How Maryland property tax works
Your Maryland bill has up to three rates, all per $100 of assessed value:
- The state rate: $0.112 everywhere.
- The county rate (or Baltimore City's), the big one.
- A town rate if you live in an incorporated municipality, which is usually offset by a lower county rate inside the town.
The State Department of Assessments and Taxation reassesses every property every three years, a third of the state at a time, and phases increases in over three years. The Homestead Tax Credit then caps how much the taxable assessment on your primary residence can rise each year: 10% for the state tax, and as little as 0% for county tax depending on where you live.
Fiscal 2027 property tax rates by county
Fiscal 2027 runs from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, so these are the rates on bills mailed in July 2026. The total adds the $0.112 state rate. The last column is the tax on a home assessed at $400,000, before the homestead credit.
| Jurisdiction | County rate FY2027 | FY2026 | Total with state | Tax on $400,000 | Homestead cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore City | $2.248 | $2.248 | $2.360 | $9,440 | 4% |
| Prince George's* | $1.374 | $1.374 | $1.486 | $5,944 | 3% |
| Howard* | $1.250 | $1.250 | $1.362 | $5,448 | 5% |
| Charles* | $1.205 | $1.205 | $1.317 | $5,268 | 7% |
| Frederick | $1.110 | $1.110 | $1.222 | $4,888 | 5% |
| Baltimore County | $1.100 | $1.100 | $1.212 | $4,848 | 4% |
| Montgomery* | $1.0401 | $1.0392 | $1.1521 | $4,608 | 10% |
| Dorchester | $1.030 | $1.030 | $1.142 | $4,568 | 5% |
| Kent | $1.022 | $1.022 | $1.134 | $4,536 | 5% |
| Carroll | $1.018 | $1.018 | $1.130 | $4,520 | 5% |
| Garrett | $1.000 | $1.020 | $1.112 | $4,448 | 3% |
| Somerset | $1.000 | $1.000 | $1.112 | $4,448 | 10% |
| Harford | $0.9779 | $0.9779 | $1.0899 | $4,360 | 5% |
| Allegany | $0.975 | $0.975 | $1.087 | $4,348 | 4% |
| Cecil | $0.9724 | $0.9824 | $1.0844 | $4,338 | 4% |
| Anne Arundel | $0.968 | $0.977 | $1.080 | $4,320 | 2% |
| Calvert | $0.967 | $0.967 | $1.079 | $4,316 | 10% |
| Caroline | $0.960 | $0.980 | $1.072 | $4,288 | 5% |
| Washington | $0.928 | $0.928 | $1.040 | $4,160 | 5% |
| St. Mary's | $0.8478 | $0.8478 | $0.9598 | $3,839 | 3% |
| Talbot | $0.818 | $0.8032 | $0.930 | $3,720 | 0% |
| Worcester | $0.815 | $0.815 | $0.927 | $3,708 | 0% |
| Queen Anne's | $0.800 | $0.830 | $0.912 | $3,648 | 5% |
| Wicomico | $0.7799 | $0.8099 | $0.8919 | $3,568 | 5% |
*Charles, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's include special rates for fire, parks and other services funded outside the general county rate. In Montgomery County the council rejected the executive's proposed increase, leaving the total at $1.0401.
Baltimore City's rate is roughly double most counties'. The city has a smaller tax base relative to what it spends, and it's both a city and a county. A lower assessed value helps: the same $9,440 bill would be on a home far more expensive in most counties.
The homestead cap: why your bill doesn't jump
When your home is reassessed, the increase is already phased in over three years. The Homestead Tax Credit then limits the taxable assessment increase on your primary residence each year to the county's cap, which ranges from 0% in Talbot and Worcester to 10% in Montgomery, Calvert and Somerset. You pay tax only on the capped amount, and the credit appears on your bill. Counties gave up an estimated $588 million to the credit in fiscal 2027.
You must apply once for the credit; check your SDAT record to confirm you have it. A 2026 bill proposed a statewide 5% maximum cap.
Combined rates in Maryland towns (fiscal 2026)
Counties charge town residents a lower county rate (the "tax differential") because the town provides some services. These are fiscal 2026 combined rates, including the $0.112 state rate:
| Town | County | County rate in town | Town rate | Total with state | Tax on $400,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenbelt | Prince George's | $1.0856 | $0.8275 | $2.025 | $8,100 |
| Hagerstown | Washington | $0.803 | $1.057 | $1.972 | $7,888 |
| Salisbury | Wicomico | $0.8099 | $1.0332 | $1.955 | $7,820 |
| Laurel | Prince George's | $1.020 | $0.710 | $1.842 | $7,368 |
| Frederick | Frederick | $1.0079 | $0.7055 | $1.825 | $7,302 |
| College Park | Prince George's | $1.338 | $0.335 | $1.785 | $7,140 |
| Bowie | Prince George's | $1.196 | $0.400 | $1.708 | $6,832 |
| Annapolis | Anne Arundel | $0.583 | $0.738 | $1.433 | $5,732 |
| Rockville | Montgomery | $0.9268 | $0.292 | $1.331 | $5,323 |
| Gaithersburg | Montgomery | $0.9268 | $0.262 | $1.301 | $5,203 |
The county rate shown in each town includes any county special rates. Living inside a town usually costs more in property tax than living in the county around it, but towns can provide services such as trash pickup or police that the county doesn't. See our pages for Annapolis, Frederick, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Hagerstown and Salisbury.
Relief, appeals and payment
- Homeowners' Property Tax Credit: a circuit breaker for households with combined gross income up to $60,000 that caps property tax as a share of income. Apply by October 1 each year. See help for low-income seniors.
- Appeals: you have 45 days after your reassessment notice (mailed around late December) to appeal to SDAT, then 30 days to the Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board, then 30 days to the Maryland Tax Court. See our appeal guide.
- Payment: bills go out in July. The annual bill is due September 30. Owner-occupied homes can pay in two installments, September 30 and December 31.
Maryland counties also levy a local income tax on top of the state income tax, most at 3.20% for 2026, which matters when you compare Maryland with other states. See moving states.
Where these numbers come from
County rates for fiscal 2026 and 2027 are from the Maryland Department of Legislative Services' Real Property Tax Rates FY2022–FY2027 table, sourced from SDAT. FY2027 rates were confirmed directly with Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City and Montgomery County Resolution 20-1141 (which also confirms the $0.112 state rate). Homestead caps are from the DLS fiscal note on HB 1273 (2026), and the credit's cost from DLS. Town rates are from DLS's County and Municipal Real Property Tax Rates – Fiscal 2026. Fiscal 2027 town rates weren't yet published by DLS. For ZIP-level data, start at our Maryland page.