Calculate your property tax for ME. Enter your home value, apply exemptions, and see your estimated annual tax.
Maine's effective property tax rates are moderate-to-high, commonly 1.0% to 1.5% of market value, and because the state has many small towns and a heavy reliance on local taxation for schools, rates vary widely. Property is assessed at 100% of market value by each municipality. Maine's main relief is the Homestead Exemption and a circuit-breaker for seniors and disabled residents, plus a veterans' exemption. This guide explains the calculation and relief; the calculator below estimates your bill.
Each of Maine's municipalities values property at 100% of market value (with a state-mandated revaluation cycle to keep assessments current), then applies its mil rate (dollars per $1,000 of value). Your bill is assessed value times the municipal rate plus any school and district charges. Because there are 400+ taxing jurisdictions, the mil rate — not the home value — drives most of the variation between towns.
Maine's Homestead Exemption excludes the first portion of a primary residence's assessed value from taxation (about $25,000 of value recently) for year-round residents. It is claimed once with the municipality and stays in effect while you occupy the home. For a typical home this removes a few hundred dollars of tax and is the broadest break for owner-occupants.
Maine's Property Tax Fairness Credit (circuit breaker) refunds part of the property tax paid by lower-income residents — owners and renters — who are 65+, disabled, or have a dependent child and whose household income is under a limit (about $55,000 for recent years, phased with income). The refund scales with the tax burden relative to income and is claimed on the state income-tax return.
Maine grants a veterans' exemption for qualifying wartime veterans (a set dollar reduction, larger for those with a service-connected disability), a blind exemption, and exemptions for surviving spouses. Municipalities administer these under state law; the disabled-veteran amount is the largest of the set.
Maine requires municipalities to maintain assessments at market value through periodic revaluation (often every 3–10 years, with interim updates). There is no statewide assessment or rate cap, so a revaluation in a rising market can lift bills until the next one; the Homestead Exemption blunts but does not eliminate that effect.
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 $300,000 |
|---|---|---|
| York | 1.15% | $3,450 |
| Cumberland | 1.25% | $3,750 |
| Penobscot | 1.35% | $4,050 |
Estimates apply each county's effective rate to a $300,000 market value for comparison only; your actual bill depends on your own assessed value, exemptions, and local levies.
Maine municipalities commonly issue two tax bills (often October and April, or a single commitment with two due dates); interest accrues on late payment and prolonged delinquency can lead to a tax lien and foreclosure. The April 1 abatement deadline aligns with the spring billing cycle, so review your commitment notice as soon as it arrives.
To lower your Maine bill: (1) claim the Homestead Exemption (~$25,000 of value) as a year-round resident; (2) file for the Property Tax Fairness Credit (circuit breaker) on your state return if 65+, disabled, or with a dependent child; (3) claim the veterans' exemption and blind exemption; (4) grieve by April 1 using comparable sales; (5) watch municipal and school-budget votes, since the mil rate is local. The circuit-breaker is the largest help for lower-income households.
In practice, a Maine bill is the mil rate (dollars per $1,000 of assessed value) times your assessed value, with the school and any village-district charges included in the municipal commitment. Towns commit taxes once a year (often with two due dates), and the Homestead Exemption and Property Tax Fairness Credit reduce the net amount — the credit comes through the state return. Because there are 400+ separate taxing jurisdictions, the mil rate is the dominant variable; a revaluation that lifts everyone's assessed value is usually accompanied by a lower mil rate to keep collections stable, but a town that also raises spending can still increase bills. Read the commitment letter carefully, because the April 1 abatement deadline follows quickly after it is mailed.
If you are buying in Maine, request the current commitment and the mil rate, and confirm whether the seller claimed the Homestead Exemption (reapply as a year-round resident). Check whether you would qualify for the Property Tax Fairness Credit on your state return. Compare the mil rate across nearby towns, because the rate — not the home value — is the biggest variable. Be alert to a pending revaluation, which can raise assessments; grieve by April 1 in your first year if the value looks high. Finally, check for any village-district or school-union charges that may not be obvious from the listing.
To appeal in Maine, file by April 1 (or within 60 days of the tax commitment, whichever is later). (1) Obtain the commitment and the mil rate, and compare your assessed value to recent comparable sales. (2) Submit an abatement application to the municipal assessor with your evidence. (3) If denied, appeal to the Maine Board of Assessment Review within the stated deadline. (4) Make sure the Homestead Exemption and any Property Tax Fairness Credit are claimed, because exemptions and credits are simpler than appeals. The spring commitment cycle is the only window for most towns, so act as soon as the notice arrives.
Maine's reform conversation often centers on the Property Tax Fairness Credit (circuit breaker) and whether to raise its income limit and refund percentage, plus the Homestead Exemption amount. Periodic revaluation-cycle changes also arise. Because 400+ jurisdictions set mil rates, the state's role is mostly through credits and exemptions; watch the state budget for circuit-breaker expansions that directly refund lower-income owners.
Homestead Exemption — excludes about $25,000 of a primary residence's value. Property Tax Fairness Credit — the circuit-breaker refund on the state return. Mil rate — dollars per $1,000 of assessed value. Commitment — the town's formal tax bill setting the rate. Abatement — the application to reduce an assessment.
Two $300,000 homes at 100% assessment with an $18 mil rate. Homeowner A owes about $5,400. Homeowner B, a 66-year-old under the circuit-breaker limit, claims the ~$25,000 Homestead Exemption (saving about $450) and the Property Tax Fairness Credit, which can refund more if tax exceeds 10% of income — potentially bringing the net toward $4,000–$4,500. The example shows the Homestead Exemption is modest but the circuit-breaker adds real help for lower-income seniors.
Maine homeowners typically pay via escrow; the lender pays the commitment's installments. A revaluation or a mil-rate change can adjust the escrow at the annual true-up. If you claim the Homestead Exemption or the Property Tax Fairness Credit, inform the lender so the escrow reflects the lower net tax. Because Maine has 400+ taxing jurisdictions with different mil rates, the escrow estimate at closing should be based on the specific town's rate, not a county average — an inaccurate estimate leads to a mid-year catch-up.
How is Maine property assessed? Municipalities assess at 100% of market value under a state revaluation cycle, then apply a mil rate (per $1,000 of value).
What is Maine's Homestead Exemption? It excludes about $25,000 of a primary residence's assessed value from taxation for year-round residents; claim once with the town.
What is the Property Tax Fairness Credit? A circuit-breaker refund for lower-income owners/renters who are 65+, disabled, or have a dependent child, claimed on the state return.
Is there a veterans' exemption in Maine? Yes. A set-dollar exemption for qualifying wartime veterans, larger for service-connected disability, plus a blind exemption.
How do I appeal in Maine? File an abatement with the municipal assessor by April 1 (or within 60 days of tax commitment), then to the Board of Assessment Review.
Enter your home value, select your state, and see your estimated annual property tax.