Calculate your property tax for NH. Enter your home value, apply exemptions, and see your estimated annual tax.
New Hampshire has no broad state income tax and no general sales tax, so it relies heavily on local property taxes — among the highest in New England in rate terms, commonly 1.5% to 2.2% of market value — to fund schools and local government. The state also runs a statewide education property tax collected locally. Property is assessed at 100% of market value by each town. Relief includes an Elderly Exemption, a blinded-person exemption, and a disabled veterans' exemption. This guide explains the calculation and relief; the calculator below estimates your bill.
Towns and cities assess at 100% of market value and set a local tax rate (dollars per $1,000), to which the statewide education property tax (SWEPT) is added, along with any village-district or school-bond charges. Your bill is assessed value times the total rate. Because education funding flows through the property tax, the school portion is usually the largest single line, and towns with limited commercial base lean hardest on residential payers.
New Hampshire's Statewide Education Property Tax is a uniform state tax collected by municipalities to fund education aid; it appears as a line on your bill. Towns may also set a local default rate to meet the required local share. The interaction of SWEPT with local rates is why two homes of equal value in different towns can owe different totals — the local portion varies with each town's spending and tax base.
New Hampshire's Elderly Exemption removes a set dollar amount of assessed value for owners 65+ with income and asset limits (the amounts and limits are set by statute and adjusted periodically, with higher thresholds for those 65–74 and 75+). It is administered by each town and is one of the main reliefs for older homeowners facing high rates.
New Hampshire grants a disabled veterans' exemption (a set dollar reduction for service-connected disability), a blind exemption, and exemptions for surviving spouses of veterans, police, and firefighters. These are claimed through the town assessor; the disabled-veteran exemption is the most substantial.
New Hampshire has no Prop 13-style cap; towns set rates annually at the deliberative budget meeting or town vote. The absence of a cap means bills can rise with both reassessment and local spending, which is why the Elderly and veterans' exemptions matter so much to long-term residents.
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 $400,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Rockingham | 1.85% | $7,400 |
| Hillsborough | 2.05% | $8,200 |
| Merrimack | 2.15% | $8,600 |
Estimates apply each county's effective rate to a $400,000 market value for comparison only; your actual bill depends on your own assessed value, exemptions, and local levies.
New Hampshire bills are usually two installments (commonly December and June), and interest plus penalties attach to late payment; the state's high rates make even a short delinquency expensive. Because the statewide education tax is part of the bill, the total due can shift noticeably year to year with the local budget vote.
To reduce your New Hampshire bill: (1) claim the Elderly Exemption if 65+ with income/asset limits; (2) apply for the disabled veterans' and blind exemptions; (3) grieve by March 1 — New Hampshire's high rates reward a successful appeal; (4) understand the statewide education tax on your bill and follow town meetings where the local rate is set; (5) if you are 65+, combine the Elderly Exemption with careful budgeting, since there is no broad circuit-breaker. The Elderly Exemption is the main relief for older owners.
In practice, a New Hampshire bill shows the local tax rate plus the statewide education property tax (SWEPT) rate, times your assessed value, with any village-district charges added. The education portion is usually the largest single line, which is why town deliberative sessions and school-district meetings — where the local share is set — drive your bill as much as the local municipal budget does. There is no broad homestead exemption, so the Elderly Exemption and veterans' exemptions are the main ways to lower the base. Bills are commonly two installments (December and June). Reading the bill's education line versus the municipal line shows exactly how much of your tax goes to schools versus town services.
If you are buying in New Hampshire, obtain the current bill and note the statewide education tax line separately from the local rate, because both drive your cost. Ask whether you would qualify for the Elderly Exemption or veterans' exemptions. Attend or review the town deliberative session and school-district meeting outcomes, since those set the local rate for the year. Compare neighboring towns' total rates — New Hampshire's high rates mean small rate differences are large dollar differences. Finally, grieve by March 1 in your first year if the assessment exceeds comparable sales; with no broad cap, an accurate assessment is your best protection.
To appeal in New Hampshire, file by March 1 for the prior tax year. (1) Compare your assessed value to recent sales of similar homes; New Hampshire values at 100% of market. (2) Submit a tax abatement application to the select board (or city council) with comparable-sales evidence. (3) If denied, appeal to the Board of Tax and Land Appeals or the Superior Court within the deadline. (4) Claim any Elderly Exemption or veterans' exemption you qualify for, since those reduce the base directly. Because New Hampshire's rates are high, a successful abatement is among the most valuable in New England — well worth the effort for any homeowner whose assessment looks even slightly inflated.
New Hampshire's defining debate is the statewide education property tax and whether to shift education funding off local property taxes — a live issue given the state's high rates and lack of a broad income tax. Proposals for resident-tax relief (raising the Elderly Exemption amounts) and for changing SWEPT recur each session. Because the education tax is the largest line, any reform there moves every bill; follow the legislature and town-meeting outcomes closely.
Statewide Education Property Tax (SWEPT) — the state education levy collected locally. Elderly Exemption — removes a set value for owners 65+. Veterans'/blind exemptions — set-dollar reductions. Tax abatement — the March 1 application to the select board. Board of Tax and Land Appeals — the state appeal tribunal.
Two $400,000 homes at 100% assessment with a $20 total rate. Homeowner A owes about $8,000, much of it education tax. Homeowner B, a 65-year-old under the Elderly Exemption limits, removes a set dollar amount of value (often $100,000+ for the older bracket), cutting the bill toward $6,000–$6,500. Given New Hampshire's high rates, the Elderly Exemption is the single most valuable break for seniors — and the example shows how much a higher-value home benefits from the dollar exemption.
New Hampshire homeowners with a mortgage pay through escrow; the lender remits the December and June installments, including the statewide education tax. Because New Hampshire's rates are high and the local budget vote sets the rate, the June bill can rise after town meeting, increasing the escrow. A successful March 1 abatement or an Elderly Exemption lowers the bill — report it to the lender to reduce the monthly payment. Buyers should review the most recent bill and the town-meeting outcome to forecast the escrow realistically.
What is New Hampshire's education property tax? A statewide education property tax (SWEPT) collected locally and added to each town's rate; the school portion is usually the largest line on the bill.
What is the New Hampshire Elderly Exemption? A set-dollar reduction in assessed value for owners 65+ with income and asset limits, administered by each town.
Is there a veterans' exemption in New Hampshire? Yes. A disabled veterans' exemption, a blind exemption, and surviving-spouse exemptions, claimed through the town assessor.
Does New Hampshire have a rate cap? No broad cap; towns set rates annually through the local budget process, so bills can rise with reassessment and spending.
How do I appeal my New Hampshire assessment? File a tax abatement with the select board or city council by March 1, then to the Board of Tax and Land Appeals or Superior Court.
Enter your home value, select your state, and see your estimated annual property tax.