The property tax rate in Bridgeport, CT for fiscal year 2025–2026 is 43.45 mills on real estate and personal property and 32.46 mills on motor vehicles. One mill equals one dollar of tax for every $1,000 of assessed value, and assessed value in Connecticut is 70 percent of fair market value. The City Council is expected to adopt a substantially lower mill rate in May 2026 after the citywide 2025 revaluation reset property values.1City of Bridgeport. Current Tax Season Information
The motor vehicle rate isn’t a Bridgeport choice. State law caps vehicle taxation at 32.46 mills in any town whose general rate exceeds that figure, and Bridgeport’s does.2State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management. Mill Rates
How to Calculate Your Bill
The math has two steps. First, multiply the fair market value the city has on file for your property by 0.70 to get the assessed value, because Connecticut requires every town to assess at 70 percent of market value.3Justia. Connecticut Code 12-62a – Uniform Assessment Date and Rate Second, multiply the assessed value by the mill rate and divide by 1,000.
A worked example: a home the city values at $400,000 has an assessed value of $280,000. At 43.45 mills, that’s $280,000 × 43.45 ÷ 1,000, or $12,166 a year.
You can look up the current assessed value for any Bridgeport property through the Tax Assessor’s online portal.4City of Bridgeport. Tax Assessor All taxable property is recorded on the Grand List as of October 1 each year, and that list becomes the base for the following fiscal year’s budget.5Connecticut Office of Policy and Management. Total Grand List by Town
Why the Current Rate Won’t Last: the 2025 Revaluation
Bridgeport finished a citywide revaluation effective October 1, 2025, its first in five years. Average home values rose roughly 65 to 70 percent, and the total Grand List is estimated to climb from about $8 billion to roughly $13 billion.6City of Bridgeport. City of Bridgeport 2025 Revaluation Final Update Information
A bigger Grand List lets the city collect the same revenue at a lower mill rate, which is why officials have signaled the rate will fall significantly when the Council sets it in May 2026 for bills due starting July 2026. If you’ve received a revaluation notice with a higher assessed value, don’t multiply that new value by the current 43.45 mill rate. The result would badly overstate your actual bill. Wait for the new rate.
One nuance worth understanding: a revaluation doesn’t raise total city revenue, it redistributes it. If your property increased more than the citywide average, your share of the burden goes up even as the mill rate drops. If your property increased less than average, your bill may actually fall.
When Bills Are Due and How to Pay
Property tax bills come in two installments. The first is due July 1 with a grace period through August 1. The second is due January 1 with a grace period through February 1. If a grace-period deadline lands on a weekend, you have until the following Monday.7City of Bridgeport. City of Bridgeport Frequently Asked Questions Bills of $100 or less are due in full on July 1 rather than split.
You have several ways to pay:
- Online through Invoice Cloud, where you can also look up your bill.8City of Bridgeport. Bill Lookup/Pay Online
- By mail to the Tax Collector’s office.
- In the office drop box during July and January.
- By phone at 844-892-9646.
- In person at any M&T Bank branch in Fairfield County during July and January, with the current bill in hand.
Credit card and some electronic payments carry convenience fees.
If you register a vehicle after October 1, it won’t appear on the already-finalized Grand List, and you’ll get a supplemental motor vehicle bill later. The same 32.46 mill cap applies.9Justia. Connecticut Code 12-71b – Taxation of Motor Vehicles
What Happens If You Pay Late
Missing the grace period is costly. Connecticut charges 18 percent annual interest, or 1.5 percent per month, on the overdue balance, and the interest runs from the original due date, not from the end of the grace period. Any partial month counts as a full month, with a minimum charge of two dollars per installment.10Justia. Connecticut Code 12-146 – Delinquent Tax or Installment A payment postmarked August 2 picks up interest back to July 1.
Unpaid taxes also create a lien on your property, and under Connecticut law that lien takes priority over nearly all other claims, including mortgages. The lien attaches automatically and lasts at least two years from the date the tax became due, and the city can extend it. If the debt stays unpaid, the city can foreclose. You have a redemption period during which paying the full amount owed, including interest and lien fees, saves the property; miss it and ownership is gone.11Justia. Connecticut Code 12-189 – Right of Redemption
Exemptions and Credits That Can Lower Your Bill
Several programs reduce what you owe. Each has its own filing window with the Assessor’s office, and missing the window usually means waiting another year.
Wartime Veterans
Wartime veterans get a $3,000 reduction in assessed value under state law. File your DD-214 discharge papers with the Town Clerk before the October 1 assessment date. It’s a one-time filing that carries forward automatically. Veterans with service-connected disabilities may qualify for larger reductions.12Justia. Connecticut Code 12-81 – Exemptions
Seniors and Disabled Homeowners
The state Circuit Breaker program provides a property tax credit of up to $1,250 for married couples and $1,000 for single homeowners who are 65 or older or totally disabled, on a graduated income scale.13State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management. Homeowners – Elderly/Disabled Circuit Breaker Tax Relief Program File with the Assessor’s office between February 1 and May 15, and bring income documentation such as Social Security statements and tax returns.
Bridgeport also expanded its local senior and disabled homeowner credit to include households with income up to $75,000.14City of Bridgeport. Tax Assessors Forms The state and local credits stack, so apply for both during the same window.
Legally Blind Residents
Legally blind residents receive a $3,000 assessment reduction. If the resident doesn’t own enough property to absorb the full exemption, it can apply to a spouse’s property. You’ll need a physician’s certificate of legal blindness filed with the Assessor.12Justia. Connecticut Code 12-81 – Exemptions
Renters
Renters pay property taxes indirectly through rent, and Connecticut offers a rebate for renters who are 65 or older or totally disabled. Maximum rebates are $900 for married couples and $700 for single applicants. For 2026, income limits are $46,300 single and $56,500 married, based on 2025 income. Applications run from April 1 through September 30.
If You Think Your Assessment Is Too High
Your first stop is the Board of Assessment Appeals. File between February 1 and February 20 to be heard at the board’s March sessions.15City of Bridgeport. Board of Assessment Appeals The 2025 revaluation makes this February window especially important, since any inflated new values set then will carry forward.
The hearing is informal. You don’t need a lawyer and courtroom evidence rules don’t apply. Useful material includes a recent independent appraisal, sale prices of comparable homes nearby, photos of conditions the assessor may have missed, and documentation of structural problems. A residential appraisal usually costs several hundred dollars, so weigh that against the potential tax savings before ordering one. Decisions typically come by late spring.
If the board rules against you, you can appeal to the Superior Court for the Judicial District of Fairfield within two months of the date the board mails its notice.16Connecticut Judicial Branch. Property Tax Appeals Court appeals are more formal and more expensive, and an attorney and certified appraiser become practically necessary at that stage. Commercial or industrial properties assessed above $1,000,000 require a formal appraisal filed within 120 days of the appeal.