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Massachusetts · Essex CountyEssex County, MA property taxes. A steady market. Check the details.
The typical home in Essex County was worth about $718,000 in January 2026, up 2.1% from a year earlier. In a steady market, an abatement works best for specific homes whose assessment ran ahead of what they'd sell for.
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What Essex County home values did
Essex County values rose 2.1% in the year to January 2026, reaching a new high. That's in line with Massachusetts as a whole (+2.1%).
Values have been roughly flat since January, through August 2026.
| Month | Typical value | vs. a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| January 2021 | $534,000 | +12.2% |
| January 2022 | $584,000 | +9.5% |
| January 2023 | $619,000 | +6.0% |
| January 2024 | $668,000 | +8.0% |
| January 2025 | $703,000 | +5.2% |
| January 2026 | $718,000 | +2.1% |
| August 2026 (latest) | $723,000 | +0.7% since January |
January 2026 was the highest month since 2021.
Essex County places by change from peak
The 30 places in Essex County with the widest gap between January 2026 and their post-2021 high. Each links to its own guide.
| Place | January 2026 | 1-year change | vs. peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boxford | $1,066,000 | +3.2% | -0.1% |
| Nahant | $960,000 | +0.9% | -0.1% |
| North Andover | $807,000 | +2.1% | At peak |
| Lynn | $582,000 | +1.1% | At peak |
| Lawrence | $509,000 | +3.0% | At peak |
| Haverhill | $546,000 | +2.9% | At peak |
| Peabody | $696,000 | +1.1% | At peak |
| Methuen | $619,000 | +2.9% | At peak |
| Salem | $610,000 | +1.1% | At peak |
| Beverly | $754,000 | +2.8% | At peak |
| Andover | $991,000 | +3.2% | At peak |
| Saugus | $688,000 | +0.6% | At peak |
| Danvers | $729,000 | +2.6% | At peak |
| Gloucester | $765,000 | +3.0% | At peak |
| Newburyport | $927,000 | +4.4% | At peak |
| Amesbury | $625,000 | +2.3% | At peak |
| Marblehead | $1,033,000 | +2.0% | At peak |
| Swampscott | $821,000 | +1.6% | At peak |
| Lynnfield | $1,097,000 | +2.5% | At peak |
| Ipswich | $847,000 | +2.3% | At peak |
| Middleton | $879,000 | +2.6% | At peak |
| Salisbury | $632,000 | +1.5% | At peak |
| Georgetown | $768,000 | +3.6% | At peak |
| Hamilton | $888,000 | +3.0% | At peak |
| Newbury | $939,000 | +3.5% | At peak |
| Groveland | $711,000 | +2.8% | At peak |
| Topsfield | $970,000 | +2.8% | At peak |
| Merrimac | $660,000 | +2.7% | At peak |
| Rockport | $864,000 | +2.5% | At peak |
| Rowley | $802,000 | +2.7% | At peak |
What to check on your notice
The typical Essex County home gained 2.1% in the year to January 2026. A notice that rose far more than that, or a value above what similar homes nearby actually sold for, is the usual starting point for an abatement.
How a Massachusetts abatement works
Values in Essex County are set by the local board of assessors, and the abatement starts there. The rules below apply statewide; your notice has the exact dates and office for your property.
| Who sets the value | Board of assessors. Each city or town has its own board of assessors that values property and decides abatement applications. The state Appellate Tax Board hears appeals after that. |
|---|---|
| Valuation date | January 1 before the fiscal year starts |
| Your notice | Actual tax bill (third quarter bill in most towns) |
| Deadline | File an abatement application with your local board of assessors by the due date of the first actual (not preliminary) tax payment for the fiscal year. In towns with quarterly billing that is usually February 1. If actual bills are mailed after December 31, it is May 1 or 30 days after mailing, whichever is later. |
| First step | Abatement application (Form 128 or your town's version) filed with the local board of assessors. The board has 3 months to act, and silence counts as a denial. |
| If you still disagree | Appellate Tax Board, filed within 3 months of the assessors' decision or of the date the application is deemed denied. |
| Form | State Tax Form 128, Application for Abatement of Real Property Tax |
Reading this in fall 2026? For fiscal year 2027 (the July 2026 to June 2027 tax year, valued as of January 1, 2026), actual bills are usually mailed by December 31, 2026, and the abatement deadline is usually February 1, 2027. If your town mails bills after December 31, the deadline moves to May 1, 2027 or 30 days after mailing. Look at the due date of your first actual bill, because it is your deadline.
- For real estate taxes over $5,000 a year, the abatement is denied unless the full tax, including all installments, has been paid without interest.
- Your town's own forms and filing window may differ slightly, so confirm the due date with your assessors' office.
Find your local office in the Massachusetts DLS municipal clerk and assessor directory process.
Building a Essex County case
Averages explain why a case might work. The decision turns on evidence about one property. Essex County is part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro, but your evidence should be local. Sales a few streets away usually beat sales across the metro.
- Collect sales of comparable properties near your home from the period the town used for its valuation.
- Check your property record card for errors in size, rooms, condition, or lot, and cite them in your application.
- Keep a copy of your filed application and the date you filed it, because the 3 month clocks start from it.
Get your Essex County appeal report
Start with your address. Vulorean checks your assessment against recent comparable sales and builds a value report you can bring to your Massachusetts abatement. Eligible reports are free during launch; an account is required and local filing fees are separate.
Check my property and get a report →Vulorean was built for California first. Massachusetts forms, deadlines and filing rules vary, so confirm them with your local office before filing. If something in your report looks wrong, email support@vulorean.com and we'll get it fixed.
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), all homes, mid-tier, smoothed and seasonally adjusted, through August 2026, from Zillow Research. Rules: MGL Chapter 59 Section 59, MGL Chapter 59 Section 64, Massachusetts DLS municipal calendar and abatement guidance (search results), Massachusetts DLS Chapter 6 Property Tax Abatements. Vulorean is an independent service, not a government office. Confirm dates and forms with your local office.