Maryland property tax rates by county for fiscal year 2026 run from a low of $0.674 per $100 of assessed value in Montgomery County to a high of $2.248 in Baltimore City.1Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. 2025-2026 Tax Rates and Homestead Credit Caps Every property owner also pays a uniform state rate of $0.112 per $100 on top of the county rate, and residents of incorporated municipalities or special taxing districts pay additional charges layered onto the same bill.
FY2026 County Real Property Tax Rates
These are the FY2026 county rates per $100 of assessed value, as published by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation:1Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. 2025-2026 Tax Rates and Homestead Credit Caps
- Baltimore City: $2.2482Baltimore City. City Tax Rates – Fiscal 2026
- Charles County: $1.141
- Baltimore County: $1.1003Baltimore County Government. Tax Rates for Baltimore County
- Frederick County: $1.100
- Howard County: $1.044
- Prince George’s County: $1.000
- Harford County: $0.978
- Anne Arundel County: $0.9774Anne Arundel County Government. Current Tax Rates – FY 2026
- Queen Anne’s County: $0.830
- Worcester County: $0.815
- Wicomico County: $0.810
- Talbot County: $0.803
- Montgomery County: $0.674
Baltimore City’s rate is the highest in Maryland and reflects its combined role as both a city and a county government. Montgomery County’s is the lowest county rate in the state. Counties adjust these rates annually, so the numbers above are tied to the current fiscal year that began July 1, 2025. Your current rate also appears on your tax bill, and SDAT keeps the full rate schedule online.5Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Tax Rates
How To Turn a Rate Into a Dollar Amount
Your property tax is calculated against the phased-in assessed value SDAT assigns your property, not the full current market value.6Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 8-103 – Assessment of Real Property in General SDAT reassesses every property once every three years, and when a reassessment raises your value, the increase is spread evenly across the next three tax years.7Conduit Street. 2026 Reassessment: Cooling Values, Still No Windfall for Counties
The formula is simple. Take your assessed value, divide by 100, and multiply by the combined rate (state plus county, plus any municipal or special district rate that applies).
Example: a home assessed at $350,000 in Baltimore County, where the county rate is $1.100 and the state rate adds $0.112, has a combined rate of $1.212. That works out to $350,000 ÷ 100 × $1.212 = $4,242 before any credits.
Why the County Rate Isn’t the Whole Bill
The county rate is usually the biggest piece, but it isn’t the only one. Every Maryland property owner also pays the uniform state rate of $0.112 per $100.1Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. 2025-2026 Tax Rates and Homestead Credit Caps If you live inside an incorporated city or town, your municipality charges its own rate on top of that. Many areas also levy special district charges for things like fire protection, transit, or stormwater management.
This matters most in jurisdictions where the headline county rate looks low. Montgomery County residents often pay additional charges for fire and rescue, mass transit, and other special districts that push the effective rate well above $0.674. The same is true in Prince George’s County, where the base $1.000 county rate gets layered with special taxing district assessments listed on the county’s annual rate schedule.8Prince George’s County. FY2026 County and Town Tax Rates To see every charge that applies at your address, look at an actual tax bill rather than a single rate figure.
Credits That Lower What You Actually Pay
Two state credits can meaningfully reduce the bill the rate math produces, and a third wipes it out entirely for a narrow group.
Homestead Tax Credit
The Homestead Tax Credit caps how much your taxable assessment can rise in a single year. State law requires every county to limit the annual increase to 10% or less, and some counties set the cap lower.9Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 9-105 – Homestead Property Tax Credit If your phased-in assessment jumps by more than the cap in a given year, the credit absorbs the tax on the excess. It only applies to your principal residence, so rentals, vacation homes, and investment properties don’t qualify. You file a one-time application with SDAT; after approval, the credit keeps applying automatically as long as you continue to live there.
Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit
This separate, income-based credit helps homeowners whose property tax bill is high relative to their household income.10Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 9-104 – Homeowners Property Tax Credit Unlike the Homestead credit, you have to reapply every year. The filing deadline is October 1, but SDAT recommends submitting by April 15 so any credit can be applied directly to your July bill rather than issued as a refund later.11Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Homeowners’ Property Tax Credit Program The application requires federal tax returns and income documentation.
Disabled Veteran Exemption
Veterans with a 100% permanent and total service-connected disability rating from the VA can qualify for a full property tax exemption on their principal residence, eliminating both the state and county tax on the dwelling. The application requires the VA disability determination, proof of Maryland residency, and an honorable discharge or DD-214.12Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Application for Exemption for Disabled Veterans
If the Rate Is Right but Your Assessment Seems Wrong
The rate isn’t negotiable, but the assessed value it’s applied to can be challenged. You have 45 days from the date on your assessment notice to file an appeal with SDAT.13Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Assessment Appeal Process Miss that window and you’re locked in until the next reassessment three years later, though you can file a petition for review by the first business day after January 1 in the interim years. Buyers who purchase a property between January 1 and July 1 get their own 60-day appeal window from the date of transfer.
Appeals move through three levels, all free to file: an informal hearing with an SDAT supervisor, then the local Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board, and finally the Maryland Tax Court. Each level after the supervisor gives you 30 days to move up if you disagree with the decision below.13Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. Assessment Appeal Process Bring comparable sales, photos of condition issues, and anything else that supports a lower market value.
When the Bill Is Due
Property tax bills go out in July for the fiscal year that began July 1.14Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. A Homeowners Guide to Property Taxes and Assessments You can pay in full by September 30, or if you own and occupy the property, split it into two installments: half by September 30 and the balance by December 31.15Maryland General Assembly. Maryland Code Tax-Property 10-204.3 A small service charge applies to the second installment; paying the full amount by September 30 avoids it. Unpaid balances start accruing interest and penalties on October 1, with the exact rate set by each jurisdiction. Many homeowners sidestep the deadline entirely through a mortgage escrow account, in which the servicer collects a share of the estimated annual tax with each mortgage payment and remits it directly to the county.