, reducing a set dollar amount or percentage of assessed value for owners 65+ under locally set income limits. Some towns also exempt a portion of value for disabled residents. These local options mean a senior's net relief depends as much on town policy as on state law.
Most Connecticut towns revalue on a state-mandated cycle (historically every five years, now often every four or on a schedule set by the Office of Policy and Management). Because assessments are pinned at 70% and revaluation can reset values sharply, the year of revaluation is when bills move most; the lack of a broad assessment cap means a hot market can lift bills until the next revaluation.
The figures below draw on our county datasets where available; rates differ by jurisdiction, so use your specific locality's rate in the calculator.
| County | Effective Rate | Est. tax on $350,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | 2.15% | $7,525 |
| New London | 2.18% | $7,630 |
| Hartford | 2.28% | $7,980 |
| Litchfield | 2.28% | $7,980 |
| Tolland | 2.32% | $8,120 |
| New Haven | 2.35% | $8,225 |
Estimates apply each county's effective rate to a $350,000 market value for comparison only; your actual bill depends on your own assessed value, exemptions, and local levies.
Connecticut towns generally bill annually or in two halves (July and January), with interest (often 1.5% per month) compounding on late payment and, after a year, the town may commence a tax lien sale. Because assessed value is fixed at 70% and the mill rate is set annually, the January bill reflects the newly set rate. Budget for the full amount and claim any credits on the state return afterward.
To reduce your Connecticut bill: (1) claim the senior/disabled circuit-breaker on your state return if income qualifies; (2) apply for the veterans' exemption and any local elderly exemption; (3) grieve the assessment by February 1 using comparable sales — Connecticut's high rates make even a small reduction valuable; (4) in a revaluation year, verify that your new assessed value (meant to be 70% of market) matches actual sales; (5) follow town budget votes, because the mill rate is set locally each year. The circuit-breaker is the main relief for older or disabled owners.
In practice, a Connecticut bill is the 70%-assessed value times the town mill rate, plus any fire-district or special-assessment charges. The mill rate is set each spring after the budget is adopted, so the bill you receive reflects that year's spending and the revaluation (if one occurred). Because there is no broad homestead exemption, the entire burden falls on the mill rate and the assessed value; the circuit-breaker credit comes back to you through the state income-tax return rather than reducing the bill itself. Towns commonly bill in two halves (July and January), and a revaluation year can make the January bill noticeably higher. Reading the grand list and the mill-rate setting meeting is the clearest way to see why your bill moved.
If you are buying in Connecticut, note that there is no homestead exemption, so your full 70%-assessed value is taxed; budget the full mill rate. Ask the town for the most recent mill rate and whether a revaluation is scheduled soon, because the year after a revaluation is when bills move most. Check whether you would qualify for the senior/disabled circuit-breaker or the veterans' exemption on the state return. Compare neighboring towns' mill rates — a few mills of difference is hundreds of dollars a year on the same home. Finally, read the grand list and recent tax-rate history so you are not surprised by a post-purchase increase.
To appeal in Connecticut, move quickly after the assessment or revaluation notice. (1) File with the Board of Assessment Appeals by February 1 (or within the short window stated on the notice). (2) Present recent comparable sales; because assessed value is fixed at 70% of market, your evidence should show what 70% of true market value should be. (3) If the board denies you, (4) appeal to the Superior Court (tax session) within the deadline. (5) Given Connecticut's high rates, even a modest percentage reduction is worth hundreds of dollars, so the effort pays off. Check too that any elderly or veterans' exemption you qualify for is applied — an exemption is simpler than an appeal and reduces the bill directly.
Connecticut has long debated reducing its heavy reliance on property taxes — including proposals for a broader homestead exemption, a higher circuit-breaker income limit, and regionalizing school funding to lower municipal mill rates. Periodic revaluation-cycle reforms also surface. Because Connecticut's rates are the highest in New England, any relief proposal is significant; follow the Governor's budget and the legislature's finance committees for measures that would lower the mill rate or add exemptions.
Assessment ratio — Connecticut's statutory 70% of market value. Mill rate — dollars of tax per $1,000 of assessed value. Circuit breaker — the state credit for seniors/disabled with income under a limit. Veterans' exemption — a set-dollar reduction for qualifying veterans. Board of Assessment Appeals — the local body that first hears grievances.
Two $350,000 homes assessed at 70% ($245,000). Homeowner A in a town with a 30-mill rate owes about $7,350. Homeowner B, a 70-year-old under the circuit-breaker income limit, claims the state credit; depending on income, it can refund a sizable portion, bringing the net toward $5,500–$6,000. Because Connecticut has no homestead exemption, the circuit-breaker is the main relief — and at these high rates, even a 20% refund is hundreds of dollars. The example underscores why claiming the credit is essential for lower-income seniors.
Connecticut homeowners generally pay via escrow; the lender pays the July and January installments. Because assessed value is fixed at 70% and the mill rate is set annually, the January bill can jump after a revaluation, triggering an escrow increase. A successful Board of Assessment Appeals grievance lowers the assessment and, once reported to the lender, can reduce the escrow. Given Connecticut's high rates, even a small rate change moves the monthly payment noticeably — review the escrow statement each year and the mill-rate setting in the spring.
What is Connecticut's assessment ratio? By state law, property is assessed at 70% of fair market value, and the town mill rate is applied to that assessed value.
Is there a homestead exemption in Connecticut? No broad homestead exemption. Relief comes through the state senior/disabled circuit-breaker credit, a veterans' exemption, and local elderly exemptions.
What is the Connecticut circuit-breaker? A credit for owners 65+ or totally disabled with income under a limit, based on a sliding scale of income and tax burden, claimed on the state return.
How often are Connecticut properties revalued? On a state-mandated cycle (commonly every four or five years), after which bills can change sharply.
How do I appeal my assessment in Connecticut? File with the town Board of Assessment Appeals by February 1 (or after the revaluation notice), then to Superior Court if needed.
Enter your home value, select your state, and see your estimated annual property tax.